TENDONS. 



The vascular layer develops the heart, which, though in- 

 voluntary, is found to contain the transverse striae of the 

 muscles of animal life. 



Tendons. Tendons form the extremities of muscles, as a 

 general rule, though we sometimes find them, as in digas- 

 tric muscles, occupying the centre. 



FIG. 27. They are easily distinguished by 



their beautifully white and shining 

 , appearance, and though seemingly 

 continuous with the muscular fibre, 

 and at one time considered as such, 

 yet by maceration and boiling they 

 can be separated. The structure of 

 tendon is cellular, condensed, and 

 modified into the funicular or cord- 

 like, and the membraniform shape- 

 Its chemical element is gelatin. 

 Its fibres run longitudinally,, being 

 connected by lateral fibrils, and ad- 

 hering with the greatest tenacity to 

 muscle. They have so little ex- 

 tensibility, that it is believed they 

 will break sooner than stretch. 

 They have no contractility, nor 

 elasticity. Their sensibility in the 

 healthy state is obscure, while in 

 the diseased it becomes very evident. In health, tendons 

 have no red blood circulating in them, while in inflamma- 

 tion the red globules become very manifest. No nerves 

 can be traced passing into this tissue. 



FIG. 27 represents the attachment of tendon to muscular fibre. 



