Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site decwrl.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!decwrl!koch@tallis.DEC (Kevin Koch LTN1-2/B17 DTN229-6274)
From: koch@tallis.DEC (Kevin Koch LTN1-2/B17 DTN229-6274)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re:  Navels
Message-ID: <532@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 23-Sep-85 10:02:51 EDT
Article-I.D.: decwrl.532
Posted: Mon Sep 23 10:02:51 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 25-Sep-85 12:42:02 EDT
Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Lines: 19


     I had the same curiosity and did some research, mostly in various 
sections of Gray's anatomy.  Here, through the filter of an imperfect 
memory over several years, is what I found:

     The umbilical blood vessels are clamped within a few minutes of 
birth by some muscles somewhere.  They atrophy over a period of . 
To open up a new can of worms, that it takes a few minutes for the
circulation to be rerouted to the lungs has implications for when in 
the birth process the umbilical cord should be cut.

     The bladder tapers to a point and is connected by some fibrous 
tissue to the navel.  There are some interesting nervous connections, 
too.  If you pull on your navel very hard, or dig your fingernails
into it, you may observe some tingling sensations in your genital
area. 

Kevin Koch  (Koch is it!)
... decwrl!dec-tallis!koch   //  koch%tallis.dec@decwrl.ARPA