676 



THE LIVER. 



larger branches being surrounded by connective tissue. Between 

 the lobules the portal vein ramifies into smaller veins, which sub- 

 divide into capillaries. The latter arise either from one portal 

 vein, which supplies the neighboring lobules with capillaries, or 

 from two parallel veins, running in a curved direction corre- 

 sponding with the peripheries of two neighboring lobules. These 

 veins, which are connected by transverse ramules, split up into 

 numerous capillaries for the supply of the lobules. The vessels 



FIG. 296. LIVER OF A CAT. INJECTED. 



P, P, branches of the portal veins, partly surrounded by interstitial connective tissue ; 

 C, capillaries of the lobules ; H, H, central hepatic vein ; B, bile-duct. Magnified 100 

 diameters. 



bordering the lobule are frequently capillary formations, especially 

 in those parts where a larger amount of interstitial connective 

 tissue is present. 



The capillaries of the lobule are very wide and slightly sinuous. 

 We never meet with a uniform distribution of capillaries through- 

 out the lobule, for between wide capillaries narrow ones are invari- 

 ably found, frequently separating a group of epithelia by their 



