Relate the abdominal regions to underlying organs.
Place your attention on the area between the lower ribs and pelvis. Instead of memorising every organ at once, divide this area into smaller regions.
Read one idea at a time1 / 7
Abdomen
The part of the trunk between the thorax and pelvis.
For example
It contains much of the digestive tract.
Read all notes for this section
Abdomen
The part of the trunk between the thorax and pelvis. It contains much of the digestive tract.
Peritoneum
A thin covering that lines much of the abdominal wall and covers many abdominal organs. A small amount of fluid helps the surfaces slide. The kidneys lie behind this lining, a position called retroperitoneal. “Retro” means behind.
Epigastric / umbilical
Epigastric is the upper middle region. Umbilical surrounds the navel. The epigastrium is above the umbilical region.
Hypochondriac / iliac
Hypochondriac regions lie below the ribs. Iliac regions lie near the hip bones. The right hypochondriac region is above the right iliac region.
Place the largest organs first
The abdomen is the part of the trunk below the diaphragm and above the pelvis. The liver lies mostly in its upper right side. The stomach and spleen lie mainly in the upper left. The small intestine fills much of the central area, with the colon, or large intestine, around much of it.
Remember there is depth
A front-view diagram can hide structures farther back. The kidneys lie near the back wall of the abdomen. They are behind the peritoneum, the membrane associated with many abdominal organs. This position is called retroperitoneal: “retro” means behind. Most of the pancreas is also behind this membrane.
Use a map to describe a location
One vertical line down the middle and one horizontal line through the navel divide the abdomen into four quadrants. A more detailed map uses nine regions. These lines help describe location; they are not physical walls, and an organ may cross them. Right and left still belong to the person.
Explore the illustration
Look at the whole view first. Then select one label and connect it to the idea you just read.
Organs of the abdomen
Anterior view of the digestive organs. Compare this with the posterior view to locate the kidneys and large vessels behind them.
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01 / 6 Liver · mainly right
Guided anatomy tour: each step identifies one structure and explains its relationship to the next. The highlight moves; the anatomy stays still. Reduced motion is enabled. Use the arrows to study one step at a time, or choose Play.
Liver · mainly right
The liver lies beneath the right dome of the diaphragm and extends across the midline.
Adapted for this lesson: labels removed, artwork cropped or recoloured, and interactive teaching overlays added. Adapted artwork retains its source licence.
Go deeper
In-depth reading
Follow this example step by step, then try explaining it yourself. The extra reading is optional: you can return to it after exploring the illustration.
Worked example: translating “epigastric”
Picture the nine-region map as three rows of three boxes. Begin with the central column: epigastric at the top, umbilical around the navel, and hypogastric below. Learn these anchors before adding the side regions.
“Epigastric discomfort” means discomfort in the upper middle abdomen. It does not mean that the stomach is definitely the cause. A region can overlie several structures, and pain may be felt away from its source.
When looking at the diagram, first mark the person’s right. Then find the liver mainly on that side and the stomach mainly to the left. Add the regional grid last so the labels attach to a map you already understand.
Explain it yourself
Does a region name identify the cause of pain?
Show the explanation
No. It describes where pain is felt. Location is one piece of information, not a diagnosis of the organ or cause.
More detail — when you are ready
These notes expand the mechanisms and vocabulary. Read one topic at a time and find the structures in the illustration.
An anterior and posterior map
From the front, the liver occupies much of the right upper abdomen, the stomach lies mainly to the left, and intestinal loops fill much of the central and lower region. The ascending colon lies on the right, the transverse colon crosses the abdomen, and the descending colon lies on the left before the sigmoid colon enters the pelvis.
Behind these structures, the kidneys and much of the pancreas lie retroperitoneally. The adrenal glands sit above the kidneys.
The spleen lies in the left upper abdomen near the stomach.
Nine regions and four quadrants
The nine-region scheme has three rows. Above are right hypochondriac, epigastric and left hypochondriac regions.
In the middle are right lumbar, umbilical and left lumbar regions. Below are right iliac, hypogastric and left iliac regions.
Hypogastric is also called pubic; iliac regions are also called inguinal. The four-quadrant scheme uses a vertical median line and a horizontal line through the umbilicus.
Both schemes describe projected locations on a continuous abdomen; they do not create physical partitions or confine each organ to one box.
Worked example: location is evidence, not diagnosis
Epigastric discomfort is described in the upper central abdomen. That identifies a region, not a diseased organ.
Organs may span several regions, shift with filling or breathing, and cause referred sensations. To describe an illustration, name its view, mark the person’s right, locate the diaphragm and spine, and then follow the colon around the small intestine.
To describe symptoms, preserve the location and the person’s report without concluding that the underlying organ must be the source.
Further reading — optional
Free external resources in English. Internet connection required to open the links. Choose the topic you want to explore; these readings are not required to complete the section.
Follow the route from mouth to anus in the first figure. Then distinguish organs that food passes through from organs that add secretions.
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Sources and illustration notes
Bilingual teaching notes organised from your supplied anatomy reference pages. Medical SVG artwork is credited beneath each illustration; guided sequences and process overlays support slow, step-by-step study. Anatomy and translation await expert review.
