The
mesentery is a fold of membranous tissue that arises from the posterior wall of the
peritoneal cavity and attaches to the intestinal tract. Within it are the arteries and veins that supply the intestine. The term can be used narrowly to denote just the material that supplies the
jejunum and
ileum of the
small intestine, or broadly to include the right, left and
transverse mesocolon, mesoappendix,
mesosigmoid and mesorectum.