Female Reproduction Flashcards
What are the two main functions of the ovaries?
Produce oocytes
Produce sex hormones
What do each of the ends of the uterine tubes open into?
Peritoneal cavity
Uterus
What is the germinal epithelium?
Simple cuboidal epithelium lining the ovary
What lies underneath the germinal epithelium, separating it from the cortex of the ovary?
Tunica albuginea
What are the two components of the cortex of the ovary?
Ovarian follicles
Stroma (highly cellular)
What are the interstitial glands of the ovary? Remnant of? Where are they found?
Found in stroma
Remnants of atretic follicles
Composed of luteal cells - produce estrogen
When are interstitial glands most prominent? When do they decrease in number?
Most prominent in 1st year of life
Decrease thereafter
What part of the ovary contains a rich vascular bed and nerves?
Medulla
When do oocytes first enter meiosis and arrest in prophase 1? What are they considered at this point?
5th month of gestation
Primary oocyte
What are the three types of ovarian follicles?
Primordial follicles
Growing follicles
Mature (Graafian) follicles
Where in the cortex are primordial follicles mostly found? What type of cells surround the oocyte?
Outer cortex, close to albuginea
Oocyte surrounded by single layer of squamous follicular cells
What stimulates the change from primordial follicles to growing follicles?
FSH
What are the two types of growing follicles?
Primary follicles
Secondary follicles
How does the oocyte change in a primary follicle? Follicular cells?
Oocyte enlargens
Follicular cells proliferate to cuboidal or columnar
How to unilaminar and multilaminar primary follicles differ?
Unilaminar - one layer of follicular cells
Multilaminar - follicular cells become granulosa cells and have multiple layers, called stratum granulosum
In unilaminar primary follicles, what is secreted from the oocyte? What is this called?
Layer of cross-linked proteins
Zona pellucida
What do the oocyte develop that project into the zona pellucida? Do the follicualr cells form the same things in the opposite direction?
Microvilli
yes
What is the stratum granulosum? What follicle is it found in?
Multiple layers of granulosa cells
Found in multilaminar primary follicles
What are found beneath the plasma membrane of multilaminar primary follicles that are released after fertilization? What do they do?
Cortical granules
Make zona pellucida impermeable after fertilization, preventing polyspermy
What does connective tissue around the late (multilaminar) primary follicle become?
Theca folliculi
What is the characteristic identify feature indicating primary follicles have become secondary follicles?
Presence of antrum
What fills antrums? What are they formed by?
Liquor folliculi - hyaluronic acid-rich fluid
Granulosa cells
Surrounding the secondary follicle, what is the theca divided into?
Theca interna
Theca externa
Which part of the interna is highly vascular? What defining characteristics do these cells have?
Theca interna
Steroid producing - lipid droplets, mitochondria with tubular cristae, and SER
What receptors are found on theca interna cells?
LH hormone receptors
What does LH stimulate theca interna cells to make? Where is it then taken? Converted to what?
Androgens
Diffuse through basement membrane
Converted to estrogen by aromatose within granulosa cells
What does estrogen promote?
Follicular growth
What composes the theca externa?
Collagen bundles and fibroblases
What distinguishes a mature (Graafian) follicle?
Very large antrum, membrana granulosa becomes thinner
What is the cumulus oophorus?
Thickened mound of grnaulosa cells in mature follicle
What is the corona radiata?
Single-cell thick layer of granulosa cells surrounding oocyte
How long does the corona radiata stay attached to the oocyte?
Through ovulation
What is deposited between the cumulus oophorus-oocyte complex and membrana granulosa under hormonal regulation?
Glucosaminoglycans
What phase of meiosis is the oocyte of a mature follicle arrested in?
Prophase I
What is surge released 24 hours before ovulation? What happens to the oocyte?
FSH and LH
Completes meiosis I and arrested in metaphase II
Becomes secondary oocyte
When does the oocyte complete meosis II?
Only if penetrated by spermatozoon
Are two oocytes produced after meiosis I is completed?
No, one forms first polar body
What 2 things happen to stimulate the release of the oocyte from the follicle?
Follicular wall enzymatically proteolysis by activated plasminogen
Macula pellucida - ovarian wall area that stops receiving blood supply
What is the corpus hemorrhagicum?
Bleeding of the capillaries in the theca interna after ovulation
What two cells types form the corpus luteum? What are they respectively called (same)?
Granulosa and theca interna cells
Luteal cells
What do granulosa lutein cells secrete? Theca lutein cells?
Granulosa lutein - progesterone and still convert androgens to estrogen
Theca lutein - produce progesterone and androgens
What is the purpose of the corpus luteum?
Act as powerful endocrine gland to stimulate growth and secretory activity of uterine endometrium
In pregnancy, how long does the corpus luteum persist? Due to what? What takes over as the endocrine gland after this point?
