Content Flashcards
What is the main functions of the kidney?
- Maintaining balance of salt, water and pH
- Endocrine functions: (secretion of hormones, vitamin D synthesis)
- Waste excretion
A - Acid / Base Balance W - water balance E - EPO T - Toxins B - BP control E - Electrolytes D - vitamin D activation
What percentage of cardiac output does renal blood flow take?
20%
What is the average renal blood flow and in turn renal plasma flow
- 1l/min
- Renal plasma flow- 600ml/min
What is the total urine flow?
-1ml/min
Explain the blood supply the the kidney
- Renal artery (branch of aorta at L1)
- Anterior and posterior divisions
- Interlobar arteries
- arcuate arteries
- Interlobular arteries
- Afferent arteriole
- Glomerular capillary
- Efferent arteriole
- Peritubular capillary
What are the two capillary beds of the nephron and how are they connected?
Glomerular capillary bed and the Peritubular capillaries connected by an efferent arteriole
What is the glomerular filtration?
Passage of fluid from the blood to the Bowmans space to form a filtrate?
What creates the filtration barrier?
- Capillary endothelium
- Basement membrane
- Single-celled epithelium of the Bowmans capsule
What is the benefit of the foot process of the podocytes being negatively charged?
- Albumin cannot pass through
- Smaller substances that are negatively charged that would ordinarily pass through are repelled
What are the 5 factors that determine the crossing of materials into the glomerular filtrate?
- Pressure
- Size of the molecule
- Charge of the molecule
- Rate of blood flow: determines how much fluid will pass into the urinary space per minute
- Binding to plasma proteins
What is the total SA of the Bowmans capsule?
1m squared
What molecules can freely pass through the filtration barrier?
Smaller molecules and ions up to 10kDa
What is the only protein secreted by the tubules found in the urine?
Tam Horsfall
What disease can be caused by damage to the filtration barrier and what can cause this damage?
- Nephronic syndrome
- Immune conditions, genetic abnormalities of proteins involved in podocytes/slit diaphragms, diabetes
What are the two pressure determining glomerular filtration rate?
- Hydrostatic pressure: usually at a constant, lower in bowmans space as fluid is always moving away.
- Oncotic pressure: zero in Bowmans space (no proteins), rising in the glomerular capillary due to removal of fluid)
What is the glomerular filtration rate and it’s equation?
- The filtration volume per unit time (minutes)
GFR = Kf (Pgc-Pbs) - (oncotic of glomerular capillary - oncotic of bowmans space)
K= filtration coefficient
What is the GFR of an average 70Kg person
125ml/min
How is glomerular filtration rate increased through pressure control?
1) constrict efferent arteriole- increase hydrostatic pressure- increase GFR
2) dilate afferent arteriole - increase blood flow - increase hydrostatic pressure - increase GFR
How is GFR decrease through controlling pressure?
1) constrict afferent arteriole- les blood flow - decreases hydrostatic pressure - decrease GFR
2) dilate efferent arteriole - reduce blood flow- decreased blood pressure - decrease GFR
What keeps renal blood flow, capillary pressure and GFR maintained at a constant?
- Autoregulation: constriction and dilation is an intrinsic property of vascular smooth muscles. It still occurs in Denervated kidneys and in isolated perfused kidneys (not dependent on blood supply or blood borne substances)
- Tubuloglomerular feedback
How does autoregulation prevent an increase in systemic arterial pressure?
Pressure within afferent arteriole rises - this stretches the vessel was - this triggers contraction of smooth muscle - arteriolar constriction
How is GFR measured and what kind of substance used?
- measuring the excretion of a marker substance (M)
- Freely filtered (all is filtered)
- Not secreted or absorbed in tubules
- not metabolised
What is typically used clinically to measure GFR?
Creatinine
What is the filtration fraction and how is it calculated ?
- The proportion of renal blood flow that gets filtered
- filtration fraction = GFR / renal plasma flow
What is renal clearance and the equation for it?
The volume of plasma from which a substance is completely removed per unit time (usually a minute)
Renal clearance = urine conc x urine vol / plasma conc
What epithelium surrounds the Bowmans capsule?
