Female Reproductive System Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the primary reproductive organ of the female?

A

The ovary is the primary reproductive organ of the female

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2
Q

What is the ovary?

A

The ovary is the primary reproductive organ of the female.

  • They are paired and are held in place in the lower abdominal cavity by ligaments.
  • They have a dual function:
    1. Making and releasing eggs
    2. Secretion of estrogen and progesterones
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3
Q

What hormones help in the development of the female body form and secondary sex-characteristics?

A

Estrogens and Progesterone produced in the ovary help in the development of the female body form and secondary sex-characteristics.

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4
Q

What is oogenesis?

A

Oogenesis is the formation of an egg

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5
Q

Describe the path of cells from an immature egg cell to the final egg, with their names and their ploidy number

A
  1. oogonia (2N) - immature egg cell that undergoes mitosis to become a primary oocyte
  2. Primary Oocyte (2N) - Undergoes meiosis to produce the 1st polar body (N) and secondary oocyte
  3. Secondary Oocyte (N) - Undergoes meiosis to produce the 2nd polar body (N) and the Ovum

NB for the DAT

  • Primary oocyte (2N)
  • Secondary oocyte (N)
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6
Q

What is a polar body?

A

A polar body is the (N) waste cell that is produced during the first meiotic division and the second meiotic division.

  • It contains very little cytoplasm
  • generally it doesn’t have the ability to be fertilized
  • Usually disintegrates by apoptosis
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7
Q

How may primary oocytes do women have in each ovary at birth? At Puberty?

A

At birth women have about 500,000 primary oocytes in each ovary, by puberty this may decline to around 250,000.
- These cells have not completed their meiotic divisions and are in the dormant or resting state.

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8
Q

What cell division step do primary oocytes stop at when they go dormant?

A

Primary oocytes go dormant and stop dividing at Prophase I of Meiosis. This occurs prior to birth.

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9
Q

What is a follicle?

A

The Follicle is a fluid filled sac within the ovary that contains a primary oocyte.

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10
Q

When do primary oocytes arrest their development?

A

Primary oocytes arrest their development prior to birth.

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11
Q

What role does FSH play in egg development?

A

At puberty, FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) stimulates a small group of follicles to begin growth and development of the primary oocyte

  • Each month, one follicle fully matures.
  • At ovulation, the follicle breaks open and releases a secondary oocyte
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12
Q

Describe Ovulation

A

During ovulation, a mature follicle ruptures releasing a secondary oocyte

  • The secondary oocyte leaves through a rupture in the ovarian wall. (This is part of why ovulation is painful)
  • This occurs every 28 to 30 days
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13
Q

What is atresia?

A

Atresia is the bodies natural mechanism to control the number of mature follicles in the ovary.

  • Only one mature follicle will release a primary oocyte, the rest break down through atresia and are eventually removed by phagocytic cells.
  • Typically 20 follicles mature each month, but only one will release its primary oocyte.
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14
Q

What cell gets fertilized by the sperm?

A

The secondary oocyte gets fertilized by the sperm.
- Once the secondary oocyte is fertilized, it immediately undergoes Meiosis again to form a mature egg and another polar body.

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15
Q

What is the corpus luteum?

A

The corpus luteum forms after a follicle releases a secondary oocyte.

  • The ruptured follicle changes into a temporary endocrine gland called the corpus luteum
  • It produces progesterone, estrogens, and other androgens. These inhibit the secretion of LH and FSH
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16
Q

Why is the inhibition of LH and FSH by the corpus luteum important?

A

The hormones produced by the corpus luteum inhibit the secretion of LH and FSH.

  • Without FSH: There is no new follicle development, thus no second ovulation
  • Without LH: If there is no pregnancy, the absence of LH leads to the degeneration of the corpus luteum into the corpus albicans
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17
Q

What is the corpus albicans?

A

The corpus albicans is fibrous tissue left over after the corpus luteum degrades.

  • Corpus albicans means “white body” due to the large amount of collagen in it.
  • Most of it is eventually reabsorbed into the body, while the rest is left as scar tissue.
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18
Q

What is the corpus luteum’s role during preganancy?

A

If pregnancy occurs, the corpus luteum does not degenerate.

- It continues to make estrogens and progesterone which will help to maintain the uterine lining (endometrium)

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19
Q

What is the fimbria?

A

Fimbria are thread like extensions that exist on the funnel portion of the fallopian tube next to the ovary.
- These fimbria catch the secondary oocyte and channel it down the fallopian tube

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20
Q

What are the two cell types of the fallopian tubes?

