Lab 12: Female Reproductive

Question 1

What does an ovary look like? Where is it?

Answer 1

It’s a white, oval-shaped structure located above the uterus

Question 2

What does the round ligament of the uterus do?

Answer 2

It’s attached to the top of the uterus and keeps it in place on top of the bladder

Question 3

1) What is the infundibulum?
2) What is the fimbriae?

Answer 3

1) The larger part of the fallopian tube that holds the ovary
2) The finger-like projections off the infundibulum

Question 4

1) Where is the vagina located?
2) Where is the rectum located?

Answer 4

1) Behind the bladder
2) Behind the vagina

Question 5

What are the 3 layers of the uterus from outer to inner?

Answer 5

1) Perimetrium: Outer layer
2) Myometrium: Thick muscular middle layer
3) Endometrium: Inner layer

Question 6

1) What can be found inside a secondary oocyte?
2) What can be found outside a secondary oocyte? Describe this structure.

Answer 6

1) Nucleus
2) Corona radiata; an outer bubbly area surrounding the oocyte

Question 7

1) What does the primordial follicle look like?
2) What does the primary follicle look like
3) What does the secondary follicle look like?
4) What does the Graafian (tertiary) follicle look like?

Answer 7

1) Primordial: small white circle
2) Primary: small white circle with small ring of purple
3) Secondary: a circle with a larger outer ring of purple
4) Graafian (tertiary): follicle with a larger outer ring of purple and a growing space in the middle

Question 8

1) What does the corpus hemorhagicum look like?
2) What does the corpus luteum look like?
3) What does the corpus albicans look like?

Answer 8

1) Red center; a follicle that has just released an oocyte
2) Looks like a yellow scrunchie
3) White and shriveled

Question 9

What is attached to the ovary?

Answer 9

The ovarian ligament

Question 10

1) Where do the ovaries develop?
2) Where do they move to and when?

Answer 10

1) Develop just below the kidneys
2) Descend to the base of the pelvis by 3 months gestation

Question 11

What are the two layers of the ovary? Describe what is contained in each.

Answer 11

1) Medulla (inner layer): blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and nerves
2) Cortex (outer layer): thousands of primordial follicles each containing a primary oocyte

Question 12

1) What are the stem cells that produce eggs called?
2) What do they produce?

Answer 12

1) Oogonia
2) Primary oocytes

Question 13

Primary oocytes start meiosis but are arrested in what?

Answer 13

Prophase I

Question 14

1) At birth, there may be up to ________________ oogonia and primary oocytes.
2) How many follicles mature each month?

Answer 14

1) 2 million
2) One

Question 15

1) Why does only one secondary oocyte form?
2) What is the other cell that’s formed called? What will happen to it?

Answer 15

1) Unequal cytokinesis
2) A polar body; will disintegrate

Question 16

1) What happens after the secondary oocyte is formed?
2) Where is the secondary oocyte arrested? In what situation will it finish meiosis?
3) What happens if it does finish meiosis? What two things will be produced?

Answer 16

1) The mature follicle ruptures and expels the secondary oocyte
2) In metaphase II; will finish meiosis if it is fertilized within 15-24 hours.
3) There will again be unequal cytokinesis producing a small polar body and a large ovum.

Question 17

True or false: The uterine (fallopian) tubes are attached to the uterus but are not connected to the ovaries.

Answer 17

True

Question 18

1) What is the wide end of each fallopian tube called? What does each wide end contain?
2) What lines the fallopian tubes, and what does it do?

Answer 18

1) Infundibulum; contain fingerlike projections called fimbriae
2) Cilia line the tube; create a current that helps sweep the secondary oocyte from the ovary into the fallopian tube

Question 19

1) Where does fertilization occur?
2) When must fertilization occur and why?
3) What is a fertilized egg called, and what two things get it to the uterus?
4) When does a fertilized egg arrive at the uterus?

