5 Clinical anatomy of the female reproductive system (workbook)

Question 1

what does the female reproductive system consist of?

Answer 1

paired ovaries - gamete ova + sex steroids
fallopian (uterine) tubes - fertilisation
uterus - conceptus of fertilisation
vagina
external genitalia

Question 2

where do the ovaries attach?

Answer 2

to the posterior surface of broad ligament of uterus by mesovarium (part of broad ligament of uterus)

Question 3

what are the ovaries covered by?

Answer 3

germinal epithelium and NOT mesovarium

Question 4

what is contained within the outer cortex of the ovaries?

Answer 4

many follicles, each containing an oocyte (female gamete)

oocyte rupture from follicles

Question 5

what surrounds each oocyte?

Answer 5

follicular cells (type of stromal cell - support cells)

Question 6

where do oocytes originate from?

Answer 6

outside the ovary from primordial germ cells, colonise (enter) the ovary during early embryonic development

Question 7

what happens to the primordial germ cells in the ovary?

Answer 7

they divide by mitosis to form oogonia

Question 8

what do oogonia develop into? (from primordial germ cells)

Answer 8

develop into primary oocytes by meiosis

meiosis not complete until fertilisation - stops at diplotene of prophase of meiosis I

Question 9

when does meiosis I carry on beyond diplotene of prophase?

Answer 9

at ovulation

Question 10

what does continuation of meiosis I beyond diplotene at ovulation produce?

Answer 10

a haploid secondary oocyte and 1st polar body

Question 11

what are oocytes surrounded by?

Answer 11

a layer of flattened stromal cells - follicular cells

this whole structure called a primordial follicle

Question 12

what happens to many primordial follicles?

Answer 12

undergo degeneration (atresia) in the fetal + postnatal ovary
up to 400,000 persist at puberty

Question 13

what do the bulk of human ovary consist of?

Answer 13

primordial follicles

Question 14

what does each primordial follicle each consist of?

Answer 14

a large, round primary oocyte with an eccentrically placed pale-staining nucleus, surrounded by a single layer of follicular cells

Question 15

what are the 2 populations of follicles?

Answer 15

reserve pool of non-growing follicles

smaller pool of growing follicles

Question 16

what does the reserve pool of non-growing follicles contain?

Answer 16

mainly primordial follicles + follicles with 1 layer of follicular cells (granulosa)

Question 17

what happens to the one layer of follicular cells (called granulosa) surrounding oocytes in primordial follicles?

Answer 17

becoming cuboidal

Question 18

what is folliculogenesis?

Answer 18

entry of follicles into the growth phase and their subsequent development

Question 19

what happens to the dominant follicle at ovulation?

Answer 19

gamete (ovum) released at ovulation during each menstrual cycle

Question 20

how are growing and mature follicles classified?

Answer 20

as primary, secondary or tertiary (pre-ovulatory / Graffian)

tertiary = largest

Question 21

how does a primordial follicle transform into a primary follicle?

Answer 21

by transformation of the single layer of flattened follicular cells into a layer of cuboidal granulosa cells

Question 22

what appears during the transformation of primordial follicle into a primary follicle?

Answer 22

glycoproteins that contribute to the formation of the zona pellucida surrounding the oocyte appear

Question 23

what does the zona pellucida form (glycoprotein appearing from primordial to primary follicle)?

Answer 23

thick amorphous layer as follicle grows

Question 24

what does further follicular development from primary follicle involve?

Answer 24

the granulose cells to form multiple layers + transform surrounding stromal cells to theca folliculi

Question 25

what does theca folliculi comprise of?

Answer 25

cellular theca interna + fibrous theca externa

Question 26

what are secondary pre-antral follicles?

Answer 26

follicles with multi-layered granulose cells

surrounding stromal cells turned into theca folliculi (cellular theca interna, fibrous theca externa)

Question 27

how do secondary (pre-antral) follicles turn into tertiary (antral) follicles?

Answer 27

through appearance of fluid-filled cavity (antrum) - signals the formation of tertiary / antral follicle

Question 28

how do tertiary follicles enlarge?

Answer 28

by increase in antrum fluid volume + proliferation of granulosa (surrounding) and thecal cells (stromal)

Question 29

what are Graafian follicles?

Answer 29

large antral follicles

Question 30

what will become the ovulatory follicle?

Answer 30

only 1 of the most advanced Graafian follicle will develop to become the Graafian follicle (under stimulation of FSH)

Question 31

what happens when the follicle ruptures?

Answer 31

ovum released at ovulation

Question 32

what happens when ovum is released at ovulation? (follicle ruptured)

Answer 32

granulose and theca interna cells show structural (+ functional) transformation

Question 33

what happens to the granulose + theca interna cells during ovulation?

Answer 33

entire mass of tissue becomes highly vascularised via the growth + infiltration of blood vessels from surrounding tissue

Question 34

what happens to granulosa cells of the follicles post ovulation?

Answer 34

undergone hypertrophy –> form thick + folded layer of granulosa lutein cells

Question 35

what do granulosa lutein cells contain?

Answer 35

spherical nucleus + pale-stained vacuolated cytoplasm containing numerous lipid droplets

Question 36

what happens to the theca interna cells post ovulation?

Answer 36

transformed into theca lutein cells, occupying depressions formed by granulosa lutein cells
accompanied by blood vessels

Question 37

what does the central cavity of corpus luteum (post ovulation) contain?

Answer 37

mainly undifferentiated connective tissue