In the human embryo, the uterus develops from the paramesonephric ducts which fuse into the single organ known as a simplex uterus. It will have divided on its journey to form a blastocyst that will implant itself into the lining of the uterus – the endometrium, where it will receive nutrients and develop into the embryo proper and later fetus for the duration of the pregnancy. The fertilized egg is carried to the uterus along the fallopian tube. The connection of the uterine cavity with a fallopian tube is called the uterotubal junction. The upper end, the body of the uterus, is connected to the fallopian tubes, at the uterine horns, and the rounded part above the openings to the fallopian tubes is the fundus. In the human, the lower end of the uterus is a narrow part known as the isthmus that connects to the cervix, leading to the vagina. The term uterus is also applied to analogous structures in some non-mammalian animals. The uterus is a hormone-responsive sex organ that contains glands in its lining that secrete uterine milk for embryonic nourishment.
The uterus (from Latin uterus, pl.: uteri) or womb ( / w uː m/) is the organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans, that accommodates the embryonic and fetal development of one or more embryos until birth.
