THE FEMALE GENITAL TRACT. 



827 



disk, which protrudes more or less toward the central cavity. 

 Near the time of maturity of the ovum, the epithelia of the folli- 

 cle opposite the disk are destroyed, the connective tissue around 

 the follicle is deprived of its blood-vessels, and this thinned por- 

 tion ruptures ; the follicle empties its liquid, and the ovum is 

 discharged, still surrounded by a layer of columnar epithelia 

 the zona granulosa or radiata of authors. 



After the follicle has emptied, a slight haemorrhage takes 

 place at the site of the former cavity. The extravasated blood 

 leaves a certain amount of pigment behind, and the newly ap- 



FIG. 375. FOLLICLE OF THE OVARY OF A BABBIT. 



C, dense connective tissue so-called capsule of ovary ; T, fibrous connective tissue the 

 stroma of the ovary ; J, stratified lining epithelium of the follicle; $, epithelial strings trav- 

 ersing the cavity of the follicle ; L, albuminous liquid filling the cavity of the follicle ; ZG, 

 zona graimlosa, composed of columnar epithelia ; ZP, zoua pellucida a cuticular formation ; 

 O, ovum with the vesicula gerrainativa. Magnified 200 diameters. 



pearing medullary corpuscles, both from the connective tissue 

 and the epithelia of the follicle, appear laden with pigment- 

 particles, or saturated by a diffuse coloring matter. At a certain 

 period a number of pigmented medullary or inflammatory cor- 

 puscles appear in the part where the former follicle was situated j 

 these are more numerous and more laden with pigment when 



