Ch. 27 Female Reproductive Flashcards
What are the female gonads and their primary functions?
Ovaries; site of egg production and produce estrogen and progesterone.
What is the pathway for the egg to travel to the uterus?
Duct System; includes fallopian (uterine) tubes.
What is the function of the uterus?
Provides a supportive, nutritive, and protective environment for an embryo.
What is the role of the vagina in the female reproductive system?
Copulatory organ.
What is the external female genitalia called?
Vulva.
What is the infundibulum in relation to the fallopian tubes?
Wide funnel-shaped opening over the ovary with finger-like projections (fimbriae).
What is the primary role of ovarian follicles?
Contain immature eggs (oocytes) encased in layers of cells.
What are the stages of ovarian follicles?
- Primordial follicle
- Primary follicle
- Secondary follicle
- Vesicular (Graffian, tertiary) follicle.
What happens to a ruptured follicle?
It is transformed into a corpus luteum.
What hormones are produced by the ovaries?
- Estrogens
- Progesterone.
What are some effects of estrogen in females?
- Development of breasts
- Widening of hips
- Onset of menses.
What is oogenesis?
The process of egg (ovum) formation in females.
At what stage does oogenesis stall during fetal development?
Late prophase I.
How many viable oocytes are present at birth?
~2 million.
What are the two phases of the ovarian cycle?
- Follicular Phase
- Luteal Phase.
What occurs during the follicular phase of the ovarian cycle?
Dominant follicle is selected and begins to secrete large amounts of estrogen.
What triggers ovulation?
LH surge stimulated by increased estrogen levels.
What happens during the luteal phase of the ovarian cycle?
Corpus luteum forms and produces progesterone and some estrogen.
What is the corpus albicans?
White body; scar tissue that persists in the ovary after corpus luteum degenerates.
What hormone is secreted by the hypothalamus to regulate the ovarian cycle?
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH).
What are the histological layers of the uterus?
- Perimetrium
- Myometrium
- Endometrium.
What triggers the proliferative phase of the uterine cycle?
Estrogen from the maturing follicle.
What is the function of progesterone during the secretory phase of the uterine cycle?
Causes a large buildup of the functional layer of the endometrium.
What happens during the menstrual phase of the uterine cycle?
Decay of endometrium and shedding of blood and tissue occurs.
What are the three phases of the uterine cycle?
- Proliferative Phase
- Secretory Phase
- Menstrual Phase.
What is an ectopic pregnancy?
Implantation of embryo in uterine tube or peritoneum.
What are the most common cancers in females?
Breast and cervical cancers.
What condition is characterized by the growth of endometrium outside of the uterus?
Endometriosis.
What is PID?
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease; inflammatory process caused by infection in the pelvic cavity.
Fill in the blank: The _______ is a thin-walled tube that lies between the bladder and rectum.
vagina.
True or False: The corpus luteum degenerates when LH blood levels decline.
True.
