80 ANATOMY OF THE RAT 



of the median lobe. The roimd ligament (ligamentum 

 teres hepatis) is the ventral thickened border of the fal- 

 ciform ligament. It enters the dorsal end of the fissure 

 in the median lobe. The left triangular ligament is a 

 triangular sheet connecting the dorsal edge of the left 

 lateral lobe with the diaphragm. It unites with the dia- 

 phragm along a line running from the vena cava to the 

 left and to the dorsal margin of the diaphragm. The right 

 triangular ligament is a comparatively broad sheet con- 

 necting the dorsal side of the right lateral lobe with the 

 diaphragm. 



The rat's liver possesses no gall bladder for storing the 

 bile, the digestive secretion of the liver. The hepatic 

 ducts convey the bile from the liver lobes to the hile duct 

 (ductus choledochus) which then passes along the duode- 

 nohepatic omentum, ventral to the portal vein. The duct 

 traverses the dorsal side of* the pancreas and enters the 

 mensenterial side of the duodenum about three centimeters 

 from the pylorus. The liver receives arterial blood from 

 the hepatic artery, and venous blood from the alimentary 

 canal through the portal vein. Food substances absorbed 

 from the alimentary canal are carried to the liver through 

 this vein. Carbohydrates are stored there in the form 

 of glycogen. Blood leaving the liver enters the inferior 

 vena cava through the hepatic veins. 



MESENTERIES OF THE ALIMENTARY CANAL 



The digestive organs of the vertebrates are connected 

 with one another and with the walls of the abdominal cav- 

 ity by membranes. The membranes uniting the organs 

 with the dorsal abdominal walls are called mesenteries. 

 Of these the mesogastrium supports the stomach, the mes- 

 entery proper the intestine, and the mesocolon supports 

 the colon. The alimentary canal in all vertebrates except 



