Packet 4 Female Reproductive System Flashcards
T-F–the female reproductive system consists of only internal organs?
False–external genitalia too
The reproductive organs in the female are incompletely developed in the newborn until what?
gonadotrophic hormones are secreted by the adenohypophysis signal in puberty
In the female, what is puberty marked by?
onset of menstruation
How long is the menstrual cycle?
28 days
What 3 signs are given that signal functional maturity of the female reproductive organs in the first menstrual cycle?
- release of mature oocyte
- Providing a suitable environment for implantation
- producing steroid hormones
What produces the female germ cell?
ovaries
What is the main production site of estrogen and progesterone?
the ovary
What is the site of fertilization?
The uterine tube
[fallopian tube/oviduct—>passageway for transfer of the oocyte]
Where is the site of implantation for the the fertilized oocyte?
uterus
What is the lowest portion of the uterus called?
cervix
Are the mammary glands closely related in physiology and function with the cycle changes of the female reproductive tract?
Yes
Are the ovaries covered in peritoneum?>
yes
What are the ovaries held in position by? Where is the blood supply carried in?
- ovarian ligament and suspensory ligament
2. suspensory ligament
What are the 4 histological components of the ovary?
- germinal epithelium
- tunica albuginea
- cortex
- medulla
The germinal epithelium is composed of what tissue type?
simple squamous to cuboidal
What is the dense connective tissue capsule below the germinal epithelium in the ovary?
Tunica Albuginea
What ovary portion contains the many follicles?
cortex
What is the innermost layer of the ovary? what type of CT?
medulla, loose connective tissues [and blood vessels from suspensory log]
What are the 4 functions of the ovary?
- oogenesis
- follicular development
- Ovulation
- steroidogenesis
When does production of the female gametes begin?
in the 1st month of embryonic life
Primordial germ cells migrate from the _______ into gonadal ridges that develop along the intermediate mesoderm to form _______ in the primitive gonads?
yolk sac,
sex cords
The primitive gonads are associated with what primitive duct?
mesonephric duct
[and alongside it the paramesonephric ducts]
The sex cords form clusters within the primitive gonad and each germ cell is surrounded by what to form what?
surrounded by follicular epithelium to create a primordial follicle
[there are more than 7 million oogonia in the developing ovary at 20 weeks]
As the ovary descends and the mesonephric ducts degenerate…what forms the uterine tube and uterine canal?
paramesonephric duct
At what meiosis phase are oogonia halted at?what are they called? How long do they remain here?
prophase I— primary oocytes—until puberty
Are primary oocytes gradually lost? what is this called?
Yes
Atresia
Where are ovarian follicles found? and what do they contain
ovarian cortex
-an oocyte surrounded by follicular epithelial cells
What is the development of ovarian follicles regulated by? what triggers ovulation?
follicle stimulating hormone triggers a number of primary oocytes to re-commence meiosis[adenohypophysis]
Luteinizing hormone [day 14]
What are the 2 types of primary follicle?
early stage unilaminar
and late stage multilaminar
What are the characteristics of unilaminar primary follicle?
- simple cuboidal follicular cells
- zona pellucid between oocyte and follicular cells
- primary oocyte is arrested in prophase I
What are the characteristics of the multi laminar oocyte?
- follicular cells form stratified cuboidal layer called stratum granulosum
- CT organize around and form theca follicle
- primary oocyte is arrested in prophase I
What are the characteristics of primordial follicles?
single squamous layer surrounding oocyte and arrested in prophase I
The secondary follicle is characterized by what?
development of an antrum in the stratum granulosum filled with liquor folliculi
What does the theca follicle differentiate into in the secondary follicle?
theca interna and theca externa
What is the theca interna composed of?
endocrine cells that produce androstenedione in response to LH
What is androstenedione
male sex hormone converted to estradiol by cells in the zone granulosum
What does estradiol do to follicle?
causes zona granulosa to proliferate
What is the theca extern composed of
mainly CT and smooth muscle
In the tertiary graafian follicle are their many granulosa cells that connect the oocyte to the follicle? what is this called?
No
cumulus oophorus
What is the thin layer of granulosa cells left surrounding the oocyte called in the tertiary follicle?
corona radiata
A LH surge in day 13 triggers what to take place in the Graafian follicle?
oocyte to complete meiosis I and form a secondary oocyte which continues to meiosis II until its halted in MII
When will the oocyte finish metaphase II?
only if fertilized by spermatozoon
In the menstrual cycle, when are blood estradiol levels the highest?
day 13 as a result of the secretions from the theca intern of the Graafian follicle
What are the 2 main consequences of the estradiol surge?
Inhibits FSH
Triggers LH surge
What does inhibiting of FSH cause?
Prevents further development of follicles
What does LH secretion cause?
