184 MICROSCOPIC ANATOMY OF THE ORGANS. 



fuudus glands by the facts that they branch more frequently ; 

 that they take a more curved course; and that the foveolse into 

 which they open are very deep. Besides these tilings, they 

 consist entirely of chief cells. Between the fundus and the 

 pylorus there is a transition zone or intermediate zone in which 

 both forms of glands are present. This is not definite, for the 

 parietal cells are found frequently in man even in the region 

 immediately around the pylorus. In many cases no part of 

 the stomach is free from them. 



The so-called cardiac glands are present in that region of 

 the stomach around the oesophageal orifice. They are com- 

 pound tubular glands, whose elements closely resemble those of 

 the pyloric glands. Parietal cells seldom are found. In this 

 region, as well as in the pyloric area, there are found not infre- 

 quently cells resembling those of the intestine i. e., cells with 

 a striated cuticle, and also goblet cells. These tubules, resem- 

 bling Lieberkiihn's glands, do not extend so deeply in the 

 tunica propria as the cardiac glands. 



The membrana propria which limits the epithelial layer of 

 the mucosa, is a thin membrane on whose inner surface there 

 are often to be observed flat branched cells. Where the glands 

 lie close to one another the tunica propria is very inconspicuous. 



Under the tunica propria is the muscularis mucosce, which 

 consists of smooth muscle cells crossing one another, but 

 arranged usually in two or three layers parallel to the surface. 



The tunica submucosa consists of fine connective tissue 

 which contains a considerable number of elastic fibres. Fat 

 cells, blood-vessels, and ganglion cells are seen also. The latter 

 belong to the so-called Meissner's plexus, which is present 

 throughout the alimentary canal. 



The true muscle coat of the stomach, the muscularis, con- 

 sists of three layers. The fibres of the innermost sheath run 

 obliquely ; the middle coat is circular, while the outermost 

 layer is disposed longitudinally. A thickening of the inner 

 and middle layers forms the sphincter pylori. 



The serosa consists of a thin layer of connective tissue cov- 

 ered by a layer of endothelial cells (see Peritoneum). 



