Female Reproductive System I

Question 1

Do the ovaries have an outer cortex and inner medulla?

Answer 1

Yes

Question 2

What are the ovaries covered with?

Answer 2

An outer germinal epithelium and an inner dense CT layer called the tunica albuginea.

Question 3

What is the germinal epithelium? What type of epithelium is it?

Answer 3

It is the cell layer that surrounds the ovary/tunica albuginea. Simple cuboidal.

Question 4

In which part of the ovaries are follicles found?

Answer 4

Cortex ONLY!

Question 5

What is present in the ovarian medulla?

Answer 5

CT, interstitial cells, nerves, lymphatics, large blood vessels

Question 6

What is the definition of a follicle?

Answer 6

An oocyte with associated follicular and stromal cells.

Question 7

When a unilaminar primary follicle becomes a multilaminar primary follicle, what happens to the stroma?

Answer 7

The stroma cells differentiate into the the theca interna and the theca externa.

Question 8

What do the theca interna cells do?

Answer 8

Make androgens

Question 9

What is the theca externa?

Answer 9

A thick CT

Question 10

What separates the granulosa cells from the theca?

Answer 10

A thick basal lamina

Question 11

What cells of a multilaminar primary follicle are highly vasularized? Explain why.

Answer 11

The theca interna are because they need to be able to release androgens into the blood! The theca externa CT is also vascular.

Question 12

What two things are separated by the zona pellucida? What cell specializations can be found here?

Answer 12

Separates the oocyte from the granulosa cells. Microvilli and gap junctions are found here.

Question 13

What is the zona pellucida made of?

Answer 13

Glycoprotein mostly (PAS +)

Question 14

What is another name for antral, or vesicular follicles?

Answer 14

Secondary follicles

Question 15

What is the liquor folliculi?

Answer 15

Fluid between the granulosa cells of a secondary follicle.

Question 16

What makes up the antrum?

Answer 16

When the liquor folliculi builds up the antrum is formed.

Question 17

Name three hormones that granulosa cells secrete.

Answer 17

Inhibin, activin, and estrogen.

Question 18

What does inhibin do? What does activin do?

Answer 18

Inhibin inhibits FSH via hypothalmic feedback, and activin increases FSH through the hypothalmus.

Question 19

What is follicular atresia?

Answer 19

Apoptosis of follicles

Question 20

When does follicular atresia happen?

Answer 20

A lot before birth, and before puberty, but does happen throughout life!

Question 21

What is the “glassy membrane?”

Answer 21

When the basal lamina between granulosa cells and theca thicken after follicular atresia.

Question 22

What do interstitial cells that arise from follicular atresia do?

Answer 22

Make sex hormones after menopause.

Question 23

What happens at the stigma?

Answer 23

It is the site of follicle rupture.

Question 24

What determines where the stigma occurs?

Answer 24

High collagenase activity and high antral pressure cause rupture at a specific site - the stigma.

Question 25

What does the corpus luteum arise from?

Answer 25

Follicle remnants that become luteinized (granulosa cells are now called granulosa lutein cells)

Question 26

What do granulosa lutein cells secrete? What enzyme do they use to make estrogen?

Answer 26

Progesterone and estrogen in response to LH and FSH. Aromatase converts androgens into estrogen.

Question 27

How do granulosa lutein cells stain?

Answer 27

Pale-staining with lipid droplets and abundant SER.

Question 28

If fertilization does not occur, how long does it take for the corpus luteum to degenerate?

Answer 28

14 days

Question 29

What does relaxin do? What makes it?

Answer 29

Corpus luteum makes it. It loosens the fibrocartilage of the pubic symphysis.

Question 30

What is the corpus albicans?

Answer 30

The remnants of a degenerated corpus luteum

Question 31

Will one find follicles in the cortex of an ovary of a post-menopausal woman?

Answer 31

Nope.