508 



THE KEPKODTJCTIVE SYSTEM 



tissue stroma of the ovary. The indentation which is thus produced 

 is known as the hilum. 



The substance of the ovary is divisible into a central medulla which 

 reaches the surface only at the hilum',, and a peripheral cortex which 

 invests all other portions of the medulla and is in turn clothed by a layer 

 of germinal epithelium, a continuation of the peritoneal epithelium, 

 whose cells in this area are peculiar in that they possess a typically 

 cuboidal shape, and are thus sharply distinguished from the flattened 

 mesothelial cells of the surrounding portions of the peritoneum. 



Corpus 

 ' teum 



Pfimnry 

 orortan follicle 

 An tnan folliculi 

 'of Graafiaa 

 follicle 



iobphorus 



Germinal 

 'epithelium 



fwith blood-ressety 



FIG. 449. SECTION OP OVARY OF ADULT CAT, THROUGH HILUS, SHOWING FIVE 

 VESICULAR (GRAAFIAN) FOLLICLES, WITH THE CUMULUS OOPHORUS AND THE 



ENCLOSED OVUM. 



The antrum folliculi is filled with a granular material, a coagulum of the liquor 



folliculi. Note that the ovarian follicles are in the cortical portion, the medulla 



containing no follicles. X7. 



The Medulla. The medulla of the ovajy consists of a fibromuscular 

 stroma and large numbers of blood-vessels. Its arteries are characterized 

 by their spirally tortuous course and thick muscular walls; its veinsjjje - 

 numorous- and large, and their endothelium rests almost directly upon 

 the nbromuscular strojna. This portio~n of the ovarian stroma consists 

 of fibrous connective tissue in which are elastic fibers and considerable 

 numbers of smooth muscle cells. The connective tissue is richly sup- 

 plied with cellular elements, most of which are ovoid or fusiform in 

 shape. 



The Cortex. The cortex of the ovary likewise contains a vascular 

 gtroma and also large numbers of ova which are in all stages of develop- 



