FALLOPIAN TUBE OVARY. 



753 



behind and below the Fallopian tubes. Each ovary is connected, by its anterior 

 margin, with the broad ligament ; by its inner extremity to the uterus by a proper 

 ligament, the ligament of the ovary ; and by its outer end to the fimbriated 



Fig. 376. The Uterus and its Appendages. Anterior View. 



En-He pas 



Fig. 377. Section of the Ovary of a Virgin, 



showing the Stroma and Graafian 



Vesicles. 



extremity of the Fallopian tube by a short ligarnentous cord. The ovaries are of 

 a whitish color, and present either a smooth or puckered uneven surface. They 

 are each about an inch and a half in length, three-quarters of an inch in width, 

 and about a third of an inch thick ; and weigh from one to two drachms. The 

 surfaces and posterior convex border are free, the anterior straight border being 

 attached to the broad ligament. 



Structure. The ovary is invested by peritoneum, excepting along its anterior 

 attached margin ; beneath this, is the proper fibrous covering of the organ, the 

 tunica albur/inea, which is extremely 

 dense and firm in structure, and incloses 

 a peculiar soft fibrous tissue or stroma, 

 abundantly supplied with bloodvessels 

 (fig. 377). Imbedded in the meshes of 

 this tissue are numerous small, round, 

 transparent vesicles in various stages of 

 development ; they are the Graafian vesi- 

 cles, the ovisacs containing the ova. In 

 women who have not borne children, 

 they vary, in number, from ten to fifteen 

 or twenty, and, in size, from a pin's head to a pea ; but Dr. Martin Barry has 

 shown, that a large number of microscopic ovisacs exist in the parenchyma of the 

 organ, few of which produce ova. These vesicles have thin, transparent walls, 

 and are filled with a clear, colorless, albu- 

 minous fluid. 



The Graafian vesicles are, during their 

 early development, small, and deeply seat- 

 ed in the substance of the ovary ; as they 

 enlarge, they approach the surface ; and, 

 when mature, form small projections on 

 the exterior of the ovary beneath the 

 peritoneum. Each vesicle consists of an 

 external fibro- vascular coat, connected with 

 the surrounding stroma of the ovary by 



Fig. 378. Section of the Graafian Vesicle. 

 (After Von Baer.) 



Cna'Zen 



