INTERNAL SECRETION OF OVARY 



223 



The degenerating cells finally are resorbed. A vascularisation 

 arising from the stroma takes place in the mass of cells which 

 up till now formed the theca interna. Such an atresia goes 

 on in a very, great number of follicles (Fig. 104). Similar 

 observations were made also by Limon on the guinea pig, on 

 the mouse, and on the bat. We see that the interstitial tissue 



Fig. 102. — Growing primary follicle with memhr. granulosa and theca in rabbit 

 7 months old (Prot, Nr. 119). x 200. It can also be seen that threads of 

 interstitial cells arise from atretic follicles; compare the atretic folUcle 

 on the left (with corpus albicans) which has still conserved the round 

 shape, with the atretic follicle on the right which has lost its original shape 

 evidently owing to the growth of the primary folhcle at its left border. — 

 Prepar. of Wagner; photo of Kull. 



of the stroma of the ovary is, according to Limon, nothing else 

 than the result of a transformation of atretic foUicles. As the 

 epithelioid interstitial cells are derived from the theca interna, it 

 follows, according to Limon, that they are of connective tissue 

 origin. 



Follicular atresia takes place in the ovaries of all mammals. 

 So one would expect also that interstitial cells would be present 



Q 



