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Human Structure > Histology: Female Reproductive > Flashcards

Histology: Female Reproductive Flashcards

1
Q

Ovary

A

Produces oocytes and hormones (endocrine)

Cortex

  • Ovarian follicles at various stages of development

Medulla

  • Loose CT
  • Blood Vessels

Germinal Epithelium

  • Simple Cuboidal Epithelium
  • Continuous with mesovarium

Tunica Albuginea

  • Dense CT layer deep to germinal layer
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2
Q

Ovarian Follicles

A
  • Oocytes develop as follicles surrounded by follicular (supporting) cells
    • ​At birth, 600,000-800,000 oocytes present at birth
      • Arrested in prophase of meiosis I

Primodial Follicles

  • Present at birth

Primary Follicles

  • Unilaminar or Multilaminar

Secondary Follicle

  • Development of antrum

Graafian Follicle

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3
Q

Ovarion Cycle

A
  • Regulated by gonadotropins
    • Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
    • Luteinizing Hormone (LH)

Follicular Phase

  • FSH stimulates development of primordial follicles
  • LH surge triggers ovulation

Luteal Phase

  • Corpus luteum secrete progesterone
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4
Q

Primordial Follicle

A
  • Primary oocyte
    • ​Surrounded by single layer of squamous follicular cells
    • Large eccentric nucleus; finely dispersed
    • Large nucleolus
  • Present at birth
  • Located just beneath tunica albuginea
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5
Q

Early Primary Follicle

A
  • Unilaminar
    • Follicular cells become cuboidal
  • Oocyte enlarges
  • Zona Pellucida
    • _​_Between oocyte and follicular cells
    • Made of proteins
    • Contains sperm receptors
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6
Q

Late Primary Follicle

A
  • Multilaminar primary follicle
    • ​Layer of cells called stratum granulosum
      • Stratified epithelium
      • Gap Junctions between granulosa cells
      • No blood-follicle barrier
  • Thick Zona Pellucida
    • ​Cortical granules; contain proteases that are exocytosed during fertilization
  • Theca folliculi
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7
Q

Secondary Follicle

A
  • Fluid-filled antrum appears among granulosa cells
  • Follicle grows from 0.2 mm to 10 mm
  • Oocyte is 125 um in diameter
  • Theca cells differentiate into 2 layers:
    • Theca Interna
      • ​Highly vascular
      • Cuboidal Cells secreting androgens (estrogen precursors)
        • Lipid-appearance
    • Theca Externa
      • ​Outter CT
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8
Q

Mature/Graafian Follicle

A
  • Follicle and antrum enlarge –> 1-2 cm diameter
  • Uniform stratum granulosum, except:
    • Cumulus Oophorus
      • ​Attaches oocyte to wall of follicle
    • Corona Radiata
      • ​Surrounds oocyte
      • Goes with oocyte during ovulation
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9
Q

Follicular Stigma

A
  • Mature follicle bulging out of surface of ovary
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10
Q

Ovulation

A
  • Secondary oocyte released from mature follicle
  • Occurs on day 14
    • LH surge around day 13, stimulate 1st meiotic division just prior to ovulation
    • Granulosa cells stop producing estrogen
  • Egg degenerates within 24 hours if not fertilized
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11
Q

Atresia

A
  • Several follicles being to develop during each cycle, only one reaches maturity
    • Others undergo atresia:
      • Apoptosis and detachment of granulosa cells
      • Autolysis of oocyte
      • Macrophages phagocytose debris
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12
Q

Corpus Luteum

A
  • Results following ovulation
  • Follicular wall collapses forming deep folds
  • Secretes progesterone for 10-12 days
  • Luteinization
    • ​Granulosa and theca cells differentiate into luteal cells:
      • ​Granulosa Lutein Cells:
        • Large/centrally located around cavity
        • Secrete progesterone and inhibin (prevents secretion of FSH/LH)
        • Convert androgens to estrogen
      • Theca Lutein Cells
        • ​Smaller, located peripherally in folds
        • Secrete progesterone and androgens
    • Cells increase in size and accumulate lipid droplets
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13
Q

Corpus Luteum of Menstruation

A
  • If fertilization does not occur, degenerates into corpus albicans
    • Scar of dense CT formed by fibroblasts
  • Decreased progesterone stimulates menstruation
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14
Q

Corpus Luteum of Pregnancy

A
  • If fertilization occurs, corpus luteum increases in size
    • Secrete progesterone for 4-5 months
      • Human chorionic gondaotropin secreted from embryo, maintains corpus luteum
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15
Q

Hormonal Regulation

A
  • Pituitary gland regulated by hypothalamus
    • Anterior Pituitary secretes FSH and small LH in follicular phase
      • Stimulate ovarian follicles
    • Estrogens (low levels) feed back onto anterior pituitary and inhibit FSH and LH
    • Day 13 –> threshold level of estrogen is stimulatory on anterior pituitary –> LH surge and ovulation
      • LH stimulate corpus luteum formation, which secrete progesterone
        • Inhibits FSH/LH
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16
Q

Fertilization

A
  • Occurs in ampulla of uterine tube
  • Sperm must be in reproductive tract and capacitated
    • Must penetrate coronoa radiata and zona pellucida
    • binding of ZP leads to acrosome reaction
  • Sperm and oocyte plasma membranes fuse
    • Oocyte complete second meiotic division
  • Male and female pronuclei fuse to form zygote with 2n (46) chromosomes
17
Q

Uterine Tubes

A

Mucosa:

