11b - Female Reproductive Tract Flashcards
How is the ovary attached to broad ligament?
mesovary
How is the ovary attached to uterus?
ovarian ligament
How is the ovary attached to pelvic wall?
suspensory ligament
Layers of the ovary
- single layer of modified mesothelium cells
continous with germinal epi of ovary - simple cuboidal - tunica albuginea - loose fibrous CT
- stroma - ill-defined cortex and medulla
Ovarian cortex comprises
Follicles - variable stages of development
spindle stromal cells arranged in whorls / woven
leutinused cells
primordial germ cells
Ovarian medulla comprises
loose CT
blood supply
nerves
lymphatics
rete ovarii
stromal cells
order of folliculogenesis
primordial follicle
primary (preantral)
secondary (early antral)
graffian (late antral)
corpus luteum
corpus albicans
primordial follicles:
location
layers
ovarian cortex - beneath tunica albuginea
resting oocyte stuck in prophase 1 (primordial germ cell -> oogonia -> primary oocyte)
simple squamous layer of granulosa cells
BM
primary follicles:
mediated by
structure
FSH:
- oocyte enlarges
- zona pellucia forms
- granulosa cells enlarge - accumulate lipids - become cuboidal
- BM
- stromal cells begin to condense -> thecal layers
secondary follicles:
structure
- resting oocyte
- zona pellucida
- multiple layers of granulosa cells - secrete mucopolysaccharides -> pockets of fluid
- BM
- theca interna - vascularised, secretes oestrogen
- theca externa
- stromal cells
graffian follicle:
structure
- resting oocyte
- zona pellucida
- corona radiata - layer of granulosa cells
- antrum - pockets of fluid coalesce
- cumulous oophorus - stalk suspending oocyte
- mural granulosa cells
- BM
- internal theca
- external theca
- stromal cells
which cells release oestrogen?
internla thecal cells
which layers are vascularised?
internal thecal layer
where are FSH and LH receptors found?
FSH - granulosa cells
LH - internal thecal cells
how many primordial follicles present at birth? How many mature to ovulation?
1 million
400-500
what triggers ovulation?
LH surge
corpus luteum:
describe leutinisation
secretions
if pregnancy
regression
- granulosa + internal theca cells - polygonal, accumulate lipids, enlarge
secrete - progesterone + oestrogen for 10 days
if preg - persists for 4 weeks
regress - after 8-9 days of no pregnancy,
how are corpus luteum regressed? what forms?
becomes smaller
- condenses -> pyknotic nucleus
- abnormal amount of lipid
- phagocytosed
- replaced by fibrous CT
corpus albicans:
strucutre
convoluted borders
dense collagen
some follicles entrapped
what fills the follicular antrum?
follicular fluid:
- mucopolysaccharides (granulosa cell secretions)
- serum transudate
fallopian tube:
structure
functions
structure:
- intramural - in uterine wall
- isthmus - 2-3cm long, narrowest lumen
- simplest folding - star shaped
- ampulla - fertilisation most commonly occurs here, but can occur anywhere
- infundibulum - has fimbrae
- fimbrae become erect + clasp onto ovary during ovulaiton
- most complex folding
functions:
transports ovum
fertilisation occurs here
fallopian tube:
layers
histology
mucosa - has plicae. Simple columnar.
- secretory - at uterus end (secrete more mucousat ovu)
- ciliated - infudibulum (cilia beocme longer + beat more during ovulation. transports ovum to uterus) - effette secretory cells - lymphocytes
secretory + ciliated are hormonally active
muscularis
- inner -circular
- outer - longitudinal
serosa - loose CT
- covered by mesothelium
uterus:
- layers
endometrium
- deep stratum basale - not hormonally active, little change, replenishes fucntional layer
- superficial stratum functionales - hormonally active, sheds during menstruation
divided into stratum compacta + spongiosum
myometrium - thick smooth muscle layer
thickens during pregnancy - hyperplasia + hypertrophy
3 layers:
- inner - longitudinal
- middle - circular
- outer - long
serosa
peritoneum - continuous with abdominal peritoneum. forms broad lig
stages of the menstrual cycle
menses (1-7)
proliferative phase (7-14)
ovulation (14-16)
secretory phase (16-28)
- early
- middle
- late
proliferative stage:
length
stimulated by
what happens
whats visible
- 14 days long
- ostrogen stimulated
- proliferation - striagth glands fromed from bases left after mentruation (increase in length)
- mitotic activity
- straight uncoiled extensions of endometrial arteries within stroma
- no luminal seceretion (mucous)
- stromal cells - spindles, show mitotic activity, compact (thickness of stroma increases)
- ends at ovulation - corpus luteum secretes progesterone at this stage
when in the menstrual cycle is ovulation?