Answer 19

1) Usually in the ampulla of the uterine tube
2) Within 15-24 hours of ovulation or else the secondary oocyte is too old
3) A zygote; undergoes development as it’s propelled by the 1) cilia and 2) peristaltic contractions to the uterus.
4) 6-7 days after ovulation at the blastocyst stage

Question 20

List the steps of development of an ovum

Answer 20

1) Oogonium (diploid)
2) Primary oocyte (diploid)
3) Meiosis I
4) Secondary oocyte (haploid)
5) Meiosis II (if fertilization occured)
6) Ovum (haploid)

Question 21

1) What is formed at the same time as the secondary oocyte?
2) What is formed at the same time as the ovum?

Answer 21

1) First polar body (which then divides again if fertilization occurs)
2) Second polar body

Question 22

1) What is the perimetrium of the uterus also called?
2) What type of muscle is the myometrium?
3) What does the endometrium do and when?
4) What layer of the uterus is shed each month?

Answer 22

1) The serosa
2) Smooth muscle
3) Thickens during the menstrual cycle in anticipation of pregnancy/ blastocyst implantation.
4) The superficial part of the endometrium

Question 23

1) What does the meiosis of the female gamete result in the creation of?
2) What does the meiosis of the male gamete result in the creation of?

Answer 23

1) Female: 1 viable cell and 3 polar bodies
2) Male: 4 viable spermatozoa

Question 24

1) What does the uterus constrict into at the inferior end? What does this open into?
2) What do the rugae of the mucosa of the vagina do? Why?
3) What are the 3 female external genitalia?

Answer 24

1) Cervical canal; opens into the vagina
2) Secretes and acidic mucus to inhibit bacterial and fungal growth
3) Labia majora, labia minora, and the clitoris

Question 25

What are the two hormones involved in the menstrual cycle? What do they do?

Answer 25

1) FSH: stimulates the growth of the follicles (which produce estrogens)
2) LH: primary function is to trigger ovulation and help convert the ruptured follicle into the corpus luteum; also stimulates the growth of the follicles

Question 26

1) What are FSH and LH produced by?
2) What produces estrogen?
3) What produces progesterone?

Answer 26

1) The anterior pituitary
2) Follicles (mainly the mature follicle) and later by the corpus luteum
3) The corpus luteum and later the placenta

Question 27

What 5 things does estrogen do?

Answer 27

1) Maintain the female structures
2) Develop secondary sex characteristics including the breasts (increases glandular and adipose tissue).
3) Increases protein anabolism
4) Decreases blood cholesterol
5) Up-regulates progesterone receptors in the uterus

Question 28

What 2 things does progesterone do?

Answer 28

1) Prepares the endometrium for a pregnancy and maintains it during a pregnancy
2) Stimulates the development of the duct system in the breasts

Question 29

1) How long are the standard ovarian and menstrual (uterine) cycles?
2) Which phases are the most consistent in length in each cycle?

Answer 29

1) 28 days
2) Luteal (ovarian cycle) and secretory (menstrual cycle) phases

Question 30

List the 3 phases of the ovarian cycle, and what days of the cycle each occurs

Answer 30

1) Follicular phase (preovulatory): Days 0-14
2) Ovulation: Day 14
3) Luteal phase (postovulatory): Days 15-28

Question 31

List the 3 phases of the menstrual (uterine) cycle, and what days of the cycle each occurs

Answer 31

1) Menstrual phase: Days 0-4
2) Proliferative phase: Days 5-14
3) Secretory phase: Days 15-28

Question 32

What 3 hormone changes happen during the follicular phase (preovulatory) of the ovarian cycle?

Answer 32

1) FSH production from anterior pituitary stimulates 20-24 follicles total in both ovaries to enlarges.
2) The follicles in turn start producing estrogens.
3) Only one of the follicles matures (becomes the Graafian follicle) and secretes high amounts of estrogens and inhibin (which inhibits FSH release)

Question 33

1) What hormone change happens during the ovulation phase of the ovarian cycle?
2) What does this trigger?

Answer 33

1) Level of estrogen reaches a critical level and simulates the release of LH.
2) The surge of LH stimulates the Graafian follicle to rupture and release the secondary oocyte.

Question 34

1) Follicular phase: What two things does the Graafian follicle secrete, and what do they do?
2) Luteal phase: What 4 things are secreted by a corpus luteum?

