STRUCTURE OF THE UTERUS. 561 



nucleated embryonic collagenous tissue. In the Fallopian tubes, the 

 muscular coat is thicker in the inner half, and consists of external 

 longitudinal, and internal transverse fibres, also mixed with unde- 

 veloped collagenous tissue. 



The mucous membrane of the uterus is whitish-red, J to 1 line 

 thick, and cannot be raised from the muscular coat, it is so closely 

 connected with it. Indeed, since the corium so called, also con- 

 tains smooth muscular fibres, and collagenous tissue without any 

 elastic fibres, it has no clear line of demarcation from the muscular 

 layer underneath. The epithelium, everywhere except in the canal 

 of the cervix, and the lower third of the uterine cavity, is the com- 

 pound conoid al ciliated variety; the cells being 7 of an inch in 

 length, and the cilia vibrating from without to within. In the 

 cavity of the uterus, the corium presents no papilla^ but occasion- 

 ally a few large folds. It, however, contains numerous minute 

 glands (glandular uterinse), bearing a striking resemblance to the 

 Lieberkiihnian glands of the intestines. They extend through the 

 mucous membrane, being g^ to 4^ of ah inch in diameter, and 

 thickly placed. They are simple or bifurcated, as shown in Fig. 

 388. Their orifices are even ^STT of an inch in diameter; and they 

 are lined by a simple conoidal and not ciliated epithelium. 



Fig. 388. 



Section of the lining membrane of a human uterus at the period of commencing pregnancy, show- 

 ing the arrangement and other peculiarities of the glands (d, d, d,) with their orifices (a, a, a,) on 

 the internal surface of the organ. Twice the natural size. (After E. H. Weber.) 



The mucous membrane of the canal of the cervix uteri presents 

 four longitudinal columns of rugas or folds, the latter being arranged 

 in an oblique, transverse, or curved direction. These columns are 

 separated by four longitudinal grooves, of which those on the median 

 line anteriorly and posteriorly are the most distinct. Sometimes 

 the grooves are replaced by ridges. The two lateral grooves ex- 

 tend through the canal to the angles dividing the anterior and pos- 

 36 



