17: physio of pregnancy Flashcards
after being deposited in the FM repro tract, where do sperm travel to?
how long does it take the sperm to get there?
approximately how many sperm make it to this location?
uterine tubes
arrive minutes to hours after deposition
a few hundred up to 3,000
what is the group of sperm called the deposit in the uterine tubes?
sperm reservoir
how is the sperm reservoir established?
what part of the uterine tube does this occur in?
sperm loosely bind to epithelial cells in the isthmus of the uterine tube
what happens to the sperm that is left behind in the uterus?
it gets flushed out
what is capacitation?
external sperm membrane changes to inc binding affinity to oocyte
t/f
all of the sperm are released at once from the uterine tube
false
they detach a few at a time, periodically
how many membrane changes occur to the sperm?
where do they occur?
2
once when the sperm is in the seminal fluid [allows sperm to bind to the uterine tubes]
a second time in the uterine tubes [allows binding to the oocyte]
what specific change occurs to the sperm which alters its membrane?
calcium channels open - rendering the sperm more “sticky”
how long do sperm survive in the cow tract?
1-2 days
how long do sperm live in the mare tract?
4-5 d
how long do sperm live in the camelid tract?
4-5 d
how long do sperm survive in the bitch tract?
3-10 d
bc sperm do not often survive the max number of days in the FM tract, why is important that we consider the possibility?
do not count on sperm surviving that number of days - so we must time oocyte readiness with sperm deposition - but acknowledge that it is possible for the sperm to live this long in case multiple breedings occur near the same time
what must occur for sperm-oocyte binding to occur?
capacitation
what region of the sperm binds to the oocyte?
the cytolemma of the post equitorial segment of the head of the sperm
what region of the oocyte does the sperm bind to?
the oolemma
what key reaction occurs within the sperm, after the sperm binds to the zona pellucida?
the acrosome reaction
what occurs during the acrosome reaction?
pores form btwn the outer acrosomal mem and the cytoplasmic mem of the sperm
the contents of the acrosomal vesicle escape over the apex of the sperm
what type of molecules are held within the acrosome?
what is the fxn?
a mixture of proteolytic enzymes
facilitate the entry of sperm through the ZP of the oocyte via a digestive process
how does the motion of the flagella change from before binding to after binding?
why does this change occur?
from rigid whip-like motion to an undulating motion
the change occurs to facilitate entry through the ZP
how does sperm freezing affect the outer acrosomal membrane?
what are the implications of this when breeding with frozen thawed semen?
freezing damages the outer acrosomal membrane
the acrosomes react pre maturely so the membrane is “leaky” => therefore they are shorter lived
MUST accurately time sperm deposition into FM tract with oocyte readiness
what is the purpose of the release of cortical granules?
prevents polyspermy
once the sperm gets through the ZP, what does it encounter?
oolemma
when the sperm and oocyte fuse, what type of cells is created?
a single cell that has a haploid nucleus from the sperm and a haploid nucleus from the egg
what happens to the genetic material in the sperm when it enters the oocyte?
it was condensed but it de condenses and and re forms chromosomes
where does the early embryo develop?
inside the uterine tube
what is the significance of the embryo remaining in the uterine tube?
the uterus needs a few days to be “cleaned out” and must prepare for the arrival of the embryo
what happens to the 2 haploid nuclei in oocyte?
they fuse and form a pro nuclei - a single diploid cell
what occurs in the diploid cell just before the pro nuclei forms? and what occurs to the cell just after?
the 2nd polar body exits
it divides into 2 cells to form the zygote
t/f
as the zygote divides, the rapidly increases in size
false - there is massive cell replication but no changes in overall size of the embryo
the cells divide in half - begins with one large cell and divides continually to smaller cells
cytoplasm divides and chromatin multiplies: chromatin does not multiply
what restricts the size of the embryo?
the ZP
after how many days post fertilization does the embryo arrive at the uterus?
day 5 or 6
why is it important for the embryo to remain in the uterine tube for the first few days post fertilization?
uterus is contaminated and is releasing PG - inflammatory process
NOT hospitable for the embryo to survive
why is it important that the CL remains refractory to PG for the first few days of its life?
b/c the uterus is producing PGs to “clean itself out” from post mating debris
what is the early name of the embryo?
once a cavity forms, what is the embryo called?
morula
blastocyst
what are cells w/in the blastocyst called?
blastomeres
how does the cavity in the blastocyst form?
blastomeres secrete fluid
what is the structure of the blastocyst? which part is the developing embryo?
cavity lined by cells with an inner cells mass in one area
the inner cell mass is the embryo
what is the importance of the high pressure w/in the blastocyst, due to the fluid?
it stretches the ZP - leads to its rupture
what is critical for the survival of the embryo, related to the environment of the uterus?
there must be synchrony of the endometrial fxn and embryonic stage
what hormones must the uterus be exposed to prior to the entrance of the embryo?
for how long?
e2
p4
for 3-6 days
why cannot you breed 70% of cows who ovulate with the first shot of PG during syncrhonization?
b/c the endometrium was not exposed to e2 or p4
why is the exposure to e2 important for the endometrium?
e2 induces receptors for p4, which arrives after ovulation
in the equine, what does movement into the uterus require?
movement into the uterus is linked to embryonic production of PGE2
where does the unfertilized oocyte remain in the horse?
in the uterine tube
for how long does the embryo remain in the uterine tube?
for a few months
how does the PGE2 help the embryo move into the uterus?
it causes the UTJ (utero tubal junction) to widen
what is the first priority of the developing embryo?
maternal recognition of pregnancy
what prevents luteolysis?
maternal recognition of pregnancy
in primates and humans, what triggers the maintenance of the CL?
maternal recognition of pregnancy
t/f
maternal recognition of pregnancy is required in dogs and cats for the maintenance of pregnancy?
false
the default setting for dogs and cats is pregnancy so the prevention of luteolysis is not necessary
why is maternal recognition of pregnancy necessary for domestic animals?
the uterus is programmed with mechanisms to return to estrus - this is the default setting
so the cycle must be halted and luteolysis must be prevented in order for FM to maintain pregnancy