A

The fallopian tubes have two types of cells:

  • Non-ciliated peg cells: These provide a nutritive and protective environment for spermatozoa, and are thought to aid in capacitation of the sperm
  • Ciliated Cells: These beat in unison moving the fertilized ovum toward the uterus
21
Q

What is the uterus?

A

The uterus is the womb

  • It’s a muscular organ that receives the fertilized egg from the fallopian tubes, and sustains its life during development
  • The lower third of the uterus is called the cervix, and it opens into the vagina.
  • The endometrium of the uterus is highly vascular and contains a mixture of ciliated and simple columnar cells.
22
Q

How long does it take for the zygote to start dividing?

A

It takes 24 hours before the zygote starts dividing

23
Q

How long does it take for the zygote to get to the uterus? About how many cells do we see at this point?

A

It takes 2-3 days for the zygote to get to the uterus. We see about 16 cells at this point

24
Q

What is the zygote called when it implants into the uterus? About how long does it take to divide before implantation occurs?

A

The zygote has formed into a rapidly dividing ball of cells called the blastocyst.
- The zyogote floats around in the uterus before finally implanting at around day seven as a blastocyst.

25
Q

What occurs in the 1st trimester of pregnancy?

A

During the 1st trimester of pregnancy:

  • Body structures start to differentiate
  • outer layer of blastocyst grows outward and is called the trophoblast, which eventually forms the placenta
  • Organogenesis occurs here. This is when the embryo is most susceptible to radiation, toxins, and drugs
  • After 8 weeks, the embryo is called a fetus.
26
Q

What occurs in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy?

A

In the 2nd trimester of pregnancy:

  • Rapid fetal growth continues
  • Mother can feel fetal movements
  • Hair develops on the head
  • Waxy secretions develop on the skin to protect it from the watery amniotic fluid.
  • Fetus now shows reflexes as the sense organs become functional
  • Babies can potentially survive birth at the end of this trimester, but it requires intensive care.
27
Q

What occurs in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy?

A

In the 3rd trimester of pregnancy:

  • More growth occurs as the uterus expands and moves further up the mother’s abdominal cavity
  • Brain and PNS development accelerates
  • Testes descend out of the male’s abdominal cavity
  • Maternal antibodies cross the placental barrier and enter into fetal circulation
  • Birth
  • The hypothalamus signals the anterior pituitary gland to secrete prolactin which stimulates the mammary glands to produce milk.
28
Q

What is cryptorchidism?

A

Cryptorchidism is a condition where the testes don’t descend properly during fetal development.
- This causes a too warm environment for the development of sperm and thereby causes infertility

29
Q

What is passive immunity?

A

Passive immunity is where the antibodies of the mother are given to the fetus to protect it until it can develop it’s own antibodies

30
Q

What is parturition?

A

Parturition is birth through a series of rhythmic contractions.

31
Q

What hormones control mother’s milk?

A

Prolactin: Stimulates milk production
Oxytocin: Stimulates milk ejection (also helps with uterine contractions)

32
Q

What occurs during fetal circulation?

A

During fetal circulation, the mother’s blood passes over the placental membrane and diffusion occurs in both directions for:

  • O2
  • nutrients
  • waste
33
Q

What is the umbilical artery?

A

The umbilical artery is an artery in the umbilical cord that:

  • Is low in O2
  • carries blood from the fetus to the placenta
34
Q

What is the Umbilical vein?

A

The umbilical vein is a vein in the umbilical cord that:

  • is high in O2
  • carries oxygenated blood from the placenta to the fetus
35
Q

Foramen Ovale

A

The foramen ovale is a hole in the heart that allows blood to pass from the right atria to the left atria without the need to go through the lungs.
- This will normally close after birth when the lungs become functional

36
Q

What is the ductus venosus?

A

The ductus venosus is:

  • the liver bypass
  • a duct that carries about 50% of the blood past the liver into the inferior vena cava.
  • The rest will pass through the liver normally.
37
Q

What is the ductus arteriosis?

A

The ductus arteriosis is:

  • the lung bypass
  • conducts most of the blood from the pulmonary artery to the aorta, allowing the lungs to be bypassed.
38
Q

What are the heart modifications of fetuses that allow a bypass of the lungs.

