female reproductive Flashcards
what are the goals of the female reproductive system?
- produce gametes
- prepare body to nurture a developing conceptus
what are the primary reproductive organs in a female?
ovaries
what are the major functions of the ovaries?
- produce female gametes (oocytes)
- secrete steroid sex hormones (estrogen and progesterone)
what are the accessory reproductive organs?
- ducts (uterine tubes, uterus, vagina)
- external (vulva)
- glands (mammary)
parts of the ovaries?
- ovarian ligament: anchors ovary medially to uterus
- suspensory ligament: anchors ovary laterally to pelvic wall
- mesovarium: suspends ovary
- surrounded by fibrous tunica albuginea
what are the two poorly defined regions of the ovaries?
- outer cortex: houses forming oocyte in ovarian follicles; site of ovulation
- inner medulla: contains large blood vessels and nerves
what are the uterine tubes?
known as the fallopian tube and oviducts
- ciliated fimbriae of infundibulum
what is the ampulla?
the usual site of fertilization
what are the layers of the uterine wall?
- perimetrium: outer serous layer (visceral peritoneum)
- myometrium,: interlacing layers of smooth muscle
- endometrium: inner mucosal lining; site of implantation
what are the two layers of the endometrium?
Stratum functionalis:
- changes in response to ovarian hormone cycles
- shed during menstruation
Stratum basalis:
- unresponsive to ovarian hormones
- forms new functionalis after menstruation
details of puberty?
- 8-10 yrs old
- triggereby by rising levels of GnRH
- GnRH stimulates anterior pit to secrete FSH and LH
- FSH stimulates ovarian follicles and they secrete estrogen, progesterone
what is thelarche?
onset of breast development, the earliest noticeable sign of puberty
what is pubarche?
the appearance of pubic and axillary hair, sebaceous glands, and axillary glands
what is menarche?
- first menstrual period
- 17% body fat
- leptin stimulates gonadotropin secretion
what causes changes in puberty?
- estradiol: stimulates vaginal metaplasia, growth of ovaries and secondary sex organs, growth hormone secretion, fat deposition, thicken skin
- progesterone: primarily acts on the uterus preparing it for possible pregnancy in the second half of the menstrual cycle
what is climacteric?
midlife change in hormone secretion
- beings with 1000 folicles left
- uterus, vagina, and breast atrophy
- cholesterol levels rise, increasing risk of cardiovascular disease
- bone mass decline, increase risk of osteoporosis
- blood vessels constrict and dilate
what does Hormone replacement therapy do?
low doses of estrogen and progesterone to relieve some of these symptoms
what is menopause?
- cessation of menstrual cycles
– Usually occurs between ages of 45 and 55
– Age of menopause has increased in last century
– Menopouse considered complete when there has been no menstruation for
a year
what are the stages of follicle development?
oocytes develops in a follicle within ovaries
what is the menopause therory?
- prehistoric older mother would not live long
enough to rear an infant to a survivable age
– Better to become infertile and help rear her grandchildren
what is folliculogenesis?
maturation of the ovarian follicle
what is oogenesis?
the beginning of an egg
- in ovaries
- 2n (stem cells - oogonia) become n (ovum)
what are the phases of follicular development and oogenesis?
- fetal period -> birth
- oogonia (2n ovarian stem cells) multiply by mitoses and store nutrient
- primary oocytes develop in primordial follicles
- primary oocytes begin meiosis, but stall in prophase 2. infancy -> puberty
- remain stalled in prophase 1 - puberty -> menopause
- ovulation alternates between left and right ovaries
ovarian and uterine cycle?
- onset at puberty and year following puberty
- 28 days long
- regulated by tropic hormones from hypothalami-pituitary axis: GnRh, FSH, LH and ovarian hormones: estrogen and progesterone
what are the two phases of the ovarian cycle?
- follicular phase (avg 14 days) - ovulation at day 14
- luteal phase (14 days)
what happens during day 28 of the ovarian cycle?
