Endometrium
Endometrium (tunica mucosa uteri)
ReproductiveOrgansPelvis
Shown on the female body.
- What it is
- Glandular mucous lining of the uterine cavity with a permanent basal layer and a functional layer that thickens and is shed every cycle.
- Function
- Prepares a blood-rich bed for implantation under oestrogen and progesterone; if no embryo implants, its functional layer breaks down as menstruation.
- Size
- 2–4 mm thick after menstruation, up to 10–14 mm in the secretory phase.
- Clinical note
- Endometriosis is endometrium-like tissue growing outside the uterus, a common cause of pelvic pain and infertility.