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Vaginal lining. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the lining of the vagina of a 35 year old woman. Three stratified squamous epithelial cells are seen here, the boundaries between them appearing blue. The cells' surfaces are covered in microvilli (tiny projections) and tiny folds which increase their surface area. The vagina is the muscular tube between the cervix and the vulva. It serves as a passageway for receiving sperm and discharging menstrual flow, and expands greatly to allow the passage of a baby during childbirth. Magnification: x3200 at 6x7cm size. (KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/PROFESSORS P.M. MOTTA & S. MAKABE)