Female Reproductive Anatomy - BGDA Flashcards
Where do the ovaries sit?
In the ovarian fossa on the lateral part of the pelvic wall.
What supports the ovaries?
Suspensory ligament - CT structure that contains the ovarian artery and vein.
What are the ovarian artery and vein?
These vessels are branches of the abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava respectively.
- originate high in the abdominal cavity near the kidneys
What is the free posterior surface?
This is a key hallmark of the ovaries and is an area that faces the ureter and is not lined by connective tissue. It is where ova are released.
What is mesovarium?
This is a part of the broad ligament of the uterus. It lines the rest of the ovary and connects it to the broad ligament
Outline key features of the ovarian ligament.
The ovarian ligament runs from the ovary to the lateral surface of the uterus
- lies in the broad ligament and contains smooth muscle cells
What are other names for the ovarian tubes?
- fallopian tubes
- oviducts
Where do the fallopian tubes run from?
The uterus to the region of the ovaries, along the top of the broad ligament.
What do the ovarian tubes do?
They carry spermatozoa to the ovum and carry the fertilised ovum to the cavity of the uterus.
What is the part of the broad ligament that attaches to the ovarian tubes?
Mesosalpinx.
What are the 4 regions of the uterine tube?
Infundibulum, ampulla, isthmus and intramural.
Outline key features of the infundibulum.
This is the trumpet shaped end of the ovarian tubes adjacent to the ovary
- outer rim has finger-like projections called fimbriae that attach to the tubal end of the ovary
- the longest fimbria, the ovarian fimbria, attaches to the tubal end of the ovary
- in the depths of the infundibulum lies the peritoneal ostium
Outline key features of the ampulla
- thin walled
- leads to isthmus
- fertilisation occurs here
What is the narrowest part of the uterine tube?
Isthmus.
Where does the uterus lie?
Between the bladder (anteriorly) and rectum (posteriorly).
What two pouches does the uterus form?
Vesicouterine and rectouterine.
What are the 4 parts of the uterus?
Fundus, body, isthmus and cervix.
What are key features of the cervix?
Internal os and external os on either end of the cervical canal
- in nulliparous women the external os is rounded
- in parous women is has anterior and posterior folds
- supravaginal and intravaginal parts
What is the role of folds in the cervix?
Longitudinal and palmate folds interlock for tight closure and close the cervical canal/open it during ovulation or menstruation.
What are the 3 layers to the uterine wall?
Endometrium (mucosa which undergoes changes over menstrual cycle)
- myometrium (muscular layer)
- perimetrium (serosa, peritoneum and areolar tissue)
What are the key ligaments of the uterus?
- Broad ligament
- uterosacral ligaments
- round ligament of the uterus
- transverse (lateral) cervical ligaments (of Mackenrodt)
What is the broad ligament?
The broad ligament is composed of parietal peritoneal folds which extend from the sides of the uterus to the lateral pelvic walls.
What are the 3 key components of the broad ligament?
- Mesometrium - extending from the pelvic wall to the side of the uterus - contains the uterine a and v, ovarian ligament, round ligament of uterus, uterovaginal plexus of nerves and part of the ureter
- mesosalpinx - mesentery supporting the uterine tube
- mesovarium - a fold of peritoneum which extends posteriorly from the mesometrium and mesosalpinx to the ovary
What are the uterosacral ligaments?
These are fibrous tissue and smooth muscle in the uterosacral folds, connecting the uterus with the sacrum