- GnRH release of FSH and LH (estrogen release)
- estrogen output by the graafian follicle increase
- high estrogen levels = positive feedback effect on the pituitary at midcycle
- sudden LH surge at day 14
- effects of LH surge: completion of meiosis 1, triggers ovulation
- corpus luteum produces progesterone
what are the details of the uterine cycle?
the build-up of the endometrium in preparation for implantation
- occurs 6-7 days post ovulation
what is fertilization?
when the sperm’s chromosomes combine with those of a secondary oocytes to form a fertilized egg
from egg to zygote?
- oocyte is viable for 12 to 24 days
- sperm are viable 24 to 48 hours after ejaculation
what are the phases of the uterine cycle?
- menstrual phase
- ovarian hormone are at their lowest levels
- gonadotrophins are beginning to rise
- stratum functionalis is shed and the menstrual flow occurs - Proliferative phase
- estrogen levels promotes generation of new functional layer and increased synthesis pf progesterone receptors in endometrium
- glands enlarge and spiral arteries increase in number - secretory phase
- progesterone levels promote; further development of endometrium, glandular secretion of glycogen , formation of the cervical mucus plus
what is placentation?
the formation of the placenta from embryonic and maternal tissue
- fully formed by 3rd month
- secretes; human placental lactogen, human chorionic thyrotropin and relaxin
what are the extraembryonic membranes?
- Amnion: epiblast cells form a transparent sac filled with amniotic fluid
- yolk sac: sac that hangs from the ventral surface of the embryo
- part of the digestive tube
- source of the earliest blood cells, blood vessels, and germ cells - allantois: small outpocketing at the caudal end of the yolk sac
- structural base for the umbilical cord
- part of the urinary bladder - chorion: helps form the placenta
- gas and nutrient exchange
what are the anatomical changes from pregnancy?
- uterus expands, occupies most of abdominal cavity
- lordosis occurs
- weight gain
- relaxin: pelvic ligaments & pubic symphysis relax to ease birth passage
what are the metabolic changes from pregnancy?
placental hormones: human placental lactogen, human chorionic somatomammotrophin
- maturation of the breasts, fetal groth, and glucose sparing in the mother
- human chorionic thyrotropin (maternal metabolism)
what are the physiological changes from pregnancy?
- GI tract: morning sickness due to elevated levels of estrogen and progesterone
- urinary: urine production due to metabolism and fetal waste
- respiratory: estrogens may cause nasal edema and congestion, tidal volume incr
- cardiovascular: 25 -40%, BP and pulse rise
venous return from lower limbs may be impaired
what are braxton hicks contractions?
relatively weak contractions of the uterus over the course of gestation
what happens during the last few weeks of pregnancy?
- fetal secretion of cortisol stimulates the placenta to secrete more estrogen
- causes production of oxytocin receptors by myometrium
- surfactant protein A from fetal lungs causes softening of cervix
- fetal oxytocin causes the placenta to produce prostaglandins
what are the stages of labor?
- dilation
- longest stage of labor 6-12hrs, initial weak contractions 15-30 min apart (vigorous and rapid)
- amnion ruptures - expulsion
- strong contraction every 2-3 min, 1 min long
- urge to push incr - placental stage
- strong contraction continue, causing detachemnt of the placenta and compression of the uterine vessles
lactation details?
- production of milk by the mammary glands
- toward the end of pregnancy (estrogen, progesterone, and lactogen stimulate the hypothalamus to release prolactin-releasing factors
- anterior pituitary releases prolactin
- colostrum: yellowish secretion rich in vitamin A, protein, minerals, and IgA antibodies
- oxytocin causes the letdown reflex
what are the advantages of breast milk?
- fats and iron are easily absorbed: amino acids more easily metabolized, compared to cow’s milk
- beneficial chemicals: IgA, complement, lysozyme, interferon, and lactoperoxidase
- interleukin and prostaglandins prevent overzealous inflammatory responses
- natural laxative effect
- encourages bacterial colonization of the large intestine