Parietal epithelium
Describe the flow of the glomerular filtrate
- Glomerular capsule
- PCT
- Loop of Henle
- DCT
- Collecting duct
- Papillary duct
- Minor calyx
- Major calyx
- Renal pelvis
- Ureter
- Bladder
- Urethra
What is ultra filtrate?
Filtrate that is cell free and contains virtually the non-protein substances in virtually the same concentration as in the plasma
What substances break the all non-protein substances have the same concentration as in the plasma rule?
Low molecular weight substances that are bound to plasma proteins
(E.g. half of plasma calcium and virtually all plasma fatty acids)
What is tubular reabsorption?
-Reabsorption of substance from the tubules to the Peritubular capillaries
What is tubular secretion?
Secretion of substances from the Peritubular capillaries to the tubular lumen
What 3 factors determine GFR?
- Net filtration pressure
- SA for filtration
- Permeability of corpuscular membrane
Why can’t the full length of the ureter be seen on an X-ray?
-Contraction of the ureter
At what level is the umbilicus?
-L4/ L5, where the aorta bifurcates
Why is the urethra narrower near the bladder?
-It is surrounded by the prostate
What can be found between the two medullary pyramid?
-Medullary column
Why do medullary pyramids appear striped?
-The collecting ducts and loops of henle run parallel, along with the blood vessels
What determines the differentiation of the different parts of the embryo?
-The chemical messages released from the notochord. The distance from the notochord determines the concentration of the chemical messengers.
What does the ectoderm become?
-CNS
What does the mesoderm become?
- Somites: develop into musculoskeletal system
- Intermediate mesoderm: develops into urogenital system (kidneys, bladder and genital system)
- Peritoneum on the body wall
- Peritoneum on the mesentery and around the bowel
What does the kidney develop from in the embryo?
-Intermediate mesoderm
What are the 3 systems of kidney development and where do they occur?
- pronephros: system in the neck
- Mesonephros: in the thoracic and lumbar region
- Metanephros: adult kidney
What do the individual glomeruli of the mesonephros drain into?
-Mesonephric duct
Where does the ureter grow out of?
-Mesonephric duct
What is the lowest part of the mesonephros?
-Metonephric blastema
What happens when the ureter reaches the metonephric blastema?
-Chemical messengers are released and this develops into the cortex of the kidney (glomeruli and tubules)
What will the mesenephric duct form in the male?
-Vas deferens
What are primordial germ cells and where do they migrate too?
- Produce sperm and eggs
- Genital ridge
What does the mesonephric duct end in?
-Cloaca
What forms from the cloaca?
-Bladder
What happens to cranial tubules as caudal tubules form?
-The cranial tubules start to degenerate whilst the caudal still form
What differs in the caudal tubules between males and females?
-In males, a few of the caudal tubules form efferent ducts of the testis. In females, they disappear.
What does the metanephric blastema form?
-Glomeruli and tubules
In the metanephros what does the uteric tube form?
-Collecting ducts and ureter
How many times does the uteric bud divide once it reaches the blastema?
-3 times
What is medullary sponge kidney?
-Where the glomeruli do not attach to the collecting ducts
What happens to the urine produced in utero?
-It is secreted into the amniotic fluid. Recycled back through the kidney of the foetus.
What does little amniotic fluid suggest?
-The kidneys are functioning efficiently
Where does the kidney develop and where does it shift too?
-It develops in the pelvis before shifting to a more cranial position in the abdomen.
How is shifting of the kidney achieved?
-Diminution of body curvature and growth of the lumbar and thoracic regions.
During fetal life, what is responsible for excretion of waste products?
-Placenta
When do glomerular capillaries start forming?
-10th week
When does the metanephros start functioning?
-12th
What is the allantois and what does it form?
-It is an anterior outgrowth of the cloaca and forms the bladder
What divides the cloaca between the 4th and 7th week and what does this form?
- It is separated by the urorectal septum
- This forms the urogenital sinus and the posterior anorectal canal
What are the 3 parts of the urogenital sinus?
- Upper part: largest and forms urinary bladder
- Middle (pelvic) part: gives rise to prostatic and membranous parts of the urethra.