Answer 34

1) Graafian follicle: Estrogens and inhibin, which inhibit FSH release
2) Corpus luteum: Progesterone, estrogens, inhibin, and relaxin

Question 35

1) What happens in the luteal phase (postovulatory) of the ovarian cycle, regardless of if there’s pregnancy or not?
2) What happens in this phase if there is no pregnancy?
3) What happens in this phase if there is pregnancy?

Answer 35

1) LH stimulates the ruptured follicle to form a corpus luteum which secretes large amounts of progesterone, estrogens, inhibin, and relaxin.
2) If no pregnancy: Corpus luteum degenerates into the corpus albicans at the end of this phase
3) If pregnancy: The chorion of the embryo starts to secrete hCG, which lengthens the lifespan of the corpus luteum for an additional 11-12 weeks until the placenta starts producing adequate amounts of progesterone

Question 36

What does the chorion of the embryo secrete? Why?

Answer 36

Secretes human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which lengthens the lifespan of the corpus luteum for an additional 11-12 weeks until the placenta starts producing enough progesterone

Question 37

1) What hormone change happens during the menstrual phase of the menstrual (uterine) cycle? What does this do?
2) What does this lead to? What is this called?

Answer 37

1) Low levels of progesterone indirectly trigger constriction of uterine arterioles which deprive the endometrial cells of blood.
2) As the cells become oxygen-deprived, they start to die, so the functional layer of the endometrium breaks down and is expelled (menses)

Question 38

What hormone change happens during the proliferative phase of the menstrual (uterine) cycle? What does this do?

Answer 38

Estrogens from the growing ovarian follicles stimulates the repair of the uterine endometrium (thickness about doubles)

Question 39

1) What two things happen during the secretory phase of the menstrual (uterine) cycle regardless of whether or not there’s pregnancy?
2) What happens if pregnancy does not occur?

Answer 39

1)
-Progesterone and estrogens from the corpus luteum further prepare the endometrium for a pregnancy.
-Additional thickening, vascularization, and secretion of glycogen occur.
2) The corpus luteum degenerates; declining levels of progesterone then triggers menses.

Question 40

What time period is sometimes referred to as the ischemic or premenstrual phase?

Answer 40

The secretory phase of the menstrual (uterine) cycle

Question 41

List the steps of follicular development shown on the ovary (green base) model (7 steps)

Answer 41

1) Primordial follicles: each with a primary oocyte
2) Primary follicle: each containing a primary oocyte
3) Secondary follicle: each containing a primary oocyte
4) Graafian (mature) follicle: releasing a secondary oocyte
5) Corpus hemorrhagicum: what the empty follicle becomes
6) Corpus luteum: what the corpus hemorrhagicum becomes
7) Corpus albicans: what the corpus luteum degenerates into

Question 42

1) How many primordial follicles are stimulated a month in an average female?
2) Which hormone stimulates them to enlarge?
3) How many Graafian (mature) follicles generally develop a month?
4) Which hormone is produced in large amounts by the mature follicle?
5) What hormone is released when the hormone from question 4 gets high enough? What does it do?

Answer 42

1) 20-24 primordial follicles stimulated
2) FSH stimulates them to enlarge
3) One
4) Estrogen is produced by mature follicle
5) LH is released, stimulates the Graafian follicle to release its secondary oocyte.

Question 43

1) What is released during ovulation?
2) Where does it go?
3) What type of structure is the corpus luteum?
4) What two hormones are secreted by the corpus luteum? Which one maintains a pregnancy?

Answer 43

1) A secondary oocyte
2) The uterine (fallopian) tube
3) A gland
4) Estrogen and progesterone; progesterone maintains a pregnancy

Question 44

1) What is the scientific word for a period?
2) What is the corpus albicans made of?

Answer 44

1) Menses
2) Scar tissue (collagen fibers)

Question 45

1) Which 2 phases of the menstrual cycle occur during the follicular phase of the ovarian cycle?
2) Which 2 phases of the menstrual cycle occur during the luteal phase of the ovarian cycle?

Answer 45

1) Menstrual phase and proliferative phase
2) Premenstrual phase and secretory phase