Histology of the Female Reproductive Tract Flashcards
Mucosa
Lining of body passages and cavities that communicate with the outside world. Commonly contain mucin secreting glands.
Serosa
Outermost covering of an organ in a serosal cavity ( peritoneal, pericardial, pleural) consisting of fibroelastic tissue covered by mesothelium continuous with the lining of the cavity.
Basement Membrane
acellular fibrous collagenous membrane separating the organized cellular elements from the interstitium
Epithelium
cellular, avascular layer covering and lining all the external and internal surfaces of the body and associated glands.
Stroma
Supportive connective tissue around parenchyma (functional organ tissue
Menstrual endometrium looks like what under the microscope
Fragmented glands, stroma, degenerating blood
Why does Menstruation occur?
Reproductive advantage to slough off endometrium if infected.
What role does estrogen play?
Lack of estrogen allows menstruation to occur (loss of vasculature).
What role does progesterone play?
Lack of progesterone allows menstruation.
What role do the arteries play?
Spiral arteries vasoconstrict cutting off blood supply and leading to ischemic necrosis .
Why are neutrophils seen in the endometrium during menstruation?
Ischemic necrosis causes an acute inflammatory response. They are present to prevent infection
If no fertilization, corpus luteum progresses to
corpus albicans
What does the primary follicle have that the primordial follicle doesnt have?
Granulosa cells
Granulosa cells produce estroadiol in what phase?
Proliferative phase
Granulosa cells produce progesterone in what phase?
secretory phase
If fertilization occurs, what happens to the corpus luteum?
It gets really big to produce progesterone
What happens to the corpus luteum if no fertilization occurs?
It involutes
Why are 70% of ovarian tumors (90% of malignant ones) from the ovarian surface?
Not much proliferation going on deep in the ovary. Even higher risk of developing cancer and subsequent mutations.
What kind of muscle in the myometrium
Smooth
Why not striated?
B/c smooth muscle undergoes proliferation and hypertrophy during pregnancy and skeletal muscle does not.
fallopian tube lined by what
ciliated epithelium
exocervix= What kind of epithelium
squamous
Endocervix?
columnar
