THE FEMALE GENITAL ORGANS. 



357 



ligament. Between these two are the large vessels accompanied 

 by a certain amount of muscular tissue a condition which persists 

 throughout life in the carnivora. In man the blood-vessels pene- 

 trate into the circular musculature and only appear later in the 

 inner muscular layer. A true muscularis mucosae is not present in 

 the human uterus (Sobotta, 91). 



The serous or peritoneal layer consists of a layer of mesothelial 

 cells and submesothelial connective tissue. 



The uterus derives its blood supply from the uterine and ovarian 

 arteries, which enter from the broad ligament through its lateral 

 portion. These vessels pass to the stratum vasculosum of the 

 muscular layer, where they branch repeatedly, some of the branches 



Fig. 285. From uterus of young woman; X 34- (From a preparation by Dr. 



J. Amann.) 



entering the mucosa, where they form capillary networks surround- 

 ing the glands and a dense capillary network situated under the 

 uterine epithelium. The veins form a venous plexus in the deeper 

 portion of the mucosa, especially well developed in the cervix and 

 os uteri. From this plexus the blood passes to a second well- 

 developed venous plexus situated in the stratum vasculosum of the 

 muscular layer, whence the blood passes to the plexus of uterine 

 and ovarian veins. 



The lymphatics begin in numerous clefts in the uterine mucosa ; 



