exam 3 FEMALE ONLY Flashcards
What are the female reproductive structures?
ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, & vagina
What are the ovaries?
a pair of oval-shaped organs that develop in the abdominopelvic cavity on left & right sides of the body
What is the ovarian fossa?
a slight dent in the body wall where the ovaries rest
Why do the ovaries have a lumpy appearance?
due to developing eggs in females past puberty
What are the 2 layers covering the ovaries?
germinal epithelium & tunica albugenia
What is the germinal epithelium of the ovaries?
thin serous membrane covering
What is the tunica albugenia of the ovaries?
tough, white fibrous connective tissue (deeper layer)
What are the 2 indistinct regions of the functional tissue of the ovaries?
cortex & medulla
What is the cortex of the ovaries?
outer zone that holds developing eggs
What is the medulla of the ovaries?
deeper zone; connective tissue that holds eggs in place
When are oocytes released?
after maturation during ovulation
What are the fallopian tubes?
4-5 inch long tubes that carry the egg cell from the ovary to the uterus
What are the regions of the fallopian tubes?
infundibulum, ampulla, & isthmus
What is the infundibulum of the fallopian tube?
funnel-shaped part near ovary that has small finger-like fimbriae that sweep the ovary’s surface to guide the egg
What is the ampulla of the fallopian tube?
wide part that encircles ovary
What is the isthmus of the fallopian tube?
narrow part joining the uterus
What is the site of fertilization?
fallopian tubes
What are the 3 layers making up the wall of the fallopian tubes?
mucosa, muscularis, & serosa (deep to superficial)
What is the mucosa of the fallopian tube?
deepest; highly folded layer
What is the muscularis of the fallopian tube?
smooth muscle for peristalsis
What is the serosa of the fallopian tube?
superficial covering
What is the uterus?
upside down pear shaped organ located posterior & superior to the bladder
What is the site of embryo development & birth facilitation?
the uterus
What are the regions of the uterus?
fundus, body, & cervix
What is the fundus of the uterus?
dome-shaped superior part
What is the body of the uterus?
mid-region; has a hollow lumen & is the site of embryo implantation
What is the cervix of the uterus?
narrow inferior part with a passageway in its center called the cervical canal which is lined with mucous producing cells
Why does the mucous in the female reproductive system change its consistency?
when the egg is present (ovulation), it becomes thin & stringy to act as sperm ladders helping sperm enter the fallopian tubes
What are the 3 layers in the wall of the uterus?
endometrium, myometrium, & perimetrium
What is endometrium?
the deepest layer lining the inside of the uterus; made of 2 parts
What are the 2 parts of the endometrium?
a permanent layer that secretes a temporary layer which is shed as menstrual flow
What is the myometrium?
layers of powerful, thick, interlaced smooth muscle; thickest in fundus region to aid birth
What is the perimetrium?
superficial covering found only on the fundus & body regions of uterus
What is the vagina?
a muscular tube that extends from the cervix to the outside of the body
What is the vagina lined with?
mucous-producing cells that secrete glycogen-containing mucous; “good” bacteria use this glycogen as nutrients & release acidic byproducts creating an acidic vaginal pH
What is significant about an acidic vaginal pH?
it prevents harmful bacteria & yeast from growing in large numbers
What is oogenesis?
the creation of oocytes/egg cells; hormonally controlled process that occurs inside ovaries beginning at month 3 of fetal development
What are primordial follicles?
found in the ovary of a female fetus; a very immature diploid egg cell called oogonium
What are follicular cells?
flat, scale-like cells that tightly surround the oogonium
What happens to primordial follicles?
they either die & disintegrate (60%) or start the maturation process (40%)
What does the oogonium divide into & through what process?
2 diploid primary oocytes through mitosis
What happens after the primary oocyte starts meosis I?
it stops at month 7 of development & becomes arrested until puberty
What is GnRH?
gonadotropin releasing hormone; released by the brain’s hypothalamus at puberty where it travels to the anterior region of the pituitary gland causing it to release FSH
What does FSH do once it is released?
travels to the ovary & “selects” 1 primary follicle to mature
What is a primary follicle?
1 primary oocyte & its follicular cells
When the primary oocyte finishes meosis I, what does it result in?
1 secondary oocyte in a secondary follicle & a smaller cell called a 1st polar body which dies & disintegrates; both are haploid
What is follicular fluid?
secreted by the secondary follicle’s follicular cells; a straw-colored, sticky fluid which is rich in estrogen
What does estrogen do?
inhibits FSH release, affects mood, increases protein synthesis, & maintains the endometrium, sex organs, water/ion balance, & secondary sex characteristics
Why does estrogen inhibit FSH release?
so we can see if the current secondary oocyte is fertilized or not
What are secondary sex characteristics in women?
breast development, widening of hips, muscle distribution, etc.
What is a Graafian follicle?
stage when the follicle balloons out of the ovary’s surface as the secondary oocyte continues to mature
What is the “burst of LH”?
when estrogen levels are high, it triggers the anterior region of the pituitary gland to release LH (occurs on day 14 of 28-day cycle)
What is ovulation?
when the burst of LH & the size of the Graafian follicle causes the ovary’s surface to break open; the egg is released into the fallopian tube & the follicle cells remain in the ovary
How could the burst of LH be pinpointed?
it causes a slight increase in body temperature
What is the corpus luteum?
formed after ovulation from the leftover follicle cells; it secretes progesterone which has estrogen-like effects
What are the 2 main estrogen-like effects that progesterone has?
continues to stop FSH release & continues to maintain the endometrium
What is the corpus albicans?
the stage after the corpus luteum is eventually reabsorbed into the ovary; its progesterone levels decline; this transformation takes about 6 weeks if the female is pregnant & 5 days if not
