408 



THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM 



nective tissue of the capsule of Glisson and unite with their fellows to 

 form larger and larger bile ducts, which finally join to form the main 

 excretory or hepatic duct; the latter unites with the cystic duct of the 

 gall-bladder to form the common bile duct through which the bile 

 reaches the intestine. The gall-bladder which is in principle a diver- 

 ticulum from the hepatic duct is simply a reservoir for the storage of 

 bile; it is- absent in some animals, for example, the horse and the ele- 

 phant. In all their course the bile ducts are in close relation with the 



radicals of the portal 

 , 6 vein and of the hepatic 

 artery the group of 

 vessels which, together 

 with their supporting 

 (interlobular) connec- 

 tive tissue and the in- 

 cluded nerve and lymph 

 channels, form the so- 

 called portal canals. 



The Hepatic Con- 

 nective Tissue. T h e 

 hepatic connective tis- 

 sue, or the supporting 

 tissue of the liver, in- 

 cludes the capsule of 

 the organ and the cap- 

 sule of Glisson the lat- 

 ter forming a frame- 

 work throughout the 

 liver and inclosing its 



hexagonal lobules together with the more delicate intralobular reticu- 

 lum. These tissues convey the blood-vessels, lymphatics, nerves, and 

 bile ducts. 



The fibrous framework, which forms both the outer fibrous capsule 

 of the liver and the capsule of Glisson, contains both collagenous and 

 elastic tissue, the latter being fairly abundant a fact which sharply 

 contrasts with the complete absence of elastic fibers from the interior of 

 the hepatic lobules. 



The intralobular connective tissue is extremely delicate, and consists 

 of very fine fibrils and stellate cells (of von Kupfer) which form a deli- 

 cate reticulum, in which the capillary blood-vessels and columns of liver 



FIG. 381. THE RETICULUM OF THE DOG'S LIVER. 



a, central vein ; b, capsule of Glisson at the margin 

 of the lobule. Gold chlorid. X 120. (After Bohm 

 and von Davidoff.) 



