414 THE FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS 



and, extending deeply into the crevices, forms invaginations which, 

 in transections of the tube, simulate glandular structures. There 

 are, however, no true secreting glands in the oviduct. 



Here and there groups of non-ciliated cells with clear cyto- 

 plasm occur among the more numerous ciliated cells of the mucosa. 

 This arrangement reminds one of the epithelium of the early por- 

 tion of the epididymis with which the oviduct is homologous. 



The epithelium rests upon a thin homogeneous basement mem- 

 brane beneath which is a tunica propria consisting of a cellular 



FIG. 335. FROM A TRANSECTION OF THE AMPULLA OF THE OVIDUCT, SHOWING THE 

 STRUCTURE OF THE MUCOSA. x 280. (After Williams.) 



type of connective tissue. Many of the connective tissue cells are 

 of fusiform shape, and, unless specially stained or carefully exam- 

 ined, they closely resemble smooth muscle cells. The mucosa, 

 however, contains no muscle except at the bases of the largest 

 folds, into which occasional fibres from the adjacent muscular coat 

 penetrate. 



The muscular wall of the oviduct is formed by two layers of 

 smooth muscle, a broad inner circular layer, and an outer longi- 

 tudinal coat, which is very unequally developed at different por- 

 tions of the circumference, but is relatively thin in all parts, and is 



