Under the belly button is a roundish depression, which remains after severing the umbilical cord on the front of the abdomen. In humans, the navel can thereby appear in different manifestations. At the same time, the navel is also a target for a wide range of diseases that should be treated immediately.
What is the belly button?
A flat stomach and a well-formed belly button are beauty ideals of our time. Exercise and a healthy diet can ensure a toned abdomen into old age. The belly button, which is also called umbilicus in technical language, represents a roundish indentation located in the middle of the front of the abdomen, which becomes visible after birth in all placentates. The development of the umbilicus is based on the umbilical cord, which during pregnancy exchanges vital substances between the blood circulation of the pregnant woman and the growing organism. After delivery, the umbilical cord is eliminated, so the belly button closes and scars. Even though it is no longer involved in vital functions of the human organism from this point on, the belly button can come to the fore again as part of numerous diseases.
Anatomy and structure
A belly button consists of a collection of subcutaneous scar tissue over which a so-called papilla is placed. This represents a wart-shaped protrusion on the skin and gives rise to the actual umbilical cord remnant. In addition, the papilla is surrounded by a so-called umbilical ring. The navel can appear in many different forms. These depend on different criteria, which include genetic circumstances, physical resilience, handling as well as care of the navel and also the abdominal muscle condition. In general, however, the belly button is differentiated between two basic forms. Thus, the belly button can be concave turned inwards or convex turned outwards. In humans, the inverted variant is more common. In very overweight people, the belly button can also appear in a kind of slit in the middle of the abdomen.
Function and tasks
No specific tasks are attributed to the belly button in everyday human life. However, it is involved in vital functions during pregnancy. For example, the navel is the attachment point of the umbilical cord, which connects the unborn baby in the womb to the placenta. The umbilical cord now facilitates the exchange of vital substances between the unborn child and the mother’s blood circulation. These substances are vital nutrients as well as oxygen. In addition, the umbilical cord disposes of metabolic waste products such as carbon dioxide. After birth, the umbilical cord is then cut. This occurs after the blood within the cord has stopped pulsating, which usually occurs about 5 minutes after delivery. The navel then presents a kind of scar in the middle of the abdomen, which appears after the final fall of the remains of the umbilical cord about 3 to 10 days after birth.
Diseases, ailments and disorders
Some diseases may occur in the area of the belly button. For example, the development of umbilical anomalies can occur, which describe primary disorders of the belly button. These include, for example, the amniotic umbilicus, in which a skin defect develops after the umbilical cord is severed. This is due to the fact that the amniotic sheath extends onto the abdominal skin. Another anomaly is the fleshy navel. In this case, the abdominal skin spreads onto the umbilical cord, leaving a blunt-shaped navel after the umbilical cord falls off. Umbilical hemorrhage, but without further complications, is also possible in infants shortly after birth. Another condition in the area of the belly button is the so-called umbilical hernia, which is also called herba umbilicalis and occurs mainly in newborns. The umbilical hernia describes a hernia of the viscera in which the peritoneum is bulged out. This causes the hernial swelling to leak out, which may be accompanied by severe pain and pressure sensations. Additional complications may include ileus and death of intestinal tissue.While an umbilical hernia occurs predominantly in newborns, adults can also be affected. Here it is mainly women around 50, who are particularly at risk due to obesity, pregnancy or physical stress.
