Female Reproductive Organs Flashcards
Three parts of the uterus
Fundus- Top
Body- Uterine Cavity
Cervix
Key points of the uterus
Muscular organs
Receives right and left Fallopian tubes
Lined by epithelium
Pear shaped and opens to the vagina
Key parts of the clitoris
Small external part, the glans and a good and a bigger part inside.
Covered by thin epidermis
The hood is called the clitoral prepuce
Mons pubis
Skin with coarse hair and a pad of subcutaneous fat.
Lies over the symphysis pubis
Vulva
Labia Majora- subcutaneous fat and hair follicles with smooth muscle fibre.
Lots of sebaceous glands
Labia Minora- No hair follicles but many sebaceous glands
Key points of the vagina
7/9 cm
At an angle of 90 degrees
Capable of distension and elongation
pH from 3.8 to 4.5
Walls touch at rest
Key points of the uterus
Musclular organ
Receives right and left Fallopian tubes
Lined by simple epithelium
Pear shaped and opens into the vagina
Corpus Luteum
A hormone secreted structure (mostly progesterone) that develops in an ovary after an ovum has been discharged but degenerates after a few days unless pregnancy has began
Body of the Cervix
3 layers
Peritoneum- thin external layer of peritoneum (serous membrane that lines the abdominal cavity)
Myometrium- smooth muscle layer
Endometrium- thin mucous membrane
3 layers of the endometrium (a thin internal mucous membrane)
Compact layer- densely packed connective tissue around uterine glands
Spongy layer- edematous connective tissue (swollen) containing uterine glands
Basal layer- contains blind ends of the interior glands (this does not shed every month, the others do).
Uterine body and fundus properties during pregnancy
Both have thick walls (myometrium)
Myometrium is Oenone sensitive- hypertrophy (increase cell size) and hyperplasia (increased production rate of cells)
Blood vessels- arterial and venous- substantially dilate and thicken
Uterus body lined by endometrium which is made up of glands and stroma .
Endometrium function= create a welcome environment for fertilised egg
This is to form abundant nutrient rich glands and extensive vascular supply incase of fertilisation, if not it sheds
Endometrium function
create a welcome environment for fertilised egg
Involution
Returns to normal size
How many layers does the endometrium (inner linings of the uterus) have during reproductive life?
2- a deep basal later and a superficial functional layer which lines the lumen.
What happens to the endometrium if fertilisation occurs?
If this happens it does not shed and forms the decidua (mucosal lining prepares for pregnancy)
Does the basal layer and the functional layer shed?
The basal layer does not shed at menstruation. It allows the functional layer to regenerate using a cellular reserve.
The functional layer will shed if there is no fertilisation
Is the functional layer hormone responsive?
Yes and it undergoes the menstrual cycle
Does the endometrium respond evenly to ovarian hormonal stimulation?
No
What is another name for the Fallopian tubes?
Uterine tubes
What is the purpose of the Uterine (Fallopian) Tubes?
Takes ova from the ovary to the lumen is the uterus
Site of fertilisation
Moves the fertilised ovum to the endometrial cavity for implantation.
10/12 cm long from the open dilated end to the narrow portion.
4 sections with different functions
What is storma ?
Supportive tissue of an epithelial organ consisting of connective tissue and blood vessels
The four uterine tube segments
Muscular tube with epithelial lining (every section varies in appearance)
Infundibulum- (with a fringe of fimbriae)- these sweep the egg into the tube.
Ampulla- thin with narrow walls, fertilisation normally occurs here.
Isthmus- narrower and thicker and leads to the intramural.
Intramural- continuous with the isthmus that leads into the uterus.
What are the layers of the uterine tube layers?
Smooth muscles
Two layers-
Inner layer- tight circular spirals
Outer layer- loose longitudinal spirals
Third layers close to the uterus which supports tubal epithelium- a thick vascular lamina propria - thin layer of loose connective tissue which is a part of the mucosa with the epithelium and basement membrane
What are the two types of the epithelial cells lining the Fallopian tubes?
Ciliated cells - Nearer to the ovarian end. Height varies throughout the cycle as they respond to estrogen. Tallest around ovulation. They shorten during pregnancy due to progesterone.
Secretory cells- Nearer to the uterine end. Have microvilli and produce tubal fluid, rich in potassium and chloride ions but contain serum proteins which include immunoglobulins. Tubal fluid has nutritional function
Where are the ovaries located?
In the left and the right pelvic cavities
What are the two major functions of the ovaries?
Source of a mature ova.
Endocrine organs- steroid hormones that prepare endometrium for conception and maintain pregnancy.
How many ovarian components are there?
3 components
Hilum- where blood vessels, lymphatic sand nerves leave and enter the ovary. The hilum and medulla maintain remnants of gonads from ambisexual phase.
Medulla- middle layer- contains strongly cells identical to the majority of the cortex.
Outer Cortex- 2 components- supporting stroma and gamete producing structures. Amount of these will depend on age and hormone stimulation. Follicles are imbedded into the stroma.
What is the cortical stroma made up of?
Closely packed, spindle shaped fibroblast like cells.
How are stromal cells arrange in the ovaries?