- Phallic part: forms the penile urethra
Where do prostatic tubules grow out of and in too and at what month does the epithelium of the prostatic urethra begin to proliferate and form outgrowths?
- Prostate tubules grow out of the urethra and into the prostatic blastema
- Third month
In females, what does the urethral epithelium give rise too?
-Urethral and paraurethral glands
What is the cause of 3/4 kidneys?
-The uteric bud divides before it reaches the metanephric blastema
What issue arises from the uteric bud going straight through the bladder wall and not at an angel?
-When the bladder contracts, pressure increases and urine can pass back into the kidney.
What is the consequences of having two renal arteries?
- Can compress the ureter which leads to blockages
- Lengthy operation of used in a transplant.
What is horseshoe kidney?
-The metanephric blastema from the Right and left side fuse, when the kidney tries to migrate from the pelvis it gets stuck on the inferior mesenteric artery.
When does the pronephros develop and how long is it present
- Week 4
- One week
Where do urogenital organs derive from?
-Intermediate mesoderm
When do gonads acquire male/female characteristics and what sets off this differentiation?
- Week 7
- When germ cells pass into the genital ridge
Where do germ cells arise?
-Yolk sac
What do gonads appear as and where are they located?
-Genital ridges, medial to the mesonephros
What are the pairs of ducts that form on the gonads?
- Mesonephric duct (Wolffian duct)
- Paramesonephric duct (Mullerian duct)
What gene on the Y chromosome determines sexual dimorphism and what protein does this gene code for?
- SRY GENE: sex determining region on Y
- Testis determining factor
What happens to the primitive sex cords in males and females?
- Males: the cords continue to proliferate and penetrate deep into the medulla forming the cords of the testis. Towards the hilum, these cords break into a network to form the rete testis.
- Females: They eventually disappear
What happens to the mesonephric tubules as the glomerulus undergoes apoptosis and what does it become?
- They attach to the sex cords of the tubules
- The ductii efferentes
What causes the tunica albuginea in the male?
-It is a dense layer of fibrous connective tissue that develops under the surface of the epithelium of the genital ridge causing it to swell.
What forms in the 7th week and the 3rd month in the female?
- 7th week: surface epithelium of the ovary gives rise to a second generation of cords and these penetrate the underlying mesenchyme.
- 3rd month: the new cords surround each oogonium with a layer of epithelial cells called follicular cells.
Why is DNA more likely to break in an egg over the sperm?
- Sperm is continuously produced meaning the time between production to fertilisation is a few days.
- Females are born with the eggs they will have their while life and so time between production and fertilisation can be many years.
Once the genital ridge has developed into the testis, what 3 cells are found in the testis?
- Migrated primordial germ cells: these form spermatogonia.
- Sertoli cells: assist in the development of spermatogonia
- Leydig cells: Secrete testosterone
What is the role of Sertoli cells?
-Assist development of spermatogonia
What do leydig cells secrete?
-Testosterone
What happens when primordial cells arrive in the gonad?
-The mesoderm begins to thicken and starts to develop primitive sex cords.
Where do sperm mature?
-Epididymis
What is the advantage of having the testicle outside the body?
-Ensures optimal spermatogenesis: this process is at it’s optimum at temperatures lower than body temp.
How does the appendix testis become a problem?
-The narrow connection to the testicle can twist cutting off the blood supply. This can become painful.
What cells surround the Oocyte?
-Follicular cells
What happens to the mesonephric duct and the mesonephric excretory tubules in females?
-They degenerate
What does the para mesonephric duct form in the female?
-The bottoms fuse with the top ends ends forming the Fallopian tubes.
Why is it important that the Fallopian tubes are open to the peritoneal cavity?
-An egg is released into the peritoneal cavity during ovulation. This then needs to pass into the open ended Fallopian tubes.
What is oestrogen involved in the differentiation of the Müllerian ducts in to?
- Uterine tubes
- Uterus
- Cervix
- Upper 2/3 of the vagina
What does oestrogen stimulate the urogenital sinus to develop in to?
External genitalia:
- Lower 1/3 o the vagina
- Labia minora
- Labia majora
- Clitoris
What does the broad ligament divide the pelvic cavity in to?
