THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM 



373 



The muscle cells of the uterus are long spindle-shaped elements, 

 some having pointed, others blunt, branched, or frayed ends. In the 

 virgin uterus they have a length of from 40 to 60/'.. During preg- 

 nancy the muscular tissue of the uterus is greatly increased. This 

 is due partly to increase in the number, partly to increase in the 

 size of the muscle cells. At term the muscle cells frequently have 

 a length of from 250 to 6oo/«. (Fig. 264.) 



The mucous membrane. As the mucosa presents marked variation 

 in structure, dependent upon the functional condition of the organ, 

 it is necessary to describe: 



1 . The mucosa of the resting 

 uterus. 



2. The mucosa of the men 

 struating uterus. 



3. The mucosa of the preg- 

 nant uterus. 



I. The Mucosa of the Rest- 

 ing Uterus 



v/- 



• ,i • .- ■■■:'■ •■■..••■: ■■:::<: '^•■- ••;•..■. ■■■■ V'Wy V-'- ■ 



>- a 



:&=; 







This is from i to 2 mm. thick, 

 and consists of a stroma, glands, 

 and a lining epithelium (Fig. 

 265). The stroma resembles 

 embrvonal connective tissue, 

 consisting of fine fibrils and 

 long, irregular branching cells 

 which form a sort of network, 

 the meshes of which are filled in 

 with lymphoid cells and leuco- 

 cytes. The epithelium is of the 

 simple high columnar ciliated 



variety, the ciliary motion being toward the cervix. A basement 

 membrane separates the epithelium from the underlying stroma. The 

 glands are simple forked tubules lined by a single layer of columnar 

 cihated cells resting upon a basement membrane and continuous 

 with the surface cells. The glands extend completely through the 

 stroma. Near the surface they run a comparatively straight course. 

 Deeper in the stroma their course is more tortuous, while the fundus 

 is frequently turned at right angles to the rest of the tubule. 



In the cervix the stroma is firmer and less cellular, and the mu- 





Fig. 265. — From Uterus of Young Woman. 

 (Bohm andvonDavidoff; preparation by Dr. 

 J. Amann.) X34. a, Mucous membrane; 

 h, surface epithelium; c, gland; e, muscle. 



