Anatomy Of The Female Reproductive System Flashcards
What is the venous drainage for the ovaries?
Ovarian vein - drains to the IVC on the right and the left renal vein on the left
Where do the lymphatics that drain the ovaries drain to?
The aortic nodes at the level of the renal vessels
What are the three ligaments that are associated with the female reproductive system?
Broad ligament
Ovarian ligament
Suspensory ligament of the ovary
Where is the broad ligament, and how are the ovaries are attached to it?
- It’s draped over the uterus and uterine tubes, on both sides
- the ovaries are attached to the posterior layer by the mesovarium (a short mesentery)
What does the ovarian ligament join?
It joins the ovary and the uterus by a fibrous cord
What does the Suspensory ligament of the ovary connect, and what does it contain?
It joins the ovary to the lateral wall of the pelvis and contains the ovarian artery and vein
Name the two pouches of peritoneal reflections
Rectouterine pouch
Uterovesical pouch
What is significant about the rectouterine pouch?
It’s very deep, and is a common site for infection because it’s hard to reach for treatment.
What is significant about the uterovesical pouch?
It’s very shallow and it the lowest fold in the peritoneum (in women)
Where are the uterine tubes located?
In the free margin of the broad ligament
Where do the uterine tubes open?
Into the peritoneum (is an open system - not directly connected to the ovary)
What are the four different parts of the uterine tube?
Infundibulum
Ampulla
Isthmus
Uterine part
What is the infundibulum?
A funnel shaped opening into the peritoneal cavity, fringed by finger like fimbriae
What is special about the ampulla?
It’s where fertilisation occurs
How large is the uterus in its resting state?
7-8cm long
5cm wide
2.5cm thick
What are the four parts of the uterus?
Fundus
Body
Cervix
Isthmus
Describe the cervix
The neck of the uterus
Contains the cervical canal, internal orifice and external orifice
Where is the isthmus of the uterus?
The narrowing of the uterus between the body and the cervix
What is a bicornuate uterus?
2 uteruses (each with one uterine tube)
The uterus is both antefelexed and anteversed, what does this mean?
Antefelexion = the uterus is curved over the cervix Anteversion = the uterus is bent at right angles to the vagina
What is the blood supply, venous drainage and lymphatic drainage to the uterus?
Blood supply - uterine artery (branch of the iliac artery)
Venous drainage - uterine vein, draining to the internal iliac
Lymph drain to - the body drains to the para-aortic nodes, while the cervix drains to the internal iliac nodes
What is the blood supply to the ovaries?
Ovarian artery - arising from the aorta at the level of the renal artery
What is the name of the thick connective tissue that covers the ovary?
Tunica albuginea- covered in cuboidal, germinal epithelium
What are the three layers that make up the wall of the uterine tubes?
Mucous
Smooth muscle
Serosa
Where are the most folds of the uterine tubes mucosal lining found?
In the ampulla section
What are peg cells, and what do they do?
Non-ciliated secretory cells that provide the oocytes, spermatogonia and zygotes with nutrients
- prominent on day 14 in response to progesterone
- remove glycoproteins from the sperm cap to help fertilisation
What are intercalated cells?
A variation on peg cells
What are the two layers of the endometrium?
Stratum basalis
Stratum functionalis
- which it also split into the stratum compactum and the stratum spongiosum (compactum lies over the spongiosum)
What kind of arteries are found in the stratum functionalis layer, and what does this mean in relation to the reproductive cycle?
It contains spiral arteries, and so is shed during menstruation
What’s the difference between the stratum spongiosum and the stratum compactum layers?
The compactum contains the neck of the glands and is thinner.
The spongiosum contains the body of the glands and is thicker (a more spongy appearance)
Describe the stratum basalis layer.
Contains straight arteries and is the more cellular layer
- this layer remains during menstruation
What happens to the endometrium during the proliferation phase?
The endometrium thickens and creates numerous glands
What happens to the endometrium during the secretory phase?
The glands became coiled and secrete a glycogen rich secretion
What is the epithelial lining of the uterus?
Pseudostratified columnar ciliated epithelium
What is the epithelial lining of the vagina?
Stratified squamous non-keratinised epithelium
Describe the wall of the vagina.
Lamina propria has many elastic fibres
Basement membrane has an irregular border with connective tissue projection form underneath to act as an anchor
Has smooth and skeletal muscle
An outer adventitia layer