- Urorectal pouch
- Uterovesical pouch
What are the properties of the skin on the urethral folds?
- Stratified squamous non keratinising
- No hair follicles / sweat glands
What does the absence of oestrogen and the presence of testosterone cause the labia minora to do and what does this form?
- They fuse
- Penile urethra
Fusing of the labia majora for a what?
-Scrotum
What are 2 common congenital abnormalities in males?
- Failure of testicle to migrate into the scrotum
- Incomplete fusing leading to an opening anywhere from between the testis to the tip of the penis
Explain the role of hormones in differentiation of male gonads
- Presence of the SRY gene on the Y chromosome
- Codes for the testis determining factor
- Testis form from the genital ridge
- Testis produce testosterone (leydig cells) cause development of external male genitalia from the mesonephric duct
- Sertoli cells secrete mullerian inhiniting factor leading to degenerating of the paramesonephric duct
Explain the role of hormones in the differentiation of female gonads
- Absence of the Y chromosome
- Absence of the SRY gene
- No testis and testosterone
- By default genital ridge develops into ovarian tissue
- The absence of testosterone means mesonephric duct degenerates
- Absence is mullerian inhibiting factor causes the paramesonephric ducts to develop
How many litres of filtrate do you produce a day?
-180L/day
Which tubules is permeable in the nephron?
-Proximal = bulk reabsorption
What is the function of the PCT?
- Bulk reabsorption of Na, CL, glucose, AA and bicarbonate
- Secretion of organic ions
What is the function of the loop of henle?
- More Na reabsorption
- Urinary dilution
- Generation of medullary hypertoxicity
What is the function of the DCT?
- Fine tuning
- Fine regulation of Na, K,Pi and Ca. And the separation of salt from water
- Dilution of urine by regulation of Na in water
What is the function of the collecting duct?
- Acid secretion
- Regulated water reabsorption concentrating the urine
- Regulated Na reabsorption and K secretion
What is the difference between a symporter and an anti porter?
- Symporter: simultaneously brings two positive substances in.
- Antiporter: Exchanges two positive substances
Explain how NaKATPase regulates reabsorption of glucose and phosphate in the PCT
- NaKATPase pumps 3Na+ ions out of the tubular epithelial cells and 2K+ in (primary active transport)
- This makes the intracellular conc of Na+ low compared to the tubular lumen.
- Na+ therefore moves into the cells while H+ moves out.
- As Na+ passes into the epithelial cells it contransports glucose and phosphate (secondary active transport)
Explain how glucose and phosphate reabsorption in the PCT contributes to osmosis
- As Na+ & other ions are reabsorbed water follows passively
- Also, the removal of solutes from the lumen decreases the osmolarity whilst the osmolarity of the interstitial fluid increases
- This difference in water concentration between the lumen and interstitial fluid results in net diffusion of water from the lumen across the cells plasma membrane and tight junctions into the interstitial fluid.
How is bicarbonate reabsorbed in the PCT?
- inside the epithelial cells, carbon dioxide and water combine to form H2CO3 (carbonic anhydrase)
- This rapidly dissociates to form H+ and HCO3-
- Bicarbonate moves via facilitated diffusion into the blood.
- H+ is secreted into the lumen via an Na+ / H+ cotransporter
- This H+ then combines with filtered bicarbonate in the lumen to generate H2CO3.
- Under the action of carbonic anydrase this is converted to carbon dioxide and water
- This then moves via diffusion into the epithelial cells.
What enzyme breaks H2CO3 into carbon dioxide and water?
-Carbonic anydrase
What is falcons syndrome?
-AA, glucose and bicarbonates leaking into the urine
What is the tubular maximum and what is it roughly for glucose?
- The amount of a material that can be transported per unit time. There is a limit due to saturation of proteins.
- Glucose: 375 mg/ min
What happens after the tubular maximum of glucose is reached?
-There is a sharp increase in excretion of glucose
What are features of proximal tubular damage?
-Aminaciduria, glycosuria and bicarbonate wasting
What is the result of the tight junctions between the cells in the PCT being leaky?