Haphazardly with the cytoplasm being rich in ribosome and mitochondria. In the outer cortex there are many reticulin (connective tissues) and collagen fibres present.
The amount of ovarian stroma and amount of lipid in a cell is hormone dependent. Increase in lipids in the stroma is prominent in pregnancy.
What are the three main functions for stromal cells?
Structural support for developing ova
Secretes steroid hormones.
Gives rise to theca interna and theca external around developing follicles. (Ovary only connected with developing ovarian follicles- promotes growth of new blood vessels in theca interna to which they provide nutrition)
What is oogenesis?
Transformation of oogonia into oocytes
What is oogonia?
Immature female reproductive cells
Oocytes
Cells in the ovary that have the capability of performing meiosis to become an ovum.
When is the maturity process finished in occytes?
The maturity process begins as a fetus but does not complete until after puberty.
How do oogonia proliferate?
They increase rapidly in numbers by cell division.
What do the oogonia enlarge to become before birth?
Primary oocytes
What phase have the oocytes completed by birth?
The prophase stage of the first meiotic division and remain at this stage until puberty
Oogenesis
Primary occyte completes the first meiotic division just before ovulation.
Secondary occyte receives nearly all the cytoplasm and the first polar body (non-functioning cell) receives very little.
At ovulation the nucleus of the secondary occyte begins the second meiotic division to metaphase where division is suspended, if the secondary occyte is fertilised by sperm, the second meiotic division completes.
The fertilised occyte retains most of the cytoplam, the second polar body degenerates soon after.
What is the monthly reproductive cycle regulated by?
Hypothalamus, pituitary gland, ovaries, uterus, uterine tubes, vagina and mammary glands.
What is gonadotropin
Releasing hormone is synthesised by neurosecretory cells (nerve cells that secrete hormones found in the brain) in the hypothalamus and is carried by the hypophysial portal system to anterior lobe of pituitary gland.
This stimulates the release of FSH and LH.
What’s is FSH?
Follicle stimulation hormone.
Stimulates development of ovarian follicles and the production of estrogen.
What does LH do?
Lutenising hormone
Serves as a trigger for ovulation (the secondary oocyte to be released) and stimulates follicular cells and the corpus luteum to produce progesterone.
How many follicles degenerate each month?
4 to 11
What hormone prompts growth during each cycle?
FSH
Ovulation
Follicular cells divide around the occyte, creating a layer.
Ovarine follicles becomes oval due to proliferation of cells occurring more on one side.
Fluid filled space occurs, forming a cavity (antrum) this contains follicular fluid. This is now called a vesicular follicle.
Primary oocyte is pushed to one side and is surrounded by a mound of follicular cells called the cumulus oophorus. Follicle enlarges until it reaches maturity.
Mid cycle, due to FSH and LH, the ovarian follicle grows rapidly. Before ovulation the secondary oocyte and some cells from the cumulus oophorus release from the distended follicle.
As LH increases, 12-24 hours later, ovulation is triggered. LH increased is caused by high levels of estrogen in the blood causing stigmas to increase and form a vesicle. The stigma ruptured due to this, releasing the secondary oocyte and follicular fluid.
The second oocyte is surrounded by sons pellucida (transparent membrane) and one or more layers of follicular cells to form the corona radiata (supplies proteins to the cell) and cumulus oophorus. These are known as the occyte-cumulus complex.
LH surged appears to restart the first meiotic division of the primary oocytes, this matured ovarian follicles containing secondary occytes.
Why is the ovarian follicle oval?
Due to proliferation of follicular cells occurring more rapidly on one side
What is the follicle called once the antrum forms?
The vesicular/Graafian follicle
What is the antrum?
The cavity formed filled with follicular fluid
When do you know if the follicle is mature?
It forms a bulge on the ovarian surface
When does the ovarian follicle grow rapidly due to LH and FSH?
Around mid cycle
What is the cumulus oophorus?
Cluster of cells that surround the oocyte
What causes an increasing in luteinising hormone?
Estrogen in the blood and this causes the stigma to increase to form a vesicle.
This makes the stigma rupture, releasing the secondary oocyte and follicular fluid.
What is the zona pellucida?
The thick transparent membrane surrounding the ovum before implantation
What is the corona radiata?
It supplies vital proteins to the cell
What does an LH surge appear to restart?
The first meiotic division of the primary oocytes. This matured ovarian follicles containing secondary oocytes.
Corpus Luteum
Following ovulation the walls collapse and become folds. Due to the increase in LH it becomes a glandular structure which secretes mainly progesterone (e too). This causes thick mucous to be produced to prepare the endometrium for implantation if the blastocyst.
If the oocyte is fertilised it increases in size to become the corpus Luteum of pregnancy which increases hormone production. hCG prevents degeneration of pregnancy because it is rich in LH.
Corpus Luteum is active for the first 20 weeks, after that the placenta produces the estrogen and progesterone needed for pregnancy.
If it’s not fertilised it’ll degenerate over 10-12 days- corpus Luteum of menstruation. This transforms into shite scar tissue- the corpus albicans.
What is the corpus albicans?
White scar tissue in the ovary caused by the corpus Luteum not being fertilised
