14 12 THE URINO GENITAL ORGANS 



The mucous membrane (tunica mucosa) (Fig. 1164) is thin, smooth, and closely adherent to the 

 subjacent muscle tissue. It is continuous, through the fimbriated extremity of the Fallopian 

 tubes, with the peritoneum, and through the os uteri with the lining of the vagina. 



In the body of the uterus it is smooth, soft, of a pale red color, lined with simple ciliated epi- 

 thelium, and presents, when viewed with a lens, the orifices of numerous tubular glands arranged 

 perpendicularly to the surface. It is not provided with any submucosa, but is intimately con- 

 nected with the innermost layer of the muscular coat. In structure its tunica propria differs 

 from ordinary mucous membrane, consisting of an embryonic nucleated and highly cellular 

 form of connective tissue, in which run numerous large lymphatics. In it are the tube-like 

 uterine glands (ylandulae uterinae), which are of small size in the unimpregnated uterus, 

 but shortly after impregnation become enlarged and elongated, presenting a contorted or waxed 

 appearance toward their closed extremities, which reach into the muscularis, and may be single 

 or bifid. The uterine glands consist of a delicate membrane, lined with epithelium, which 

 becomes ciliated toward the orifices. 



In the cervix the mucous membrane is sharply differentiated from that of the uterine cavity. 

 It is thrown into numerous oblique ridges, which diverge from an anterior and posterior longi- 

 tudinal raphe, presenting an appearance which has received the name of arbor vitae (plicae 



^ ! _ j _^____ -- ^^ Branches to tube. 

 Branches to fundus. 



Ovarian artery. 

 Branch to round ligament. 



ROUND LIGAMENT. 



Uterine artery. 

 Arteries of cervix. 



w 



Vaginal arteries. 

 FIG. 1168. The arteries of the internal reproductive organs of the female, seen from behind. (After Hyrtl.) 



palmatae). In the upper two-thirds of the canal the mucous membrane is provided with numer- 

 ous deep glands (glandulae cervicales uteri), which secrete a clear viscid alkaline mucus; and 

 in addition, extending through the whole length of the canal, are a variable number of little cysts, 

 presumably glands, which have become occluded and distended with retained secretion. They 

 are called the ovules of Naboth. The mucous membrane covering the lower half of the cervical 

 canal presents numerous papilla*. The epithelium of the upper two-thirds is ciliated, but below 

 this it loses its cilia, and close to the external os gradually changes to squamous epithelium. 



Vessels and Nerves (Fig. 1168). The arteries of the uterus are the uterine, from the inter- 

 nal iliac, and the ovarian, from the aorta. They are remarkable for their tortuous course in the 

 substance of the organ and for their frequent anastomoses. The uterine artery reaches the lower 

 part of the uterus at the side and is prolonged as a large artery to the body and fundus, which 

 ascends between the layers of the broad ligament. The uterine artery gives off a smaller branch, 

 the cervical, which descends to supply the cervix and sends cervicovaginal branches to the 

 vagina. The azygos arteries of the vagina come from the cervicovaginal reenforced by branches 

 of the vaginal arteries (Fig. 1 170). A median longitudinal vessel is formed in front and behind, 

 which descends in the vaginal wall. The termination of the ovarian artery meets the termination 

 of the uterine artery, and forms an anastomotic trunk from which branches are given off to 



