Abstract
The vascular anatomy of the intestinal villi in the rat was studied by injection with Indian ink and silicone rubber. The vascular pattern in finger- leaf- and tongue-shaped villi is the same. One central arteriole divides into two marginal vessels, giving rise to a capillary net, which in turn collects into two para-axial venues. In ridge-shaped villi there are multiple arterioles and venules. It appears that finger-shaped villi turn into leaf-shaped villi by lateral upgrowth of the lamina propria, and that ridge-shaped villi are also formed by upgrowth of the lamina propria between adjacent leaf-shaped villi.
Notes
*Supported by the Wellcome Trust in conjunction with the World Heath Organization.