-Substances that don’t have specific transporters can pass through the membrane
What percentage of creatinine is secreted into the urine?
-15%
What is glomerulartubular balance ?
-More filtered load is matched by more proximal tubular reabsorption
What limb of the loop of henle is permeable to water?
-Descending
Where does solute reabsorption occur in the loop of henle and what channel does this involve?
-Thick ascending limb
Explain the countercurrent multiplication in the loop of henle
- Na+ and Cl- are reabsorbed along the length of the ascending limb. This involves NKCC2 pumps.
- This decreases the luminal osmolality whilst the medulla interstitial fluid becomes very hyperosmotic.
- Water passes out if the descending limb until the osmolalities are equal.
- This hyperosmotic medullary interstitium draws water out of the collecting ducts and concentrates the urine.
What is the action of the drug furosemide?
- Inhibits the NKCC2 pump on the ascending limb.
- Less Na+ and Cl- pass into the medullary interstitium
- The hyperosmolality is reduced and so less water passes out of the descending limb and collecting ducts.
- Less concentrated urine.
What is the cotransporter in the DCT and what drug inhibits it?
- NCC: transports Na-
- Thiazide
What are the 2 cells found in the collecting duct and what is their role?
- Principal cells: Na reabsorption
- Intercalated cells: Acid secretion (K is exchanged for acid).
What channels are found in principal cells?
-ENac: epithelial sodium channels
What is the action of aldosterone?
- Increases transcription of ENac and so increase apical Na influx.
- This charge movement facilitates K efflux.
What is the role of aldosterone in the ENac channels in the collecting duct
- Aldesterone binds to steroid receptors
- This cause vesicles containing the ENac channels to move to and bond to the membrane on the lumen always side.
- This increases the no. of channels in the membrane
- There is greater Na reabsorption
What is the action of amiloride?
-Blocks the ENac channel
What is the action of spirolactone?
-Blocks the steroid receptor that aldesterone would bind too.
What determines the limits of urine osmolarity?
-How dilute it can enter the distal segment and how hypertonic the medullary interstitium is.
When is the main osmolyte when urine enters the collecting duct?
-Urea
Where is ADH produced?
-Hypothalamus
What receptor does ADH bind to on the principal cells
- ADH binds to VR2 (andenyly cyclase vasopressin receptor) receptors on principal cells
- Kinase actions culminate the insertion of vesicles containing aquaporin 2 into the apical membrane
- This increases water permeability and thus water reabsorption = concentrated urine
What is the action of ADH once it has bound to the V2R receptor on the principal cells?
- Kinase actions culminate the insertion of vesicles containing aquaporin 2 into the apical membrane
- This increases water permeability and thus water reabsorption = concentrated urine
What do intercalated cells exchange for acid in its reaction?
-Potassium
What are tubulopathies?
-Mutations of apical sodium transporters
What sodium channel does Bartlers syndrome block?
-NKCC2: thick ascending limb
What sodium channel does Gitelmans syndrome block?
-NCC in DCT
What sodium channel does Liddle’s syndrome block?
-ENaC in collecting duct
What supplies the proximal and distal tubules with blood?
-Peritubular capillaries
What supplies the loop of henle with blood?
-Vasa recta
What are the two parts of the collecting duct?
- Cortical collecting duct
- Medullary collecting duct
What percentage of nephrons are juxtamedullary and what are these nephrons responsible for?
- 15%
- Generating hypertonic medullary interstitium
What percentage of nephrons are cortical and what are the loop of henle of these nephrons responsible for?
- 85%
- Reabsorption and secretion
Explain how the hairpin structure of the vasa recta minimises excessive loss of solute from the interstitium by diffusion
- As blood flows down the vessel loop, Na+ and Cl- do diffuse ou
- However, as the blood flows up the ascending loop this process is reversed
- Excessive loss of solute from the interstitium by diffusion is limited
What percentage of filtered urea is reabsorbed?
-50%
Who determines fetal sex?
The Male: provides the X or Y chromosome
Where is the yolk sac?
Hindgut
What movement allows migration of germ cells?
-amoeboid
How many oocytes are roughly left at birth?
-1 million
When does meiosis 1 occur in females?
