What is known as "the police man of the abdomen"?

The omenta are the fused peritoneal folds that attach the abdominal organs with one another.

There are two omenta:the greater omentum and the lesser omentum.

Both the greater and lesser omentum attach to the stomach and pass to other viscera within the abdominal cavity.

The greater omentum (or omentum majus), as its name suggests, is the largest of the two omenta. It is an apron like structure that extends from the greater curvature of the stomach and proximal duodenum. From here, it descends inferiorly over the transverse colon, jejunum and ileum. It then folds posteriorly and ascends to attach to the transverse mesocolon. The greater omentum contains large amounts of fat, which is highly variable between individuals.

The greater omentum prevents the parietal and visceral peritoneum of the abdominal cavity from adhering to each other. For example, it prevents the parietal peritoneum lining the anterior abdominal wall from sticking to the visceral peritoneum of the ileum. It is very mobile, and moves around the abdomen with rhythmic, peristaltic motion of the intestines. It can also adhere to an inflamed organ, such as the appendix, to protect the healthy organs in the abdomen. Because of this, the greater omentum is sometimes referred to as the ‘policeman of the abdomen’.