A

The two heart modifications of fetuses are:

  • The Foramen Ovale: This is a hole between the two ventricles that allows some blood to pass from the right to the left ventricle. Not all blood passes through this hole though, some ends up in the right ventricle.
  • The Ductus Arteriosis: Since some blood ends up in the right ventricle and blood from the right ventricle enters the pulmonary artery, we need a tube from the pulmonary artery to the aorta so blood doesn’t go to the lungs. The ductus arteriosis takes blood from the pulmonary artery into the aorta, bypassing the lungs in fetuses.
39
Q

What are the two cycles involved in menstruation?

A

The two cycles involved in menstruation are:

  • The ovarian cycle
  • The menstruation cycle
40
Q

What is the ovarian cycle?

A

The ovarian cycle is as follows:

  1. GnRH stimulates the anterior pituitary gland to secrete small amounts of FSH and LH
  2. FSH causes the follicle containing the prospective egg to mature and proceed toward ovulation. Several follicles grow, but typically only one fully matures, the rest degrade through atresia.
  3. As the follicle grows, estrogens (estradiol primarily) stimulate the growth of the uterus and rapidly replaces the endometrium lost during the last menstrual cycle. This lasts about 10 days after the end of menstruation. At the cycle midpoint, the anterior pituitary releases a surge of LH (called the luteal surge). This increase is a positive feedback system due to the increase of estradiol.
  4. The follicle matures. 24 hours after the surge of LH, all hell breaks loose, the ovarian wall ruptures and the secondary oocyte is released. Females often feel a slight pain on the left or right side depending on which ovary burst.
  5. The luteal phase begins, with the corpus luteum producing estradiol and progesterone. As these two hormones rise in level, a negative feedback loop occurs decreasing LH and FSH to very low levels.
  6. If no pregnancy occurs, the corpus luteum degrades, causing the levels of estradiol and progesterone to decrease significantly. This allows LH and FSH to ramp up again and the cycle begins from the beginning once more.
41
Q

What are the phases of the menstrual cycle?

A

The menstrual cycle is made up of 3 phases:

  1. Menstrual Phase (Days 1-4)
  2. Proliferative (Follicular) Phase (Days 4-14)
  3. Secretory (Luteal) Phase (Days 15-28)

NB all Phase names for the DAT. Proliferative, Follicular, etc.

42
Q

What is the menstrual phase?

A

The menstrual phase:

  • Days 1-4
  • With no fertilization, bleeding starts.
  • When low levels of estradiol and progesterone occur, the arteries of the endometrium constrict. This leads to low O2 levels and leads to glandular shutdown, invasion by leukocytes, and the uterine lining breaking down and disintegrating.
  • Endometrial blood tissue is now shed
  • This continues for about 4 days and and on average 35 mL of blood is lost.
43
Q

What is the Proliferative (Follicular) Phase?

A

The Proliferative Phase:

  • AKA: Follicular Phase
  • Occurs at the same time as the development of the ovarian follicles.
  • We begin this phase as menstruation ends
  • The arteries and uterine glands enlarge
  • New epithelization occurs along with reconstruction of connective tissue.
  • Functional layer becomes thicker due to the proliferation of cells at the base of the glands that did not get washed away during menstruation. Their blood supply remained intact.
  • At Day 14, the endometrium has been restored to its former status.
44
Q

What is the Secretory (Luteal) Phase?

A

The Secretory Phase:

  • AKA: Luteal Phase
  • Days 15 - 28
  • Begins after ovulation
  • Endometrium continue to thicken; arteries attain full development
  • Progesterone levels are the highest at this phase, higher than any other hormone
  • If fertilization occurs, the uterus provides nutritious secretions for the embryo before and during implantation
  • If no fertilization occurs, the cycle repeats itself.
45
Q

What is endometriosis

A

Endometriosis, is a condition where viable endometrial cells are displaced during menstruation.

  • These cells can move upward into the fallopian tubes, or grow outside the uterus in places like the bladder or colon.
  • This ectopic tissue grows and degenerates monthly without effective removal
  • Can cause pain, inflammation, cysts, scar tissue, and infertility
46
Q

What is menopause?

A

Menopause:

  • Occurs around 48 years of age
  • Ovarian response to LH and FSH decrease, and estrogen levels plunge
  • This is thought to be an evolutionary advantage that makes it easier for a mother to provide care for her children by not having too many and only when they are young and capable of caring for children.
47
Q

What animals have a menstrual cycle?

A

Only humans and primates have a menstrual cycle.

48
Q

What is an estrous cycle?

A

All animals excluding humans and primates, have an estrous cycle.

  • The endometrium is reabsorbed if conception doesn’t occur rather than being shed.
  • Females are generally only sexually active during their estrous cycle.