-in month 3 of intrauterine life
When is metaphase 1 arrested in females?
-until after puberty
What triggers the resumption of meiosis 1 in the female and when does this occur?
-LH surge
When is meiosis II arrested and resumed in the female?
-Metaphase II and until fertilisation
What is gonadal dysgenesis?
-Defective development of gonads in the embryo.
Give a cause of gonadal dysgenesis
-Non-disjunction
Give 2 examples of gonadal dysgenesis
- Turners syndrome:45XO
- Kleinfelters syndrome: 47XXY
Give an example of a male disorder of sex differentiation
-Partial androgen insensitivity syndrome
Give an example of a female disorder of sex differentiation
-congenital adrenal hyperplasia
What is stage 1 of gametogenesis and how does it differ in males and females
- Mitosis
- In males some mitosis occurs in the embryonic testis but majority begins at puberty and continues throughout life
- In females, mitosis occurs primarily in fetal development
Where does meiosis occur in males and females?
Males: semiferois tubules
Females: ovaries
What is ejaculate a mixture of?
Sperm and seminal plasma
What are the 3 glands of the male reproductive system?
- Prostate
- Seminal vesicle
- Bulbourethral
What forms the blood-Testis barrier?
-The tight junctions between Sertoli cells
Where are the most mature cells found in the testis?
-Closer to the centre of the seminiferous tubules
Are leydig cells found inside or outside of the seminiferous tubules?
-Outside
What veins are responsible for lowering the temp of the testis for spermatogenesis?
-Panpiniform plexus
What do primary spermatocytes differentiate into after meiosis I?
-Secondary spermatocytes
What do secondary spermatocytes develop into after meiosis II?
-Spermatids
What is spermiogenesis?
-Transformation of spermatids into spermatozoa (sperm)
What 2 types of cell do spermatogonia produce after mitosis?
- Type A: remain outside the BTB
- Type B: differentiate into primary spermatocytes following mitosis
How much sperm is produced per gram of testis per second?
- 300- 600 sperm
What is the acrosome in the sperm cell?
-Compacted golgi: contains all the necessary enzymes to pass into the egg cell.
How long does it take to complete spermatogenesis?
-64 days
What does the head of the sperm contain?
-Acrosome
-Nucleus
Basal body
What are the 3 regions of the tail of the sperm?
- Mid-piece: contains mitochondria around the axoneme of the flagellum
- Principle piece: the axoneme surrounded by fibres.
- Endpiece: axoneme only, narrow tip of the flagellum
What are the 4 spermatic ducts?
- Efferent ducts: 12 ducts collecting sperm from rete testis to epididymis
- Epididymis : site of sperm maturation and storage
- Vas deferens
- Ejaculatory duct
How long does sperm remain fertile in the epididymis?
40-60 days
What are the 3 glands in the male reproductive system and what do they produce?
- Seminal vesicles, prostate and bulbourethral
- seminal plasma
What does semen contain?
-60% seminal vesicle fluid, 30% prostatic and 10% mixture of sperm and trace of bulbourethral fluid
Other components:
- Fructose : provide energy to increase sperm mobility
- Fibrinogen
- Clotting enzymes
- Prostoglandins : to stimulate female peristaltic contractions
- Buffers for protecting against acidic vaginal secretions and residual urine in the male urethra
What is the normal sperm count and what sperm count is associated with infertility?
50-120 million / ml
Infertility: <25 million / ml
What hormones are involved in spermatogenesis?
- FSH: influences Sertoli cells. Sertoli cells then produce inhibin which acts on the pituitary gland as negative feedback.
- LH : acts on the leydig cells. Testosterone produced by the leydig cells then acts on the pituitary gland as negative feedback.
Summary of the path of the sperm to outside
SREEVEN UP
S : seminiferous tubules R : rete testis E : efferent ducts E : epididymis V : vas deferens E : ejaculatory ducts N : nothing
U : urethra
P : Penile urethra
What does the BTB ensure?
- prevents movement of chemicals from the blood into the lumen of the seminiferous tubules and helps retain luminal fluid.
