The Liver. 187 



2. Trace the peritoneal connections as follows: 



(a) The lesser omentum, represented by the hepatoduodenal 

 ligament and the hepatogastric omentum, previously 

 divided. 



(b) The falciform ligament (lig. falciforme hepatis), a broad 

 median sheet connecting the anterior surface of the liver 

 with the diaphragm and extending backward to the ventral 

 abdominal wall. The position of this ligament indicates the 

 line of division of the liver into right and left lobes. The 

 free arcuate border of the ligament contains a thin cord, the 

 round ligament (lig. teres hepatis), which marks the 

 position of the umbilical vein in the foetus. The corres- 

 ponding um.bilical notch is less conspicuous than in man 

 because of the highly lobulated condition of the whole organ 

 in the rabbit. 



(c) The coronary ligament (lig. coronarium hepatis), a short 

 circular fold, continuous with the falciform, and connecting 

 the anterior surface of the liver with the middle of the 

 diaphragm. 



(d) The left triangular ligament (lig. triangulare sinistrum) , a 

 lateral continuation of the coronary connecting the left lobe 

 with the diaphragm. 



3. Trace the branches of the common bile duct, the hepatic 

 artery and the portal vein. These structures traverse the lesser 

 omentum side by side and their branches are similarly arranged. 



(a) The common bile duct (d. choleddchus) is formed on the 

 posterior surface of the liver by the union of a left hepatic 

 duct (d. hepaticus) with a similar duct from the right 

 anterior lobule. The latter receives the cystic duct (d. 

 cysticus) from the gall bladder. Special ducts from the 

 right posterior lobule and from the caudate lobe enter the 

 common bile duct through a short common trunk. The 

 common bile duct passes backward on the right side of the 

 portal vein, and enters the digestive tube on the dorsal 

 surface of the first (superior) portion of the duodenum 

 immediately beyond the pylorus. 



(b) The hepatic artery (a. hepatica) approaches the liver by 

 passing forward on the right side of the portal vein ventral to 



