Female Reproductive Anatomy Flashcards
Describe the peritoneum that surrounds the tract
- connective tissue
- protects the tract
- continuous with broad ligament
- connects whole tract and suspends it within abdomen
What are the sections within the peritoneum?
- serosa
- muscularis
- mucosa/submucosa
Where does the peritoneum sit continuously with the broad ligament?
on ovary on anterior part of vagina dorsally
Describe the serosa in the peritoneum
connective tissue to protect
Describe the muscularis in the peritoneum
circular and longitudinal muscles
Describe the mucosa/submucosa in the peritoneum
mucosa - lines lumen, consists of epithelial cells
submucosa - blood supply, nerves
Describe the perineum
- region around anus and vulva
- section of skin sits between the two
Describe the vulva
- swells when in heat
- external genitalia
- consists of labia and inner vulva
Describe the labia and its function
- prevents foreign bodies entering
- right and left labia held in tight apposition together by vulval constrictor muscles
- sweat glands and hair follicles present
What is the name of the area where the labia meet?
dorsal and ventral chalmysra
Describe the inner vulva
- continuous with vagina
- clitoral fossa is ventral and contains erectile tissue
Describe winking in horses
inversion of labia to show clitoris when sexually receptive
Describe the vagina
- copulatory organ
- involved in urine expulsion
- rests on ischium of pelvis in good anatomy
- mucus secretion
- protective role
- thickness of tissue controlled by cycle & endocrine
Where does the urethra open into?
caudal aspect of vagina
Describe the cranial/anterior vagina
- columnar epithelial cells
- tall cells, often ciliated, some secretory properties
Describe the caudal/posterior/vestibular vagina
- stratified squamous epithelium
- common to urinary and genital systems
- unciliated cells
Describe the mucus production in the cranial vagina
- flushes out pathogens
- production and type controlled by oestrus, more during receptivity
Describe the cervix
- sphincter muscle with high collagen content
- protects uterus from pathogens
- varied structure between species
- barrier to sperm
- tone and mucus controlled by cycle
In which species does the cervix protrude into the vagina?
- cow
- mare
- bitch
Describe annular rings and in which species they are present
- cow, ewe, sow
- interlocking projections which help in projection
- annular rings more tightly packed/projections more interlocked in sow
In which species are there multiple cervical folds and describe them
- mare
- in line with the uterus
- often carry on up and into the uterus
Describe the structure of the cervix in the bitch and queen
- similar to mare
- still have a thickening just no folds
What tone is the cervix in oestrus, dioestrus and anoestrus?
- oestrus - pink
- dioestrus - white
- anoestrus - white
Describe cervical mucus in the oestrus stage
thinner and more sterile
Describe the position of the vagina in good anatomy
naturally collapses in vestibular region
When does the cervix tightly close?
dioestrus and pregnancy
What are the 3 tract seals for tract saftey?
- vulva
- vagina on ischium of pelvis
- cervix
Describe the vulval tract seal
labia in tight apposition
Describe the vaginal tract seal
- walls collapse creating a seal
- also called vestibular seal
Describe the cervical tract seal
tight sphincter
What is seal competency affected by?
oestrus cycle and conformation
Why is seal commonly poor in mares?
selective breeding for athleticism
Describe vulval seal incompentency in mares
- anus sunken
- faeces can enter vagina in defacation
- vagina doesn’t collapse properly onto ischium
- odd angle of vagina so urine cannot drain
What is the procedure for sunken anatomy in mares?
- operations can prevent faecal contamination - vagina sown with gap at bottom for urination, can be taken out for parturition
- Caslick index - if uterine angle more than 150 degrees then operation required
Describe the duplex uterus and give an example species
- rabbit
- 2 cervixes creates 2 separate uterine horns
- ## no uterine body
Describe a bipartite uterus and give example species
- sow, bitch, queen
- small uterine body and longer uterine horns
Describe bicornuate uterus and give example species
- cow, ewe, mare
- horns are shorter, longer body
- septum arises from horns and comes down into body of uterus
Describe the mare bicornuate uterus
body usually longer than horns, 60:40 split
Describe simplex uterus and give an example species
- primates
- one cervix
- uterus mainly body and no horns
What is the split of uterine body to horns ratio dependent on?
size of litter
What are the 3 tissue layers in the uterus?
- perimetrium (serosa)
- myometrium (muscularis)
- endometrium
What is the perimetrium layer in the uterus
protective layer
Describe the myometrium layer in the uterus
2 layers of muscle:
- circular
- longitudinal
What are the 2 subsections of the uterine endometrium?
submucosa (stroma)
mucosa (epithelium)
Describe the submucosa section of the uterine endometrium
blood and nerves
Describe the mucosal layer in the uterine endometrium
- endometrial glands
- endometrial folds (sow, mare) - area of placental attachment
- caruncles (ruminants) - area of placental attachment
Where is semen deposited in each of the main species?
- dog - cranial vagina
- tom, bull - vagina
- ram - vagina, close to cervix entrance
- stallion - cervix and uterus
- boar - cervix, dorsal-uterine end, sometimes uterus
Describe the fallopian tubes
- utero-tubular junction
- called oviducts
- found within mesometrium
- covers site of ovulation in mare
What are the 3 regions within the fallopian tubes?
- isthmus
- ampulla
- infundibulum
Describe the isthmus layer of oviducts
- thick muscular layer
- mainly secretory cells
Describe the ampulla region of oviducts
- mucosal folds
- secretory and ciliated cells
Describe the infundibulum region of the oviduct
- funnel shape
- mucosal folds
- secretory and ciliated cells
- closest to ovary
- covers surface of ovary in cow, sow, pig
