1330 



THE ORGANS OF DIGESTION 



ramify in the interlobular tissue, and appear to be destined chiefly for the nutrition of the coats 

 of the large vessels, the ducts, and the investing membrane of the liver. It also gives off capsular 

 branches which reach the surface of the organ, terminating in the fibrous coat in stellate plexuses. 

 Finally, it gives off interlobular branches (rami arteriosi interlobulares] which form a plexus of 

 capillaries (interlobular capillaries] on the outer side of each lobule, to supply its wall and the 

 accompanying bile ducts. From this plexus some lobular branches enter the lobule and end in 

 the capillary network between the cells. 



& e &ttic ,,_ Hepatic 

 artery. 



Portal vein. 



Orifices of intralobular veins. 



FIG. 1072. Longitudinal section of an hepatic 

 vein. (After Kiernan.) 



'ortion of 



canal from 



which vein 



has been 



removed- 



FIG. 1073. Longitudinal section of a small portal vein 

 and canal. (After Kiernan.) 



The portal vein also enters at the transverse fissure and runs through the portal canals, dividing 

 into branches in its course, which finally break up into a plexus, the interlobular plexus, in 

 the interlobular connective tissue. In their course these branches receive"lhe vaginal and 

 caosular veins, corresponding to the vaginal and capsular branches of the hepatic artery (Fig. 

 1073). Thus it will be seen that all the blood carried to the liver by the portal vein and hepatic 



Intralobular vein. 



Trunk of intralobular 

 vein. 



FIG. 1074. Horizontal section of injected liver (dog). 



artery, except perhaps that derived from the interlobular branches of the hepatic artery, directly 

 or indirectly finds its way into the interlobular plexus. From this plexus the blood is carried 

 into the lobule by fine branches which pierce its wall and then converge from the circumference 



to thp centre of the lobule, fnrminp- number of converging vessels, intralobular capillaries, which 

 are connected by transverse branches (Figs 1074 and 1076). In the interstices of the network 



