Anatomy and histology of the cervix uteri of the ewe: new insights.

The gross and microscopical anatomy of the cervix uteri of the ewe has been studied in an attempt to provide a three-dimensional description of the cervix as it relates to the histological appearance cervical tissue sections. Casts of the inside of the cervical lumen show its convoluted structure consisting of six circular folds, the second fold being eccentric to the other concentric folds and acting as a physiological barrier. Previous histological descriptions of the ovine cervix have failed to provide a clear understanding of the complex structure of its wall. The cervical wall of the ewe comprises five defined layers. The structure of the circular folds is comparatively simple as they consist only of the two deeper layers.