Female Reproductive System Flashcards
What are the 3 functions of the female reproductive system?
1) Produce the female gametes (ova - eggs)
2) Produce hormones
3) Uterus - provides a site of nourishment and development for the embryo (via the placenta)
What are the names of the 6 hormones that the female reproductive system produce?
1) LH
2) FSH
3) Oestrogen
4) Progesterone
5) Oxytocin
6) Inhibin
Which components are categorised as internal genitalia?
1) Ovaries
2) Fallopian Tubes
3) Uterus
4) Vagina
Which components are categorised as external genitalia
1) Mons Pubis
2) Labia minus and Labia majus
3) Clitoris
What is the mons pubis?
Fatty tissue that covers the pubic bone
What are the 2 important features of the ovary?
1) Source of germ cells (cells that undergo meiosis to become the gamates)
2) Endocrine gland - as it produces the hormones:
- Progesterone
- Oestrogen
- Inhibin
What are the 3 ligaments called that support the ovaries?
1) Suspensory ligament (suspends the ovaries)
2) Broad ligament (wings - forms part of the peitoneum)
3) Ligament of the ovary (attaches the ovaries to the uterus)
What are the 4 layers of the ovaries? (superficial to deep)
1) Germinal epithelium (1 cell thick)
2) Tunica albuginea
3) Cortex (contains: ovarian follicles and supporting stromal cells)
4) Medulla (vascular)
What is the hilum?
The area in which blood vessels and autonomic nerve fibres enter the ovaries.
What is the name of the process given to the development of ova (female gametes)?
Oogenesis
How many ova is a female born with and what happens to them?
A female is born with all of the ova in her ovaries and overtime the number of ova will decrease
How many ova mature and are released across the lifetime of a female?
300 are released
What are the 2 triggers for starting puberty in females?
1) The release of GnRH from the hypothalamus
2) Body fat
The process of oogenesis:
1) Before birth, the germ cell (oogonium) undergoes mitosis and becomes the primary oocyte (diploid).
2) In foetal life, the primary oocyte starts to undergo meiosis 1 and becomes the secondary oocyte (haploid).
3) Meiosis 1 is not complete until after puberty.
4) After puberty, the secondary oocyte starts to undergo meiosis 2 to become ova.
5) Meiosis 2 is not complete until fertilisation occurs.
When is meiosis 1 and meiosis 2 in oogenesis complete?
Meiosis 1 = After puberty
Meiosis 2 = Until fertilisation
Do all the oocytes in oogenesis become ova?
No - the oocytes may or may not undergo either meiosis 1 or meiosis 2 to become the ova.
What are the 4 parts of the fallopian tube?
1) Infundibulum
2) Ampulla
3) Isthmus
4) Intramural segment
What is the role of the ciliated fimbriae?
To waft the ova from the ovaries into the fallopian tube (at the same time as the heart beat)
What is the function of the fallopian tube?
Allows for a passage for the ova from the ovaries to the uterus in order to meet the sperm, for fertilisation.
Where does fertilisation normally occur along the fallopian tube?
Ampulla
What is ovulation?
Whereby a mature ovarian follicle releases a mature ova into the fallopian tube
How long after ovulation can fertilisation still occur?
24 hours
How long does it take for a zygote (fused cell) to travel through the fallopian tubes?
3-4 days
Where is the uterus positioned?
Superior to the bladder and anterior to the rectum
How is the uterus position?
1) Anteverted (tilted)
2) Anteflexed (bent)
Where is the fundus and what is important about it?
The fundus is at the top of the uterus and it is important in determining the fundal height (determines how far someone is in pregnancy)
What are the 3 layers of the uterus?
1) Perimetrium
2) Myometrium (smooth muscle)
3) Endometrium (mucus membrane)
What are the 2 zones of the uterine endometrium?
1) Functional zone
2) Basal zone
What happens to the functional zone of the endometrium?
1) It changes dramatically during the menstrual cycle
2) Shed every 28 days
What happens to the basal zone of the endometrium?
1) It doesn’t shed - it remains the same
2) It provides a cellular reserve for the re-growth of the functional zone (after it has been shed)
3 phases of the uterine cycle (during the menstrual cycle)
1) Menstrual phase (day 1-5)
2) Proliferative phase (day 6-14)
3) Secretory phase (day 15-28)
What are the changes of the uterine endometrium (functional zone) and the ovarian hormone levels during the 1) Menstrual phase?
(Oestrogen and Progesterone are at a stable low level)
1) The functional zone of the endometrium sheds
2) Spiral arteries constrict
What are the changes of the uterine endometrium (functional zone) and the ovarian hormone levels during the 2) Proliferative phase?
(Oestrogen rises)
1) The functional zone of the endometrium builds up
2) Small glands develop
What are the changes of the uterine endometrium (functional zone) and the ovarian hormone levels during the 3) Secretory phase?
(Progesterone rises)
1) The functional zone of the endometrium is maintained for pregnancy.
2) The spiral arteries coil
3) Glands become larger