Lecture 5: Histology of the Female Reproductive System

Question 1

What are the female reproductive system functions?

Answer 1

1. Female gamete production
2. Male gamete reception
3. Provide environment for fertilization
4. Provide environment for implantation
5. Nourishes fetus
6. Expels mature fetus at the end of pregnancy

Question 2

Where are the follicles located in ovary?

Answer 2

The cortex of the ovary

Question 3

What is located in the medulla of the ovary?

Answer 3

The vasculature

Question 4

What are the two major functions of the ovaries?

Answer 4

1. Produce female gametes

2. produce steroid hormones to prepare endometrium for conception

Question 5

What is the difference between primordial follicles and primary follicles?

Answer 5

Primordial follicles = arrest at prophase of M1
-oocyte surrounded by one layer of granulosa cells
Primary follicles = developed during puberty
-oocyte surrounded by 2+ cuboidal epithelial cells

Question 6

What is the zona pellucida?

Answer 6

A thick layer of glycoprotein
Secreted by granulosa/oocyte
Occupies space between oocyte and granulosa cells

Question 7

What are the different stages of the female follicles?

Answer 7

1. Primary follicle
2. Secondary follicle
3. Mature follicle
   (ovulation)
4. corpus luteum

Question 8

What stage is female gamete arrested in?

Answer 8

Oocyte in prophase of meiosis I

Question 9

What is a follicle?

Answer 9

1. Germ cell

2. Surrounding follicular cells

Question 10

What is the antrum?

Answer 10

Fluid space in follicle

Characteristic of secondary follicle

Question 11

What is a graafian follicle?

Answer 11

The mature graffian
First meiotic division is completed
Means this is when first polar body is made

Question 12

How many follicles does woman have?

Answer 12

450,000

450 eggs are ovulated in a woman’s lifetime

Question 13

Is a follicle vascularized?

Answer 13

No, because it is protected by a basement membrane

Question 14

In the secondary follicle, what is going on?

Answer 14

1. Theca folliculi differentiates into the following
   a. Theca interna
   -secretes androstenedione that transfers to follicular cells for testosterone production
   -testosterone is converted to estradiol
   b. Theca externa
   -connective tissue capsule-like layer
   -continuous with ovarian stroma
   At this point, one follicle becomes dominant

Question 15

What are the characteristics of Graafian follicles?

Answer 15

Completes the first meiotic division right before ovulation
Commences second meiotic division where it arrests in METAPHASE until fertilization
Fluid filled antrum (FA) is greatly enlarged and the oocyte (O2) is surrounded by the corona radiate (CR)

Question 16

What is the corona radiatia?

Answer 16

Innermost layer of the cumulus oophorus
Directly adjacent to zona pellucida
Surrounds zona pellucida!!
Supplies vital proteins to the cell

Question 17

What are the characteristics of atretic follicles?

Answer 17

Follicular atresia occurs at any point in the cycle
-both the oocyte and the granulosa cells are degenerating
in this case of early atresia
Follicular cells/oocytes die and are phagocytized
Occurs constantly but is maximal after birth, during puberty and during pregnancy

Question 18

Where does fertilization take place?

Answer 18

Ampulla

Question 19

What are the histologic characteristic of an atretic follicle?

Answer 19

-characterized by gross thickening of basement membrane between granulosa cells and the theca interna
Called a glassy membrane (GM)

Question 20

What is the purpose of the corpus luteum?

Answer 20

Becomes a endocrine gland
Secretes progesterone
Granulosa and theca layers turn into granulosa lutein and theca lutein cells
Granulosa lutein secretes Prog and Estro
Theca lutein cells secrete Androstenedione and Prog

Question 21

What is the purpose of progesterone?

Answer 21

PREVENTS further follicles from maturing

Question 22

What is the corpus albicans?

Answer 22

Inactive fibrous tissue mass that forms following the involution of the corpus luteum

Question 23

What are the three different parts of the oviduct (fallopian tube)?

Answer 23

1. Infundibulum (closest to ovary)
2. Ampulla
3. Isthmus
4. Interstitial part (closest to uterus)

Question 24

What is the function of the epithelium of the ampulla?

Answer 24

Activates spermatozoa (capacitation)
Secretes nutrients for egg
Protects egg
Propells egg towards the uterus by ciliated cells

Question 25

Are females with immotility syndrome (Kartagener’s syndrome) fertile? Significance?

Answer 25

Yes

Means females use smooth muscle rather than cilia for fertility

Question 26

What are the three layers of the oviduct?

Answer 26

1. mucosa (inner layer, contains cilia)
2. muscularis (smooth mucle middle layer
3. Serosa

Question 27

What is tubal ectopic pregnancy?

Answer 27

When the fertilized ovum implants in the all of the oviduct

Tube bursts, bleeding in peritoneal cavity

Question 28

What are the three layers of the uterus?

Answer 28

1. Outer serosa/adventitia
2. Myometrium
   
   • smooth muscle bundles separated by connective tissue
3. Endometrium (mucosa)
   
   • consists of the epithelium and the LAMINA PROPRIA containing simple tubular glands
   • functionalis and basalis

Question 29

What is the internal os of the uterus?

Answer 29

The narrowing of the uterine cavity…right above cervix

Question 30

What are the two layers of the endometrium?

Answer 30

1. functionalis

2. basalis

Question 31

What is the functionalis of endometrium?

Answer 31

Part of endometrium layer

-sloughed off during menstruation and replaced during each cycle

Question 32

What is the basalis of endometrium?

Answer 32

Retained part of endometrium after menstruation and subsequently proliferates and provides a new epithelium and lamina propria

Question 33

What are the 3 changes to the myometrium of the uterus during pregnancy?

Answer 33

1. Hyperplasia
2. Hypertrophy
3. Increase in collagen

Question 34

What is proliferative endometrium?

Answer 34

Stroma proliferates and glands extend to surface

Correlated with ESTROGEN release from developing follicles

Question 35

What is secretive endometrium?

Answer 35

Marked by ovulation and production of glycogen-rich secretion
Correlated with PROGESTERONE release

Question 36

What are changes in endometrium?

Answer 36

Proliferative and secretive

Question 37

What are the layers of the vagina?

Answer 37

1. Mucosa
   
   • stratified squamous epithelium
   • glycogen lamina propria
   • loose connective tissue
2. Muscular layer
   
   • longitudinal bundles of smooth muscle
3. Adventitia
   
   • dense connective tissue rich in elastic fibers

Question 38

Where does the mucus in vagina come from?

Answer 38

Comes from glands of uterine cervix

Vagina itself has NO GLANDS

Question 39

What does the mammary gland look like at birth?

Answer 39

Short branching ducts with no alveoli

Question 40

What does the mammary gland look like when nonpregnant?

Answer 40

Inactive duct system

Question 41

What does mammary gland look like when during pregnancy

Answer 41

Alveoli proliferate at the ends of the ducts

Alveoli = spherical collections of epithelial cells that become active milk-secreting structures

Question 42

What does mammary gland look like when lactating?

Answer 42

Milk secretion and accumulation in alveolar lumen

Plasma cell population increases around alveoli and is responsible for secretion of IgA

Question 43

What produces the milk?

Answer 43

Produced by epithelial cells of the alveoli during lactation

Question 44

What is milk made of?

Answer 44

1. lipid droplets 4% of milk

2. membrane-limited vacuoles

Question 45

What is tamoxifen?

Answer 45

An antagonist of the estrogen receptor in breast tissue

Question 46

What is androstenedione?

Answer 46

Precursor to BOTH estrone (which estradiol and estrone)
AND
Testosterone
Converted by 17B-HSD