INTRODUCTIONThe word omentum derives from the ancient Egyptians who, when embalming human bodies,used to assess their "omens" by looking at the variations in what we recognise today as the omentum[1] Galen(128 - 199 AD)thought that the role of the omentum was to warm the intestines.This was on the basis of a gladiator who had an omental resection after a stab injury and suffered greatly from cold for the rest of his life[2] A more conventional view of the omentum is that it plays a central role in peritoneal defence by adhering to sites of inflammation, absorbing bacteria and other contaminants, and providing leukocytes for a local immune response[3]. This review details current knowledge on the origins, structure, and function of the omentum, and discusses its role in the peritoneal cavity during various disease states.