Female reproductive physiology/infertility Flashcards
Female produces fertilizable eggs
Menstrual cycle
Formation of oocytes
Oogenesis
Morphological development of the ovarian follicles
Folliculogenesis
If hormone production becomes disrupted?
Gamete production will not occur normally and infertility will occur
In mammals, where does the urogenital system originate from?
Intermediate mesoderm
In the female embryo, the wolffian duct regresses resulting in?
The differentiation of the müllarian duct
What happens when the Müllerian duct differentiates?
It differentiates in a cranial to caudal direction, into the oviduct, uterus, cervix, and upper one-third of the vagina
What are the major organs of the female reproductive system?
- Genital tract
- Ovaries
- Pituitary
Female genital tract
Composed of the vagina, cervix, uterus, and oviduct.
Structural anatomy of the genital tract
A protective outer aerosol layer, wall of smooth muscle and an inner mucosal layer.
The entrance into the reproductive tract, a muscular tube that connects the uterus to the exterior
Vagina
The lower portion of the uterus where it joins the top of the vagina?
Cervix
How is the cervix anatomically different from the rest of the genital tract?
It lacks a myometrial layer and is lined with mucus secreting epithelium.
-protects entrance of vaginal bacteria into uterus.
Cervical mucus during follicular phase
Watery: under the influence of ovarian estrogen.
-allows entrance of sperm into the uterus during ovulation.
Cervical mucus during luteal phase?
Thick: due to luteal progesterone
-inhibits entrance of any materials from the vagina
What happens to the cervix during pregnancy?
In the presence of high concentrations of progesterone from the corpus luteum, a cervical plug is created to protect the fetus from vaginal bacterium.
Thick walled, pear shaped organ that is the site of embryo implantation?
Uterus
Muscular layer of the uterus, that is more complex than in the vagina or oviduct?
Myometrium
Mucosal layer of the uterus, that is more complex than in the vagina or oviduct?
Endometrium
What is primarily responsible for the expulsion of the fetus during parturition?
The uterine myometrium