THE DIRECTION OF THE CILIARY CURRENTS IN THE OVIDUCTS OF VERTEBRATES

Abstract

The oviduct of the painted turtle, Chrysemys, about 15 cm. long, is ciliated throughout its whole interior. The_se cilia form 2 systems, one that covers most of the inner face of the duct and whose direction of stroke is toward the ovi-ducal outlet[long dash]the abovarian system; and a restricted system in the form of a narrow tract extending throughout the length of the duct with cilia beating toward the ovary[long dash]pro-ovarian system. Living spermatozoa can make no headway up the oviduct against the beat of the abovarian cilia. Hence there is no ground for assuming that rheotaxis plays any part in the migration of the sperm. The sperm are apparently transported from their region of deposit by the [male] near the oviducal outlet to the neighborhood of the ovary solely by the pro-ovarian cilia, and this transportation is doubtless the function of these cilia.