day 14-16
secretory phase:
- length
- stimulated by
-stages
- progestorone stimulated from corpus luteum (also need oestrogen)
- around 12 days (16-28)
early
mid
late
early secretory phase
- epi cells - contain sub-nulcear vacuoles of glycogen (between nuclei and cells surface near BM)
- stores used for mucin productive - provides nutrients should preg occur
midsecretory phase
- vacuoles - above + below nuclar
- secretion in glnads
- glands → rounded
- stroma → oedematous (not visible with H&E - appears as white space)
late secretory phase
- glnads - irregular, saw tooth
- luminla sectretions
- spiral arteries - these close, thn open adn leak out blood into stroma → triggers menses
- closing → anoxia
- opening → blood leaks into stroma
- these together cuase superifical layer of endometrium to separate from basal layer
- oedematous cells surround spiral arteries
menstrual stage
- caused by
- what happens
- withrawal of progesterone
- haemorrage within endometrium stroma
- fragmentation of stroma and grlnads - only base of glnads remain
- can see some mitotic figures
- onyl basal layer of endo remains - superifical layer is shed
where do spiral arteries arise from?
between inner and middle layers of myometrium - large vessels supplying epi adn myometrium
cervix
- histology - ecto and endo
endocervix
- loose firbomuscluar stroma - smooth muscle
- simple columnar ciliated epi
- lines cervix canal
- cypts - no ducts, same cells all the way
- linign produces mucous - thickness of which changes
ectocervix
- dense smooth muscle stroma
- non-keratinising stratified squamous
- lines outside of cervix - continues into fornix before becoming vagina
how does mucous secretion thickness of endocervix vary throughout menstrual cycle?
- lining is NOT shed during menstruation
- after ovulation - thin and watery (encaourages entry of speratazoa)
- at ovulation + during preg - viscous (prevents entry or pathogens)
transformation zone (cervix)
junction with endocervix varies
- begins near external os
- moves into cervical canal at puberty (strtified squamous epi allows for abrasion during intercourse)
- moves down again at menopause
transformation zone - common site for cervical cancer
vagina
- histology
mucosa (epi + lamina propria)
- stratified squamous epithelium (non-keratinising) - acccumulate glycogen at ovulation → spongy appearnce
- keratinised at vulval end
- thin epi beofre puberty + ater meno
- elastic fibres
- rich vascular network
muscualr wall
- contians elastic + collagen
- inner circualr
- outer longitudinal
- at vulval end - skeletal muscle, acts as vaginal spingcer
adventita - loose CT
vulva histology
- mons pubis
- labia majora
- labia minora
mons pubis
- skin
- has hair
- enlarged sebaceous glnads
- apocrine sweat glnads
- fatty CT
labia majora
- keratinised stratified
- sebacous glnads
- skin adnexae
- hair
labia minor
- non-keratinsing
- no hair
- skin
- sebaceous glands
vulva histology:
- bartholins glands
- minor vestibular glands
- skeins glands
- hymen
- clitoris
bartholins glnads
- tubuloalveolar
- lined by mucus secreting epi
minor vestibular glnads
- simple tubular
- mucus secreting epi
skeins glnads (peri-urethral glands)
- equ of prostate
- pseudostratified columnar epi
hymen
- non-keratinsing strat squamous
citoris
- eretile tissue
- rich vascular + nerves
