transitory structure and obliterates in early development.-however, in the region of the stomach and proximal part of the duodenum a permanent ventral mesentery develops secondarily from the mesoderm of the septum trans-versum. Folding of the embryo in the head regin during the 4th week of development carries the septum trans-versum ventrally, so that it comes to lie anterior to the developing foregut. From the cranial part of the septum transversum diaphragm develops, whereas its caudal part serves as the ventral mesogastrium. When the liver grows into the mesoderm of the septum transversum (described later), it obtains its stroma, connective tissue capsule and peritoneal covering from this mesoderm. Due to the growth of liver into the ventral mesogastrium, this mesentery becomes divided into two peritoneal ligaments: (1) lesser omen-turn, which extends from the liver to the lesser curvature of stomach and proximal part of the duodenum, and (2) falciform ligament that extends from the ventral abdominal wall to the liver. Rotation of the stomach around the longitudinal axis- pulls the ventral mesogastrium from the median plane to the right.