Female Reproductive System Flashcards
What are the parts of the female reproductive system? (6)
ovaries pair of uterine tubes uterus vagina external genital organs mammary glands (breasts)
Ovaries
What are the ovaries?
two almond-shaped organs located on lateral wall of true pelvic cavity
Ovaries
What do they do?
produce female gametes (ovum) and female hormones (estrogen and progesterone)
Ovaries
How many surfaces, borders, and poles are there?
What are they?
- 2 surfaces (lateral and medial)
- 2 borders (anterior and posterior)
- 2 poles (superior and inferior)
Ovaries
What is the anterior border attached to?
mesovarium
Ovaries
What does the anterior border carry?
ovarian hilum where ovarian blood vessels, nerves, and lymphatics enter or exit ovary
Ovaries
What is the posterior border attached to?
free
Ovaries
Describe ovarian surfaces before and after puberty.
before: smooth
after: rough, due to ovulation
Ovaries
What are ovaries held in place by?
3 ligaments
- ligament of ovary
- suspensory ligament
- mesovarium
Ovaries
What does the ligament of ovary do?
attaches inferior pole of ovary to lateral wall of uterus, near entrance of uterine tube
Ovaries
What is the suspensory ligament?
What does it do?
double-layer fold of peritoneum
attaches superior pole of ovary to posterior abdominal wall
Ovaries
What does the suspensory ligament carry?
ovarian vessels and nerves from posterior abdominal wall to and between 2 layers of the broad ligament
Ovaries
What is the mesovarium?
double-layer fold of peritoneum stretched between anterior border of ovary and posterior layer of the broad ligament
Ovaries
What does the mesovarium carry?
ovarian vessels, nerves, and lymphatics from the broad ligament into ovary via ovarian hilum
Uterine (Fallopian) Tubes or Oviduct
What are the uterine tubes?
muscular tubes located on superior border of broad ligament
Uterine (Fallopian) Tubes or Oviduct
What do they do?
connects uterine cavity to peritoneal cavity
Uterine (Fallopian) Tubes or Oviduct
What do they carry?
carries sperms towards ovaries, or fertilized egg towards uterine cavity
Uterine (Fallopian) Tubes or Oviduct
What are the 4 parts?
- infundibulum
- ampulla
- isthmus
- uterine part (intramural)
Uterine (Fallopian) Tubes or Oviduct
What is the infundibulum?
funnel-shaped lateral end of tube that hangs over ovary
Uterine (Fallopian) Tubes or Oviduct
What does the free margin of the infundibulum carry?
carries fimbriae (finger-like projections) – one called ovarian fimbria that is longer and attaches to ovary
Uterine (Fallopian) Tubes or Oviduct
What does the infundibulum do?
collects released ovum from surface of ovary
Uterine (Fallopian) Tubes or Oviduct
What is the ampulla?
most dilated part of uterine tube forming lateral ⅔ of it
Uterine (Fallopian) Tubes or Oviduct
What is the isthmus?
narrowest part of uterine tube that forms medial ⅓ of it
Uterine (Fallopian) Tubes or Oviduct
Where does the uterine part (intramural) pass?
passes through thickness of uterine wall and opens into uterine cavity
Uterus
What is the uterus?
inverted pear-shaped hollow organ with thick muscular walls
part of passageway for sperms’ journey towards ovaries, and also source of menstrual flow
Uterus
What does the uterus do?
accommodates and nourishes the fertilized ovum
Uterus
How many surfaces and borders are there?
What are they?
- 2 surfaces (superior and inferior)
- 2 lateral borders
Uterus
What are the surfaces covered by?
peritoneum
Uterus
What are the surfaces related to?
sigmoid colon and small intestine loops (superior surface)
urinary bladder (inferior surface)
Uterus
What are the 3 parts?
- fundus
- body
- cervix (neck)
Uterus
Where is the fundus?
located superior to entrance of uterine tubes
Uterus
Where is the body?
middle part located between fundus and cervix (neck)
Uterus
What is the isthmus?
distal ⅓ of body
Uterus
Where is the cervix (neck)?
extends between isthmus and vagina
Uterus
What is the shape of the uterine cavity?
triangular in coronal/frontal section
Uterus
What does the uterine cavity connect with?
connects with cervical canal via internal os (opening)
Uterus
What does the cervical canal open into?
opens into vagina through external os
Uterus
How does the uterus form angles?
arches anteriorly over empty urinary bladder and forms 2 angles
Uterus
What are the 2 angles that the uterus arches to form?
- anteversion angle
- anteflexion angle
Uterus
What is the anteversion angle?
angle between axis of cervix and axis of vagina that opens anteriorly
Uterus
What is the anteflexion angle?
angle between axis of uterine body and axis of cervix
Uterus
What do ligaments do?
support and maintain weight and position on either side
Uterus
What are the 5 ligaments?
