116 ADIPOSE TISSUE. SYNOVIAL MEMBRANE. 



Tendon is the collection of parallel fasciculi of fibrous tissue, by 

 means of which muscles are attached to bones. They are constructed 

 on the same principle with ligaments, are usually rounded in their 

 figure, but in some instances are spread out so as to assume a 

 membranous form. In the latter state they are called aponeuroses. 



Yellow fibrous tissue is known also by the appellation elastic tissue, 

 from one of its more prominent physical properties, a property which 

 permits of its fibres being drawn out to double their length and again 

 returning to their original dimensions. The fibres of elastic tissue are 

 transparent, brittle, flat, or polyhedral in shape, colourless when single 

 but yellowish in an aggregated form, and considerably thicker ( 5o Vo 

 of an inch in diameter) than the fibres of white fibrous tissue. In the 

 construction of their peculiar tissue they communicate with each other 

 by means of short oblique fibres, which unite with adjoining fibres 

 at acute or obtuse angles without any enlargement of the fibre with 

 which they are joined. This circumstance has given rise to the idea 

 of these fibres giving off branches, an expression derived from the 

 division of blood-vessels, and another term borrowed from the same 

 source has been applied to their communication with each other, 

 namely, inosculation ; but both these expressions in their literal 

 meaning are incorrect. When yellow fibrous tissue is cut or torn, 

 the fibres in consequence of their elasticity become clubbed and curved 

 at the extremity, a striking character of this tissue. 



The instances of yellow fibrous tissue are ; the ligamenta subflava 

 of the arches of the vertebrae, chordae vocales, thyro-epiglottic liga- 

 ment, crico- thy roidean membrane, the membranous layers connecting 

 the cartilaginous rings of the trachea and bronchial tubes, the capsula 

 propria of the spleen and the middle coat of arteries. It is also met 

 with around some parts of the alimentary canal, as the resophagus, 

 cardia, and anus, around the male and female urethra, in the fascia 

 lata, and in the corium of the skin. 



Red fibrous tissue is also termed contractile tissue, from a peculiar 

 property which it possesses, and which places it physiologically in an 

 intermediate position between white fibrous tissue and muscular 

 fibre. Its fibres are cylindrical, transparent, reddish in hue, and 

 collected into fasciculi. It is met with in the corium of the skin, in 

 the dartos, around the nipple, in the excretory ducts of glands, in the 

 coats of blood-vessels, particularly veins, in the iris, in the inter- 

 vascular spaces of the erectile tissue of the penis and clitoris, around 

 the urethra, and around the vagina. 



ADIPOSE TISSUE is composed of minute cells, aggregated together in 

 clusters of various size within the areolae of nbro-cellular tissue. The 

 cells of adipose tissue are identical in manner of formation with other 

 cells, being developed on nuclei and increasing in size by the forma- 

 tion of fluid in their interior. In adipose cells this fluid, instead of 

 being albuminous as in other cells, is oleaginous, the oil at first appear- 

 ing in separate globules, which subsequently coalesce into a single 

 drop. The size of adipose cells at their full development is about 



