1712 



HUMAN ANATOMY. 



sympathetic fibres accompany the hepatic artery, forming the hepatic plexus, to 

 the transverse fissure, where, together with the fibres from the vagus, they pass into 

 the liver along with the interlobular vessels, to the walls of which they are chiefly 

 distributed. According to Berkley, the interlobular plexuses give off fine intralob- 

 ular twigs which terminate between the liver-cells. 



STRUCTURE OF THE LIVER. 



In its fundamental arrangement the liver corresponds to a modified tubular 

 gland, the system of excretory ducts of which is an outgrowth from the primary 

 gut-tube. Early in foetal life, however, the terminal divisions of the tubules unite 

 to form net-works, after which the tubular character of the liver becomes progressively 



FIG. 1444. 



Portal vein 

 Blood -capillaries 



Central vein 



Blood -capillaries 



Portal vein 



Hepatic artery, 



Bile-vessel 



Bile-vessel 

 Blood-capillary 



Hepatic cords 

 Bile-vessel 



Portal vein 



Bile-capillaries 



Blood-capillaries 



Portal vein 



Sublohular branch of hepatic vein 



Diagram of hepatic lobule; portions <>f figure represent median longitudinal section of lobule ; parts of transverse 

 also shown Branches of |xirtal vein are purple; of hepatic artery, red ; of bile-ducts, yellow. Intralobular 

 bile-capillaries are black. 



more masked by the intergrowth of the cell-cords and the large veins. Among 

 some of the lower vertebrates, as in certain vermiform fishes or cyclostomes 

 (Myxitu:), the primary tubular arrangement is retained. 



The glandular tissue- composing the liver is subdivided into small cylindrical 

 masses, the lobulfs, by the connective tissue which, in continuation of the fibrous 





