CHAPTER II 

 THE FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS 



The morphology of the female reproductive organs is described 

 in a great number of text-books and monographs (some of the 

 chief of which are cited in the bibliography : 8i, 265, 429) and it 

 is not proposed to give a more detailed account here than is 

 strictly necessary as a basis for the rest of the book. Mor- 

 phological variation in the reproductive organs from one species 

 to another may make one animal useless and another ideal for 

 some particular experiment, and it is with this aspect of specific 

 variation, therefore, that the present account is largely con- 

 cerned. 



[a) THE OVARY 



The ovary is a bean-shaped organ attached to the broad 

 ligament by the hilum. The outer covering is the germinal 

 epithelium, which is continuous with the peritoneal epithelium, 

 and from which the definitive ova are proliferated early in life 

 and possibly after puberty (7, 275, 484) . The body of the ovary 

 consists of a stroma of connective tissue in which the follicles are 

 embedded, together with the products of follicular degeneration 

 or maturation. In addition, the ovaries of many animals 

 (notably the rabbit) contain blocks of epithelial cells, forming 

 the so-called interstitial tissue. This tissue appears to be 

 completely absent in certain animals, such as the mouse. 



The Graafian follicle. The follicle, containing the ovum, 

 consists of two peripheral layers, the theca externa and the 

 theca interna, surrounding the follicular epithelium (membrana 

 granulosa and discus proligerus) which carries the ovum. In 

 the more mature follicles (except in the Monotremata) an 

 antrum appears which is filled with a viscous fluid, the liquor 

 folliculi. 