  • Simple columnar epithelium
    • 2 Functional States of same cell:
      • Ciliated Cells: motile to direct egg to uterus
      • Secretory/Peg Cells: produce secretions to nourish oocyte
      • Regulated by hormones (estrogen increases ciliated cells; progesterone increases peg cells)
  • Longitudinal folds project into lumen

Muscularis:

  • Interwoven circular and longitudinal layers

Serosa:

  • Mesosalpinx
  • Peritoneum
18
Q

Uterus

A
  • Wall has three layers:
    • Endometrium:
      • ​Mucosa
      • Undergoes changes during menstrual cycle
    • Myometrium
      • ​Thick, muscular layer
    • Perimetrium
      • ​Serosa
19
Q

Myometrium

A
  • 3 poorly defined muscle layers
    • Inner and outer muscular layers parallel to long axis of uterus
    • ​Stratum Vasculare
      • ​Middle circular layer
      • Contains large blood vessels
  • During pregnancy, muscles undergo hypertrophy and hyperplasia
20
Q

Endometrium

A
  • Simple columnar epithelium; secretory and ciliated cells (like uterine tube)
  • Uterine Glands
  • Functional Layer:
    • Proliferates and degenerates with each menstrual cycle
    • Sloughed off during menstruation
  • Basal Layer:
    • Retained during menstruation to regenerate functional layer
21
Q

Uterine Vasculature

A
  • Arcuate Arteries
    • Form anastomosing network within myometrium
  • Radial Arteries
    • ​Enter basal layer of endometrium
    • Straight arteries supply basal layer
  • Spiral Arteries
    • ​Extend into functional layer
      • Distal portions grow/degenerate in response to estrogen/progesterone
      • Regulated by hormones
22
Q

Uterine Cycle

A

Proliferative Phase

  • Day 5/6 through Day 14
  • Concurrent with follicular development in ovary

Secretory Phase

  • Conincides with functional corpus luteum and progesterone secretion

Menstrual Phase

  • ​Conincides with degeneration of corpus luteum and decline in hormones
23
Q

Proliferative Phase

A
  • Rapid proliferation of cells in functional layer
  • Continues until 1 day after ovulation
  • Endometrium 3 mm thick

Uterine glands in image without large lumen

24
Q

Secretory Phase

A
  • Endometrium becomes edematous
    • Becomes 5-6 mm thick
  • Glands enlarge and become corkscrew shaped
  • Spiral arteries lengthen and become more coiled
25
Q

Menstrual Phase

A
  • Rapid decline in hormone levels as corpus luteum degenerates
  • Prostaglandins released in endometrium
    • Contraction of spiral arteries causes functional layer to become ischemic and sloughs off (menstruation)
  • Uterine glands stop secreting
26
Q

Cervix

A
  • Endocervical mucosa (in cervical canal)
    • Simple columnar epithelium
    • Branched cervical mucous glands
      • During luteal phase, secrete thick, viscous mucus
    • Little change during menstrual cycle (not shed)
  • Exocervical Mucosa (outside of cervix)
    • Stratified squamous non-keratinzed epithelium
    • No glands
  • Tranformation Zone
    • Abrupt transition between mucosas
27
Q

Vagina

A
  • Mucosa
    • Stratified squamous non-keratinized epithelium
      • ​Lots of glycogen in cytoplasm (nourishes microflora of vagina)
      • Lactobacilli metabolize glycogen and produce lactic acid –> vagina has acidic pH
  • Muscular Layer
    • 2 layers of smooth muscle; poorly defined
      • ​Inner circular, outer longitudinal
  • Adventitia
    • Inner layer dense CT
    • Outer layer loose CT (continuous with endopelvic fascia)
28
Q

Mammary Glands

A
  • Branched tubuloalveolar glands
    • ​Modified apocrine sweat glands
  • Each beast contains 15-20 lobes
    • Each has lactiferous duct
    • Lactiferous sinus

Prior to puberty, both sexes have lactiferous sinuses with few ducts

  • Estrogen prolongs the duct system
29
Q

Terminal Duct Lobular Unit

A
  • Terminal ductules in inactive glands
    • Surrounded by intralobular stroma connect with intralobular collecting duct
30
Q

Inactive Mammary Gland

A
  • TDLU consist of terminal ductules with a single layer of columnar glandular epithelial cells
    • ​Myoepithelial cells surround ductules
  • Epithelial cells more columnar
31
Q

Active Mammary Gland

A
  • Estrogen stimulates elongation and branching of terminal ductules
  • Progesterone stimulates proliferation of alveoli from ends of terminal ductules
    • Epithelial cells become cuboidal with basal nuclei
32
Q

Lactating Mammary Gland

A
  • Lipids appear black
  • Prolactin stimulates lactation after parturition

2 Mechanisms of Secretion

  • Apocrine: lipids
    • Secretory products in apical cell and pinched off
  • Merocrine: proteins
    • Produced in rER, packaged into vesicles via golgi and exocytosed

Colostrum

  • First milk after birth
  • Thick, viscous, yellowish
  • High in immunoglobulins for newborn

Milk-Ejection Reflex

  • Nipple stimulated by suckling, causing oxytocin released from posterior pituitary, stimulates contraction of myoepithelial cells
33
Q

Nipple

A
  • Stratified squamous keratinized epithelium
  • Lactiferous ducts open independently at nipple surface
    • Lactiferous sinus lined with stratified cuboidal epithelium
    • Ducts lined with simple cuboidal

Human Structure (30 decks)

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