AAP Reproductive System 2 Flashcards
What are the structures of the female reproductive system?
- ligaments
- ovaries
- oviducts
- uterus
- cervix
- vagina
- vulva
What is the function of the ligaments in the reproductive system?
- suspend ovaries, oviducts and uterus
What are the types of ligaments in the reproductive system?
- broad ligaments –> sheets of peritoneum
- round ligament of the uterus –> fibrous tissue and smooth muscle in lateral fold of the broad ligament on each side
- suspensory ligament of the ovary –> secure ovary to lateral walls of the pelvis
What are the ovaries?
- female gonads
Where are the ovaries located?
- they lie on each side of the dorsal part of the abdominal cavity, caudal to the kidneys
What are the functions of the ovaries?
- to produce ova/eggs
- to act as an endocrine gland –> secretes the hormone oestrogen and progesterone
What do oestrogen and progesterone do (basic)?
- maintain female secondary sexual characteristics
What are the oviducts?
- AKA uterine/fallopian tubes
- small tubes extending from the tips of the uterine horns
- finger-like projections at the tip known as fimbriae which capture the ovum released from ovaries
- oviduct also provides a site for fertilization
- cilia inside the uterine tube slowly move the fertilized ova towards the uterus (takes 3-4 days)
What is the uterus (structure)?
- Y-shaped structure
- uterine body forms the base of the Y
- uterine horns form the arms
What are the layers of the uterus?
- endometrium: inner mucosal layer (secretes mucus & other substances, allows for implantation of a fertilized egg)
- Myometrium: middle layers of smooth muscle
- Perimetrium: outer visceral layer of peritoneum
What are the functions of the uterus?
- provide a site where the embryos can develop into a new animal
- provide the means whereby the developing embryos can receive nutrition from the mother –> via the placenta
What is the cervix?
- a short, thick-walled muscular sphincter, which connects the uterine body with the vagina
- the lumen of the cervix is known as the cervical canal
- it is normally tightly closed and dilates only to allow the passage of sperm, or foetus during birth
- during pregnancy, the canal is blocked by a mucous plug which protects the embryos from infection
What is the vagina?
- the tube that leads to the external opening
- receives penis at breeding
- serves as the birth canal at birth
What is the vulva?
- the external part of the female reproductive system
- other structures such as the clitoris and labia are found in this area
What is the ovarian cycle?
- ovum is not constantly produced in the ovary
- their production involves a complex sequence of events in a repeating fashion –> this is known as the ovarian cycle