REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS IN THE FEMALE. 317 



ovaries give no satisfactory results. Its potency is 

 manifest only by the living organ in the performance 

 of its normal function. The ovary or fragments of 

 it will readily grow in other parts of the body, and 

 has been successfully grafted from one animal to an- 

 other. 



The Parovarium, or Epoophoron. The organ 

 bearing this name lies in the broad ligament lateral 

 to the ovary and between the latter and the tube. 

 It consists of a number of closed epithelial tubules 

 which can usually be seen by holding this part of the 

 ligament up against the light. Embryologically 

 they represent the upper portions of the Wolffian 

 duct and some of the attached tubules of the meso- 

 nephros, and correspond to the vasa efferentia in the 

 male. 



The paroophoron represents vestiges of tubules 

 similar to the parovarium, situated in the broad liga- 

 ment below the ovary. They correspond to the 

 paradidymis in the male. 



Being lined by epithelial cells, either of these or- 

 gans may develop into parovarian or paroophoron 

 cysts, the former being more common. 



THE UTERUS. 



The uterus, or womb, is a hollow muscular organ, 

 with thick walls, placed in the pelvic cavity between 

 the bladder and rectum. In case of pregnancy it 

 receives and nourishes the ovum and later expels the 

 fetus at the end of pregnancy. During gestation, 

 and also periodically during menstruation, it is sub- 

 ject to marked physiological and structural changes. 



