602 



THE BLOOD-VASCULAR SYSTEM 



THE OVARIAN ARTERIES 



The ovarian arteries [aa. ovaricae], are the homologues of the internal sper- 

 matic arteries in the male, and correspond in their relations in the upper part of 

 their com^se. They diverge somewhat less, however, and, on reaching the level 

 of the common iliac artery, turn medialward over that vessel and descend tor- 

 tuously into the pelvis between the folds of the broad ligament to the ovaries. 

 In the broad ligament the ovarian artery lies below the Fallopian tube, and on 

 reaching the ovary turns backward and supplies that organ. In fig. 486 is shown 

 how the artery enters the hilus of the ovary and breaks up into^branches which 

 determine the lobules of the organ. 



The branches of the ovarian arteries are: — (1) Ureteral; (2) tubal; (3) uterine; 

 and (4) ligamentous. 



(1) The ureteral is distributed, as in the male, to the ureter. 



f(2) The tubal supphes the isthmus and ampulla of the tuba uterina (Fallopian tube) and 

 its fimbriated extremity. 



(3) The uterine runs beneath the tuba uterina (Fallopian tube) to the uterus, supplying 

 the upper part of the fundus, and anastomosing with the uterine arteries from the hypogastric, 



(4) The ligamentous is distributed to the round ligament, passing with that structure through 

 the inguinal canal, and anastomosing with the superficial external pudendal artery. 



Like the spermatic, the ovarian arteries in the foetus come off at right angles to the aorta, 

 and pass transversely lateralward to the ovaries, which are formed, as are the testes, in the 

 right and left loin in front of the kidneys. They elongate as the ovaries descend into the pelvis. 

 During pregnancy these arteries undergo great enlargement. 



THE INFERIOR MESENTERIC ARTERY 



The inferior mesenteric artery [a. mesenterica inferior], smaller than the 

 superior, arises from the front of the abdominal aorta about 3.7 cm. (1^ in.) 



Fig. 487. — The Inferior Mesenteric Artery and Vein. 

 (The colon is turned up, and the small intestines are drawn to the right side.) 



Middle colic artery 



Inferior pancreatico- 

 duodenal artery 

 Superior mesenteric 

 artery 



Right colic artery 



Abdominal aorta 

 Vena cava inferior 



Right common iliac 



artery 



Middle sacral artery 



and vein 



Left colic artery 



Inferior mesen- 

 teric vein 



Inferior mesen- 

 teric artery 

 Left colic artery 

 Inferior mesen- 

 teric artery 



Left common iliac 

 vein 



Sigmoid artery 



Superior haemor- 

 rhoidal artery 



Rectum 



I 



above the bifurcation of that vessel. It runs obliquely downward and to the 

 left, behind tiie peritoneum, across the lower part of the abdominal aorta and then 

 over the left psoas muscle and left common iliac artery. It descends into the 



