Module 4: Reproductive System Flashcards
What are gonads?
- Ovaries
- Testies
Are ovaries connected to the fallopian tubes?
No, they’re attach to a ligament
Are fallopian tubes unidirectional?
No, they’re bidriectional
What is the structure of the ovaries?
- strong matrix (connective tissue, nerves, lymphatic and blood vessels
- Follicles
- Tunica albuginea
- Surface epithelium
What is the name of the follicle that has been developed during birth
Primordial follice
What are the 7 phases of follicles?
- Primordial follicle
- Primary follicle
- Secondary follicle
- Early Antral follicle
- Antral follicle
- Preovulatory follicle
- Ovulatory follicle
What size follicle is estrogen produced by?
Larger follicles
When does menopause start?
When there’s about <1000 primordial follicles
What are the different cell types during folliculargenesis?
- Oocyte
- Granulosa cells
- Basement membrane
- Inner and outer theca cells
- Stromal cells
What is the cluster of cells surrounding the oocyte after ovulation?
Cumulus cells
How does primordial and preantral cells grow?
From factors release by the ovary. They are gonadotropin independent (no gonadal receptors)
What does exogenous mean?
To have external factors affecting your development
When are gonadotropin receptors developed?
In the early antral and preovulatory phases
Where are the gonadotropin receptors developed?
On the granulosa cells
What factor does follicles create themselves?
Inhibin
Why do follicles create inhibin?
To create a negative feedback loop to the pituitary gland so only 1 egg becomes dominant
Which follicles create high oestogen?
Early and antral follicles
Which follicles creates high amount of oestogen for 24 hours?
Preovulatory
What are the 4 phases of arrest in meiosis?
Prophase
Metaphase
Anaphase
Telaphase
When does mitosis happen in oogenesis?
Prenatal only
When does the primary oocyte arrest?
Prophase 1
Which follicles grow during prophase 1?
Primordial into secondary
When is meiosis 1 complete?
From childhood to adolescent, becomes an antral follicle.. will arrest at metaphase 2
When does meiosis 2 complete?
After fertilisation
What happens to polar bodies?
They degenerate
What is the life cycle of an oocyte?
Primordial germ cell migrates to gonads
Becomes oogonia and begins meiosis
Becomes oocyte
Primordial follicle
Primary follicle
Secondary follicle
Early antral follicle
Antral follicle
Preovulatory follicle
Fetus
Baby
What is the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal-axis?
The loop relationship between gonadoreleasing hormones and see hormones
Describe the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal-axis
- Hypothalamus stimulates anterior pituitary gland to release GnRH
- Anterior pituitary releases LH and FSH
- FSH and LH moves to the gonadotropin to stimulate follicle growth
- Follicles sends negative feedback loop back to AP and Hypo through inhibin to stop the release of FSH and LH
This is done in a pulsatile fashion
Why is hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal-axis done in a pulsatile fashion?
The gonadotrope cells become desensitised to GnRH. Which will reduce LH and FSH release, which will reduce steroid production
What will a fast pulse of GnRH achieve?
Increased LH
What will a slow pulse of GnRH achieve?
Increase FSH
What is the 2 cell gonadotropin hypothesis?
- Cholesterol is released by the blood to the theca cells where the g couple protein receptor LHR accepts LH. This produces androgen (steroids- testosterone)
- Androgens move across basement membrane of granulosa cells and triggers the FSHR to accept FSH.
- Activation causes the enzyme aromatase to release and convert androgens to oestrogens
- The peptide hormone inhibin creates a negative feedback loop to reduce release of LH and FSH from the pituitary gland
- This causes smaller eggs to deteriorate and enables and single egg to fertilize
How is ovulation initated?
Through a surge of LH via a positive feedback loop due to oestogen.
What is the purpose of the corpus luteum?
To crate progesterone, which maintains the pregnancy
What happens to the corpus luteum if no pregnancy?
It deteriorates and menstruation occurs
What is another name for the menstrual cycle?
Uterine cycle
Define the uterine cycle
A cyclic change in endometrium in response to fluctuating ovarian hormone levels
Des rive the timeline and phases of the uterine cycle
- Days 1-5 menstrual phase
- Days 6-14 proliferative phase (preovulatory)
- Days 15-28 secretary phase (post ovulatory)
What are the 2 layers of the endometrium?
Basal and functional
Which layer sloughs from the endometrium?
Functional layer
How does endometrium thicken?
- A spike in endometrium just before ovulation also causes a spike in LH
- This creates the corpus luteum, and a progesterone spike
- These spikes cause a thickening of the endometrium
Describe the actions of estrogen in reproductive organs
- Within the ovary thr developing follicle and corpus luteum is the major source of oestrogen
- It is stimulated by the release of LH and FSH which creates both positive and negative feedback loops to control gonadotropin within the pituitary gland.
- These factors stimulate growth and maturation of the reproductive organs , promote the proliferative phase of the uterine cycle, stimulate watery mucus production ans activity of fimbrar and uterine tube cilia
- During pregnancy the mammary glands and genetlilia swell
Describe the actions of progesterone on reproductive organs
- The corpus luteum is the major source of progesterone and is stimulated by the release of LH to create a negative feedback loop of gonadotropin vie the anterior pituitary gland
- It co-operates with oestrogen to enlarge breasts, promote secretary phase of uterine cycle and creates viscous mucus production
- It enhances the beating of cilia in uterine tube, promotion sperm and egg meeting.
- During pregnancy it quietens myometrium and helps mammary glands produce milk
At what age does the suspension ligament elongate?
10-15 weeks, in utero
Why do testes hangoutsidr of the body?
Thermoregulation
What is the life cycle of sperm?
- Gonacyte (newborns)
- Spermatogonia
- Primary spermatoyte
- Secondary spermatocyte
- Spermatid
- Spermatozoon
What is the pampiniform venous plexus?
The veins and arteries within the scrotum to draw heat away from the testes
What is a cremastor muscle?
The muscle that moves the testes up and down for thermal regulation
What is the dartos muscle?
Afascia muscle that causes the scrotum to wrinkle, increasing surface area, allowing for cooling to occur faster
Where is sperm produced?
In seminiferous tubules
What is the rete testis?
A passage for sperm to move into the epididimus
What is the purpose of the epididmus in the male reproductive system?
To give sperm the ability to swim, it takes about 20 days. Before moving into the vas defrens
What is the purpose of the vas defrens in the male reproductive system?
Soerm ejaculation
What area of the male reproductive system is sperm stored?
The epididmus, for several months
Describe the features of the intratubular compartment of the testis
- Lines with complex stratified germinal cells
- Contains sperm and sertoli cells
Describe the features of the peritubular in the testes
- Contains androgens made by leydig cells
- Has neuronal and vascular elements
What cells great sperm?
Sertoli cells
Where do sperm first start in the sertoli cell?
On the basal layer and move into the lumen
Describe the process of spermogenesis
- Stem cell spermatogonium (diploid) undergoes mitosis
- Primary spermatocyte (diploid)undergoes meiosis 1
- Secondary spermatocyte (haploid) undergoes meiosis 2
- Spermatids undergo spermatogenesis
- Spermatozoa is formed and moves into epididmus
What is the function of sertoli cells?
- Maintains the blood testis barrier
- Provides nutrients
- Moves developing aperm towards lumen
- Secretes testicular fluid for sperm transport
- Phagocytosis in the vas defrens
- Produces androgen binding protein (ABP)
- Creates inhibit to initiate a negative feedback loop of FSH
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