- broad ligament
- round ligament of uterus
- transverse cervical (cardinal) ligament
- pubocervical ligament
- uterosacral ligament
Uterus
What is the broad ligament?
double-layer membrane made by peritoneum that extends from lateral border of uterus to lateral pelvic wall and pelvic floor
Uterus
What does the broad ligament contain?
- uterine tube on its superior border
- ligament of ovary and round ligament of uterus inferior to uterine tube
Uterus
What is the mesosalpinx?
part of broad ligament between uterine tube and mesovarium that forms mesentery for uterine tube
Uterus
What is the mesometrium?
major part of broad ligament, inferior to mesosalpinx and mesovarium, that serves as mesentery for uterus
Uterus
Where is the round ligament of uterus start?
starts from superolateral angle of uterus, passes through inguinal canal, and blends with connective tissue of labium major
Uterus
What does the transverse cervical (cardinal) ligament do?
connects uterine cervix, and superior part of vagina to lateral pelvic wall
Uterus
What does the pubocervical ligament do?
anchors cervix of uterus to posterior surface of pubis
Uterus
Where is the uterosacral ligament?
extends from inferior part of anterior surface of sacrum to cervix, and superior part of vagina
Vagina
What is the vagina?
fibromuscular tube that starts at vestibule
receptacle for penis during sexual intercourse, and passageway for sperms, menstrual flow, and childbirth
Vagina
Where does it start, pass, and end?
runs posterosuperiorly between rectum and urinary bladder, and ends to cervix of uterus
Vagina
What is the hymen?
thin mucus membrane that partially closes entrance of vagina
Vagina
Describe the structure when the vagina is collapsed?
anterior and posterior walls are in contact, at proximal end where it surrounds cervix of uterus to form fornix (circular recess)
Vagina
What is the fornix subdivided into?
anterior, posterior, and 2 lateral parts
Female External Genitalia
What are the structures also called?
vulva or pudendum
Female External Genitalia
What are the 6 parts?
- mons pubis
- labia majora
- labia minora
- vestibule
- clitoris
- greater vestibular glands
Female External Genitalia
What is the mons pubis?
skin prominence in front of symphysis pubis that contains fat
Female External Genitalia
What are the labia majora?
2 skin folds that contain fat, and are covered by coarse hairs after puberty
(equivalent to scrotum in males)
Female External Genitalia
What are the labia minora?
2 hairless skin folds partially concealed by labia majora on outside
Female External Genitalia
What is the vestibule?
cleft between 2 labia minora that receives openings of urethra anteriorly, and vagina posteriorly
Female External Genitalia
What is the clitoris?
homologous to penis, located at anterior end of vestibule
Female External Genitalia
What are the 2 parts of the clitoris?
root
body
Female External Genitalia - Clitoris
What is the root formed by?
How is the body formed?
left and right crura, and right and left bulbs of vestibule
crura continue anteriorly to form corpora cavernosa in body of clitoris
bulbs of vestibule continue anteriorly to form glans of clitoris in body of clitoris
Female External Genitalia - Clitoris
What is the prepuce formed by?
extension of labia minora encircles body on either side to form prepuce
Female External Genitalia
What are the greater vestibular glands?
pair of glands deep to skin, and posterolateral to vestibule
Female External Genitalia
What are greater vestibular glands homologous to in males?
bulbourethral glands
Female External Genitalia
What do greater vestibular glands do?
release their secretion by small ducts into vestibule posterolateral to vaginal orifice to lubricate vagina during sexual arousal
Mammary Glands (Breasts)
What are the mammary glands?
modified sweat glands located within superficial fascia of pectoral region
Mammary Glands (Breasts)
Where is the relatively round base?
extended vertically between rib II-VI, and transversely between sternum and midaxillary line
Mammary Glands (Breasts)
What is the nipple?
conical projection surrounded by areola (circular pigmented skin)
Mammary Glands (Breasts)
What do they consist of?
number of lobes that are drained by individual ducts which open into the nipple
Mammary Glands (Breasts)
What are suspensory ligaments?
bands of connective tissue between mammary gland lobes of breast that arise from skin, and attach to deep fascia covering pectoralis major muscle
Mammary Glands (Breasts)
What do suspensory ligaments do?
support weight of breast
Mammary Glands (Breasts)
What supplies blood for the breast? (3)
- branches of internal thoracic artery
- anterior and posterior intercostal arteries
- axillary artery
Mammary Glands (Breasts)
What innervates the skin of the breast?
4th-6th intercostal nerves provide general sensory innervation
these nerves also carry sympathetic fibers to supply smooth muscle fibers in wall of blood vessels, areola, and nipple
Mammary Glands (Breasts)
What is the secretion and ejection of milk controlled by? (2)
- prolactin hormone secreted by anterior pituitary
- oxytocin hormone secreted by hypothalamus
