214 



THE FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM 



tissue fibers formino; the region known as the tunica albuginea. 

 Distributed through the cortical connective tissue are the primary 

 ovarian foUicles composed of maturing ovum surrounded by a layer 

 of follicle cells. In the medulla, ovarian follicles are absent; there 

 are many elastic fibers, scattered smooth muscles, and the larger 

 branches of the o\'arian vessels in a fibroelastic tissue stroma. 

 (Fig. 184.) 



Germinal cpilhehum 

 Tunica albvquica 



Maturing 

 follicles 



Primary follicle 



Mature Graafian 

 tollicle 



TheccE 



Corpus luteum 



Egg cord 



^'orpu^ albicans 



Fig. 134. — Diagram of a mammalian ovary. 



(lr()U])s of special cells deri\'e(l from a particular portion of the 

 connective tissue have been identified in some ovaries as interstitial 

 cells believed by some to have an endocrine function similar to the 

 interstitial tissue of the testes. These cells, when present, are large, 

 ])olyhedral, epithelioid cells with lipoid droplets in their cytoplasm. 

 There is no evidence to confirm the conjecture that they are endo- 

 crine or that they act as intermediaries for mltriti^■e transfer between 

 the blood vessels and the ovarian follicles. 



The conditions of the ova and follicles in the cortical region of 

 the ()\ary \ary with the animal under consideration and with the 

 age of each indi\idual. lk>gimiing with an indiH'erent gonad in 

 which ])i'im()r(lial sex cells are scattered among the indifferent cells, 

 there is a i)rogressive difl'erentiation. The cuboidal epithelium 



