THE UTERINE TUBES THE UTERUS 599. 



cord. The Ijrmph vessels pass to the lumbar glands. The nerves are derived from 

 the sympathetic system through the renal and aortic plexuses. They accompany 

 the arterial branches. 



THE UTERINE TUBES 



The uterine or Fallopian tubes (Tubse uterinse) act as excretory ducts of the 



ovaries, since they convey the ova from the reproductive glands to the uterus. 



They are not, however, in direct continuity with the glands, but rather partly in 



contiguity with, and partly attached to, them.^ They are two flexuous tubes, 



eight to twelve inches (ca. 30 to 20 cm.) long, which extend from the extremities 



of the uterine comua to the ovaries. The tube is very small at its uterine end 



(ca. 2-3 mm. in diameter), but toward the ovary it widens considerably (4-8 mm. 



in diameter), forming the ampulla tubse. Each is enclosed in a peritoneal fold, 



derived from the lateral layer of the broad ligament, and termed the mesosalpinx. 



This largely covers the lateral aspect of the ovary, and forms with it and the broad 



ligament a pouch called the bursa ovarica. The uterine extremity (Extremitas 



uterina) of the tube communicates with the cavity of the cornu by a minute orifice, 



the ostium uteriniun tubse. The ovarian extremity is expanded and somewhat 



funnel shaped, and is therefore termed the infundibulum tubae uterinse. The 



margin of the latter is slit into irregular processes, the fimbriae, some of which, the 



fimbriae ovaricae, are attached in the ovulation fossa. About the middle of the 



infundibulum is a small opening, the ostium abdominale tubae, by which the tube 



communicates with the peritoneal cavity. The ovarian extremity of the tube 



appears normally to be applied to the ovary, so that the extruded ova pass into it 



and are conveyed to the uterus.^ 



Pedunculated cysts, the hydatides terminales,^ are often found on one or more of the 

 fimbriae. In the mesosalpmx are blind flexuous tubules, which constitute the paroophoron, a 

 remnant of the Wolffian body. They are most evident in the young adult, and tend to disappear 

 with increasing age. Not imcommonly they give rise to cysts. 



Structure. — The tube is covered externally by a serous coat formed by the 

 mesosalpiirx. The serous membrane is continued on the fimbriae, and meets the 

 mucous hning on them. The fibrous adventitia is [continuous mth the fibrous 

 lamina of the broad ligament. The muscular coat consists chiefly of circular 

 fibers, outside of which there are longitudinal fibers derived from the broad liga- 

 ment; the thickness of the muscular coat diminishes toward the ovarian extremity. 

 The mucous coat is thin and is much plicated. The folds (Plicaj tubarise) are 

 chiefly longitudinal, but in the wide part of the tube (Ampullae tuba) they are very 

 complex, so that on cross-sections the spaces between the folds may be mistaken for 

 branched tubular glands. The folds are continued on to the fimbriaj. The epithe- 

 lium is a single layer of columnar ciliated cells, the cilia producing a current directed 

 toward the uterus. At the ovarian extremity this epithelium passes gradually into 

 the squamous type of the serous coat. 



Vessels and Nerves. — The arteries are derived from the utero-ovarian artery. 

 The veins are satellites of the arteries. The lymph vessels pass with the ovarian 

 vessels to the lumbar glands. The nerves have a similar origin to those of the 

 ovary. 



THE UTERUS 

 The uterus is a hollow muscular organ, which is continuous with the uterine 

 tubes anteriorly and opens into the vagina posteriorly. It is, situated chiefly in the 



1 The tubes may be regarded, both in origin and structure, as prolongations of the uterus. 



2 The arrangement is the only exception to the general rule that the serous cavities are 

 closed. In this case the mucous membrane of the infundibulum is continuous with the adjacent 

 peritoneum, a persistence of the embrj'onic relations of the Miillerian duct. 



3 Also known as hydatids of Morgagni. 