8 weeks - due to presence of hCG
Placenta
High levels of what are produced by the corpus luteum to inhibit follicular development within the ovary?
Progesterone
When does the corpus albicans form? What does it look like?
If fertilization does not occur
White scar
How long does it take for the corpus albicans to disappear?
Several months
What is ovarian follicular atresia?
Follicles degenerating and disappearing due to not all being able to mature
What precipitates follicular atresia?
Granulosa cells stop dividing, detach from basement membrane, and undergo apoptosis
What invades the granulosa cell during follicular atresia?
Neutrophils and macrophages
Do all of the granulosa and theca cells die off during follicular atresia?
No, some survive as luteal cells, forming interstital glands that produce estrogen
What are the 4 regions of the uterine tube?
Infundibulum
Ampulla
Isthmus
Intramural part
What part of the uterine tube is the site of fertilization?
Ampulla
What are the three layers of the uterine tube?
Mucosa
Muscularis
Serosa
What does the mucosa of the uterine tube lie on?
Lamina propria
Where are the deep longitudinal folds of the mucosa best expressed? Not well expressed?
Ampulla - best
Isthmus and intramural - not well expressed
What is the epithelium of the uterine tube?
Ciliated simple columnar
What are the two types of cells in the epithelium of the uterine tube?
Ciliated cells - beat towards uterus
Peg cells - produce nutrients for ovum
Which layer of the muscularis in thicker? Where is it thickest?
Inner
Isthmus
What are the three layers of the uterus?
Endometrium
Myometrium
Perimetrium
What are the two layers of the endometrium? Which is shed during the menstrual cycle?
Stratum basale
Stratum functionale - sloughed during menstruation
What lines the surface of the endometrium? What extend from the surface to the base of the epithelium?
Simple columnar
Unbranched tubular glands
What is the highly cellular loose CT under the simple columnar of the uterus? What does it resemble?
Endometrial stroma
Resembles mesenchyme
What are arcuate arteries derived from? Where do they branch to radial arteries?
Derived from uterine artery
Branch to radial in myometrium
What branches off radial arteries that supply the statum basale?
Straight arteries
What are branches of radial arteries that continue towards the luminal surface?
Spiral arteries
What are dilated segments of capillaries called near the surface of the uterine cavity?
Lacunae
What are the three phases of the menstrual cycle?
Proliferative
Secretory
Menstrual
What phase is concurrent with follicular maturation? What is it influenced by?
Proliferative phase
Estrogen secretion from ovary
What happens to the stratum basale during proliferative phase?
Rapidly proliferates
What phase to spiral arteries increase in length?
Proliferative phase
When does the proliferative phase typically end?
1 day before ovulation
How thick is the endometrium at the end of proliferative phase? doe the glands have secretory activity?
3mm
No
What phase if concurrent with the active corpus luteum? What is it influenced by?
Secretory phase
Influenced by progesterone
How does the endometrium change in the secretory phase? How?
Doubles height to 5-6mm
Through hypertrophy/edema (not mitosis)
When are the uterine glands activated and enlarged and become coiled?
Secretory phase
What do the uterine glands fill with? For what purpose?
Glycogen to support potential zygote
What signals menstrual phase to occur?
Decline of progesterone and estrogen
How do spiral arteries contract? Purpose?
Periodically, for hours, causing ischemia
How does the endometrium change in menstrual phase?
1st - glands stop secreting
2nd - absence of blood flow ruptures vessels
3rd - endometrium sloughs
Is clotting allowed during menstruation?
No, it is inhibited
What is endometriosis?
Endometrial cells settle outside uterus (ovary, oviduct, colon) - follows same cycles as endometrium
What layer of the myomtrium contains blood and lymphatic vessels?
Middle layer - stratum vasculare
How long are smooth msucle myocytes in non-pregnant uterus? Pregnant?
50um
500-600um
What forms a Leiomyoma? Are they benign or malignant? Hormone dependent?
Smooth muscle and CT
Benign
Yes - hormone dependent
What population usually get leiomyosarcoma?
Post-menopausal women
How does the epithelium of the proximal and distal cervix differ?
Endocervix - simple columnar
Ectocervix - stratified squamous
What is the transition zone?
Border between endocervix and ectocervix
Is mucous produced in the cervix?
Yes
What is the most common place for cervical cancer? What infection is it associated with?
Transitional zone
HPV
Does the vagina have glands?
No
What are the two mucosal layers of the vagina? Rugae?
Epithelium - non-keratinized stratified squamous
Lamina propria - loose CT
What causes vaginal cells to produce glycogen that is metabolized by bacteria? For what purpose?
Estrogen
Create lactic acid to lower pH
What is contained in the lamina propria of the vagina to help with erection?
Veins