- Ensures proper conditions for germ cell development
- permits different stages of spermatogenesis to occur in different compartments and so different conditions
What are the two phases of the menstrual cycle and what are they separated by?
- Follicular phase
- Luteal phase
- Separated by ovulation
What days does the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle span between?
-Days 1-13
What do follicles within the ovaries begin as and what does this consist of?
- Primordial follicles
- A single primary oocyte surrounded by granulosa cells
What do granulosa cells produce?
- Oestrogen
- Small amounts of progesterone before ovulation
- Inhibin
What happens as a primordial follicle becomes a primary follicle?
- The oocyte increases in size
- The oocyte becomes separated from the inner layer of granulosa cells by the zona pellucida
What is the zona pellucida and what is it important for?
- A thick material secreted by the surrounding follicular cells that contains glycoproteins
- These glycoproteins are important for the binding of sperm to the surface of the egg after ovulation
After formation of the zona pellucida, how does the inner layer of granulosa cells remain in contact with the oocyte?
- Via cytoplasmic processes that transverse with the zona pellucida forming gap junctions
- The gap junctions are how chemical messengers and nutrients reach the oocyte
What occurs as a primary follicle develops in a preantral follicle?
- The follicle grows larger through mitosis of granulosa cells
- The theca forms
What is the theca?
-Where the connective tissue surrounding the granulosa cells differentiates and forms layers
What happens as the preantral follicle forms the early antra follicle?
- The primary oocyte reaches full size
- The antrum begins to form by fluid secreted by the granulosa cells
- The antrum is a fluid filled space
At what point does a single dominant follicle continue to develop and what determines a dominant follicle?
- After 1 week, a single dominant follicle is selected from a previous selection of 10-25 follicles that were allowed to develop into larger antral follicles
- It depends of oocyte condition and oestrogen production
What happens to the non-dominant follicles during the menstrual cycle?
-They undergo atresia
What causes a primary oocyte to emerge from its meiotic arrest?
-A surge in LH, this division leads to a secondary oocyte
What is ovulation and when does it occur in the menstrual cycle?
- Ovulation occurs at day 14
- It is where the secondary oocyte and surrounding cells are carried out of the ovary on to the ovary surface by antral fluid.
What causes ovulation?
-when the thin walls of the follicle and ovary rupture at the site where they are joined due to enzyme digestion
What is a mature follicle also known as?
-Graafian follicle
What causes formation of the corpus luteum and what does it secrete?
- After discharge of its antral fluid and egg, the follicle collapses and undergoes transformation - the granulosa cells enlarge and form this gland-like structure (corpus luteum)
- Oestrogen, progesterone and inhibin
If fertilisation does not occur, when does the corpus luteum reach maximum development?
-10 days, following this is undergoes apoptosis
What triggers menstruation and the beginning of a new cycle?
- Oestrogen, progesterone and inhibin levels are very low due to regression of the corpus luteum (this triggers menstruation)
- This prevents the negative feedback on the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary
- Plamsa concentration of FSH and LH therefore begins to increase
What hormones stimulate development of the follicle beyond the prenatal and early antral stage?
- FSH
- It stimulates the granulosa cells to multiply and secrete oestrogen
- Oestrogen further stimulates proliferation of granulosa cells, further increasing oestrogen
What causes levels of FSH to be higher at the start of the menstrual cycle?
-Low levels of oestrogen and progesterone
Why do theca cells aid granulosa cells in oestrogen production?
-Granulosa cells are deficient in the enzyme required to produce androgen precursors of oestrogen
What causes non-dominant follicles to undergo atresia at day 7?
-The levels of FSH begun to decrease at this point meaning there is not enough to prevent atresia
What stimulates LH receptors to develop on mature granulosa cells?
-The dominant follicle matures and develops LH receptors due to FSH
What causes a decrease in FSH and LH in the follicular phase and why is there a greater decrease in FSH?
- Increasing release of oestrogen.
- Oestrogen acts as negative feedback on the release of gonadotropins from the hypothalamus that leads to FSH and LH release.
- There’s a greater decrease in FSH, as granulosa cells also secrete inhibin which inhibits mainly FSH
What cells do LH act on in the first week?
-Theca cells