Female Reproductive System II Flashcards
What do the uterine tubes lack histologically?
A distinctive submucosa
What type of epithelium is found in the uterine tubes? What other features are present?
Ciliated simple columnar. It is highly folded and peg cells are interspersed.
What are peg cells?
Cells found interspersed in the uterine tube epithelium that secrete thin mucus to nourish sperm. Most often called “secretory cells.”
Name the three layers of the uterus.
- Endometrium
- Myometrium
- Perimetrium (serosa)
What type of epithelium is found in the endometrium of the uterus?
Simple columnar.
What cells can be found in the epithelium of the endometrium?
Ciliated columnar, secretory cells, and basal reserve cells.
Do glands exist in the endometrium?
Yes, simple tubular ones.
What are the two layers of the endometrium?
- Stratum functionale
2. Stratum basale
What is the stratum functionale? What supplies it with blood?
It is the temporary luminal layer of the endometrium. Receives blood from coiled arteries. Sheds off each menstrual cycle.
What is the stratum basale? What supplies it with blood?
Thinner permanent layer of the endometrium deep to the stratum functionale. Gets blood from straight arteries.
What makes up the myometrium?
Several poorly-defined layers of smooth muscle.
Where are the arcuate arteries (the arteries that give rise to the straight and colied arteries of the endometrium) found?
In the middle smooth muscle layer of the myometrium
What hormone acts upon the myometrial smooth muscle cells during parturition?
Oxytocin.
What are the three menstrual cycle phases?
Menstrual phase (days 1-5), proliferative aka follicular aka estrogenic phase (days 5-14), secretory phase aka progestational phase aka luteal phase (days 15-28).
The lack of which hormone results in the sloughing off of the endometrial lining?
Progesterone.
What hormone drives basale cell division during the proliferative phase?
Estrogen. It is also called the estrogenic phase.
What hormone is responsible for maintenance/proliferation of the secretory phase.
Progesterone from the corpus luteum.
What is the portio vaginalis? What type of epithelium is found here?
The part of the cervix that extends into the vaginal canal. Glycogenated stratified squamous epithelium.
What is the transformation zone? What type of epithelium is found here and what is an important clinical aspect of this?
The portio vaginalis, or external os, or the part of the cervix that protrudes into the vaginal canal. Stratified squamous epithelium is a common site of cancer.
What type of epithelium is found in the cervical canal?
Simple columnar.
Where is the squamocolumnar junction found in the female reproductive tract?
At the external os (junction between cervix and vaginal canal).
Is cervical canal mucosa shed during menstruation?
Nope. Chuck Testa.
In what way does the cervical canal mucus change during the menstrual cycle?
At ovulation it is thin and watery for sperm to get through. At the luteal phase (secretory, progestational) it is thicker to prevent bacterial entry.
What type of epithelium is found in the vagina?
Stratified squamous
What is vaginal transudate?
Extravascular fluid produced by capillaries in the mucosal lamina propria of the vagina during sexual arousal.
What tissues are found in the clitoris?
Stratified squamous epithelium with erectile tissue containing fibromuscular trabeculae cavernous sinuses lined by endothelium.
What is the vulval vestibule? What glands does it contain?
The area surrounding the vaginal and urethral openings. Has greater vestibular glands (Bartholin glands) which are mucous glands. Lesser vestibular glands are smaller and scattered around the vestibule.
Describe the labia minora.
Skin folds with cores of erectile tissue. Has sweat and sebaceous glands, NO hairs.
Describe the labia majora.
Skin folds with cores of subcutaneous fat and a thin layer of muscle. Hairs, sweat, and sebaceous glands.
What type of glands are the mammary glands?
Compound tubuloacinar aka alveolar glands.
What is found between the mammary glands?
Adipose tissue and bands of dense CT.
Describe the duct system of the mammary glands, starting at the acinus.
Acinus empties into intralobular duct –> interlobular duct –> lactiferous duct –> lactiferous sinus –> nipple.
What changes in the mammary gland occur during puberty?
Adipose, CT increase, nipples become more prominent, lactiferous ducts become larger.
What lines intralobular ducts?
Cuboidal epithelium on a basal lamina surrounded by myoepithelial cells that have abundant actin filaments.
What hormone regulates the myoepithelial cells of the intralobular ducts?
Oxytocin
Which hormone is responsible for premenstrual breast enlargement, edema, and tenderness?
Estrogen.
Which four hormones cause enlargement of the pregnant adult mammary gland?
- Estrogen
- Progesterone
- Prolactin
- Human placental lactogen
At what point during pregnancy are plasma cells found in the interlobular CT?
Third trimester.
What is colostrum?
Proteinaceous mammalian milk
What is the method of secretion of milk lipids and protein, respectively?
Lipids by apocrine, protein by merocrine.
How does suckling maintain lactation?
Suckling inhibits dopamine from the hypothalamus –> prolactin from the anterior pituitary.
What hormone is responsible for the milk ejection reflex? What stimulates the reflex?
Suckling stimulates oxytocin from the posterior pituitary (paraventricular nerve), stimulating myoepithelial cell contraction.
What is senile involution?
Atrophy of the secretory components, ducts, adipose, and interlobular CT after menopause.
Are glands found in the uterine tubes?
No, the secretory cells are responsible for secretion (unicellular).
Do stratum basale cells have steroid receptors?
Nope.
