Female Anatomy Lecture Notes Flashcards
What are the basic components of the female reproductive system?
Ovaries, oviducts, uterus, cervix, vagina, external genitalia, mammary gland
Name the species adjective, male, female, and young names for cattle, horse, sheep, goat, pig, dog, cat, and chicken
Cattle: bovine, bull, cow, calf
Horse: equine, stallion, mare, foal
Sheep: ovine, ram, ewe, lamb
Goat: caprine, buck, doe, kid
Pig: swine, boar, sow, piglet
Dog: canine, dog, bitch, pup
Cat: feline, tom, queen, kitten
Chicken: avian, rooster, hen, chick
Why is the body of the uterus relatively short in cows?
Fusion of the medial walls of the uterine horns
What does the broad ligament do?
It connects the uterus and ovary to the dorsal wall, and provides support for the female reproductive organs and maintains their spatial relationship with each other
What are the three different parts of the broad ligament?
Mesometrium supports the uterus. Mesovarium supports the ovary. Mesosalpinx supports the uterine tube.
What supplies blood flow to the uterus?
The uterine artery, which travels within the broad ligament
In what species is the uterine artery intimately associated with the utero-ovarian vein, and in what species is it not?
It is in ruminants, but not in horses.
Describe the shape of the mare reproductive system
T-shaped; has the greatest degree of fusion of uterine horns to form a uterine body. No distinct intercornual ligament.
Describe the shape of the sow reproductive system
Relatively long uterine horns and a short uterine body
Describe the structure and location of the ovary
Primary female reproductive organ; bilateral; round/oval; firm; located in the abdominal cavity
Describe the function(s) of the ovary
Produces the female gamete (egg or ovum) and the hormones estrogen and progesterone
Name the layers of the ovary from outermost to innermost
Surface epithelium, tunica albuginea, cortex, medulla
Describe the surface epithelium of the ovary
Outermost surface layer, made of flattened epithelium
Describe the tunica albuginea
Second-from-outermost layer, made of dense connective tissue
Describe the cortex of the ovary
Houses the functional units of the ovary (follicules and corpora lutea).
Describe the medulla of the ovary
Innermost region and consists of irregularly arranged fibroelastic connective tissue and extensive nervous and vascular systems that reach the ovary through the hilus.
Name and describe the layers of the tubular structures of the reproductive tract, from innermost to outermost
Mucosa (epithelial lining; varies depending on region); Submucosa (layer just above the mucosa; thickness varies depending on region); muscularis (smooth muscle tissue layer; outer longitudinal and inner circular layers); serosa (outer layer; single layer of squamous cells)
What is the oviduct?
Also called the uterine tube or salpinx, it’s a coiled tubular sturcture which extends from the ovaries to the uterus.
What are the three segments of the oviduct?
Infundibulum (funnel-shaped abdominal opening near the ovary, lined with fimbriae); ampulla (thick-dilated and longest portion); isthmus (connected directly to the uterus and forms utero-tubal junction (UTJ)
How does the UTJ differ in mares, sows, cows, and ewes?
In mares: small papilla-like structure
In sows: long finger-like mucosal processes
In cows and ewes: flexure/kink, especially during estrus
Describe the histology of the oviduct
Mucosa is lined by ciliated and secretory columnar epithelium, and made of primary, secondary, and tertiary folds. The height of the mucosal folds decreases whereas the thickness of the muscularis gradually increases from ovarian to uterine end.
Describe the structure of the uterus
Two folded/convoluted uterine horns and a body; connects the oviduct to the cervix
Describe the functions of the uterus
Facilitates sperm transport; regulates the function of the corpus luteum (luteolysis); nurtures the embryo and initiates its implantation; participates in placentation; maintains pregnancy; supports fetal growth; facilitates parturition (labor)
Describe the histology of the uterus
The endometrium is the innermost layer, and is made up of mucosa (simple columnar epithelium), submucosa (cells of mesenchymal origin), and endometrial glands, which are embedded within the stromal compartment and open into the uterine lumen. The myometrium (middle layer) is made up of two distinct smooth muscle layers (longitudinal and circular). The perimetrium is the outer serosal layer.
Describe the structure of the cervix
Firm, muscular, sphincter-like structure located between the uterus and the vagina. Has an internal os and external os, and the passage between the two is called the endocervical canal.
Describe the functions of the cervix
Serves as a barrier between the internal and external genitalia; facilitates sperm transport; acts as a sperm reservoir; is a passage for fetal expulsion during parturition; produces copious amounts of thin-watery mucus during estrus due to the influence of high estrogen; forms cervical deal of pregnancy
What are the differences in cervical anatomy between cows, ewes, mares, sows, bitches, and queens?
Cows and ewes have cervical rings, mares have cervical folds, sows have interdigitating prominences, and bitches and queens have smooth cervixes.
Describe the histology of the cervix
The cervical mucosal surface is made up of crypts and folds which are lined by simple columnar and ciliated columnar epithelium
Describe the structure of the vagina
A copulatory organ; the region between the cervix and external genitalia. The protrusion of the external os of the cervix
Desccribe the histology of the vagina
The cranial vagina is predominantly lined by columnar epithelium, and the caudal vagina is predominantly lined by stratified squamous epithelium. Thickness and secretory activity are influenced by hormonal changes.
Describe the components of the external genitalia in females.
The vulva is the external part of the female reproductive tract, and consists of two vulvar lips (the labia majora and the labia minora) which meet dorsally and ventrally to form commissures. The clitoris is the female homologue of the penis. The perineum is the region surrounding the anus and vulva. There’s also the vestibule and vestibular glands.
What is unique about the female avian reproductive system? (hint: left side vs. right side, also what’s different about the ovary)
Only the left oviduct and ovary are functional. The right are suppressed during development and are non-functional in adult life. The ovary is less an ovary and more a cluster of developing ova.
How is the oviduct different in avian species?
It has five functionally distinct components: the infundibulum (acts to engulf the ovulated ovum and is the site of fertilization); the magnum (longest; albumen-secreting region); the isthmus (shortest; forms shell membrane around the developing egg); the shell gland (referred to as the uterus); and the vagina (serves as passage for the egg).
