visceral adj

1 relating to or affecting the viscera; "visceral bleeding"; "a splanchnic nerve" [syn: splanchnic]

2 obtained through intuition rather than from reasoning or observation [syn: intuitive, nonrational]

English

Etymology

Historically having to do with the spleen, and related parts of the body (viscera) which at times were felt to be active in this sort of intuitive feeling.

Adjective

1. Having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect, as in the distinction between thinking and feeling. Often described as intuition; cf. gut feeling, gut reaction.

In anatomy, a viscus () (plural: viscera /ˈvɪsərə/) is an internal organ of an animal (including humans), in particular an internal organ of the thorax or abdomen. The viscera, when removed from a butchered animal, are known collectively as offal. Internal organs are also known as "innards", or less formally, "guts" (which may also refer to the gastrointestinal tract).

The adjective visceral is used for anything pertaining to the internal organs. Historically, viscera of animals were examined by Roman pagan priests like the haruspices or the augurs in order to divine the future by their shape, dimensions or other factors.

Human viscera

Further information: Organs of the human body by region

Abdomen

• peritoneum
• stomach
• duodenum
• intestine
• colon
• liver
• spleen
• pancreas
• kidney
• adrenal gland
• appendix
• gall bladder

Pelvis and perineum

• pelvis
• coccyx
• ovaries
• Fallopian tube
• uterus
• vulva
• clitoris
• perineum
• urinary bladder
• testicles
• rectum

Innervation

The viscera are mainly innervated parasympathetically by the vagus nerve and sympathetically by the splanchnic nerves. The sensory part of the latter reaches the spinal column at certain spinal segments. Pain in any viscera is perceived as referred pain, more specifically pain from the dermatome (anatomy) corresponding to the spinal segment.

References

See also

• Anatomical terms of location
• Visceroptosis

abdominal, affectional, affective, anal, appendical, cardiac, cecal, colic, colonic, coronary, demonstrative, duodenal, emotiometabolic, emotiomotor, emotional, emotiovascular, emotive, enteric, feeling, gastric, glandular, gut, ileac, instinctual, interior, internal, intestinal, intimate, intuitive, jejunal, mesogastric, of soul, overdemonstrative, pyloric, rectal, soulful, splanchnic