- primary oocyte to complete meiosis one and form secondary oocyte
- secondary oocyte to go until MII
- induces ovulation of the secondary oocyte from surface
After ovulation, what does the remainder of the Graafian follicle do?
acts as a temporary endocrine gland to support the uterine endometrium
The corpus lutein is initially a blood clot and collapsed follicle when the wall reorganizes, what are the two cell types?
granulosa lutein cells
Theca lutein cells
Granulosa lutein cells produce what?
- -progesterone
- -converts androgens produced by theca lutein into estrogens
What does theca lutein cells produce?
progesterone and androgens
What maintains the corpus luteum if fertilization and implantation takes place?
human Chorionic Gonadotophin [hCG] produced by the placenta
In the absence of hCG, what does the corpus luteum degenerate to?
- corpus albicans
- [estrogen and progesterone levels drop]
can be called white body
What does the mucosa layer of the uterine tube consist of?
simple cuboidal epithelium (and lamina propria) with non-ciliated (peg) cells and ciliated cells
What do the Peg cells secrete? what does it do?
glycoprotein and nutrient secretion to nourish ova and promotes sprematozoa capacitation
What is the muscularis layer of the uterine tube like?
poorly defined inner circular/outer longitudinal
Does the uterine tube have serosa?
yes
What are the 4 regions of the uterine tube?
infundibulum
ampulla
isthmus
intramural
What receives the blastocyst from the intramural region of the uterine tube?
uterus
What is the outer layer of the uterus? what is it composed of?
perimetrium
CT covered with a peritoneal mesothelium serosa [???for some reason I don’t think it covers the entire uterus???]
What is the thickest layer of the uterus? what is it composed of
myometrium
4 poorly defined layers of smooth muscle
What is the mucosal lining of the uterus? what tissue type is it?
endometrium–simple columnar epithelium
[extends into the extensive lamina propria to form branched tubular uterine glands]
The endometrium mucosa has two regions?
- Stratum functionalis
2. stratum basale
What endometrium mucosa layer is subject to cyclic growth, degeneration and loss of tissue under hormonal control?
stratum functionalis
What endometrium mucosa layer is retained during menstruation and is responsible for regeneration of the other layer?
stratum basale
Is the stratum functionalis or stratum basale supplied by spiral arteries?
functionalis
stratum basale has straight arteries
[BOTH BRANCH FROM THE RADIAL BRANCHES OF THE ARCUATE ARTERIES IN THE MYOMETRIUM}
If the oocyte is not fertilized and not implanted what happens?
Hormone hCG is not produced as a result the corpus luteum ceases to make progesterone and turns into the corpus albicans
What arteries constrict and make the stratum functional is becomes ischemic during the menstrual phase? what ensues?
spiral arteries—>necrosis of the functionalis ensues and is sloughed off
Increased estrogen levels stimulate growth and renewal of what in the proliferative phase?
stratum functionalis
When does the luteal or secretory phase commence? in response to what?
After ovulation in response to secretion of progesterone from the corpus luteum
Increased progesterone levels cause epithelial cells to accumulate large amounts of what?
glycogen
Are the glands in the secretory phase straight or tortuous? other characteristics?
tortuous [ with wide lumens filled with carbohydrate secretions]
What are the 4 main layers of the uterine cervix?
- endocervical mucosa
- cervical stroma
- Ectocervical mucosa
- Transformation zone
What is the endocervical mucosa lined with?
mucus secreting simple columnar epithelium
The cervical glands change their secretions of change during cycle…what are the differences?
ovulation= serous for sperm passage
pregnancy= viscous to prevent microbes
Cervical glands that are blocked and are called what?
nabothian cysts
What is the make up of the cervical stroma?
dense CT interwoven with smooth muscle
What facilitates dilation in the cervix?
relaxin inducing lysis of collagen in the cervix
The ectocervical mucosa is lined with what?
stratified squamous epithelium
What is the 3 layers of the vagina?
- mucosa
- muscularis
- adventitia
What do the epithelial cells of the vagina store in response to estrogen in the bloodstream? what does this lead to?
glycogen—> glycogen is released from cells as they are sloughed of and natural bacterial flora metabolize it to form lactic acid and result in the pH lowering for protection
T-F–the mammary glands are modified apocrine sweat glands that develop from the invagination of surface ectoderm?
true
What 2 structures in mammary development come from the invagination of epithelium?
- epithelial pit (nipple)
2. branches within the underlying mesenchyme (lactiferous sinuses)
Are the pre-pubescent lactiferous sinuses short or long?
Short
Increased estrogen levels during puberty cause lactiferous sinuses to do what?
grow and branch to form sparse collections of tubuloacinar glands
[also associated with significant fat deposition]
The inactive (non-pregnant) breast has what characteristics?
consists of 15-20 lobes separated by loose CT attaching to the dermis.
The lactiferous sinus has what type of lining?
stratified cuboidal lined
[lobules are simple cuboidal lined]
What does oxytocin cause to produce milk let down?
- myoepithelial cells surrounding acini to contract
- smooth muscle surrounding ducts
In embryological development the trophoblasts form a mass of cytoplasm that invades the endometrium, what is this called? what are the cells called that don’t invade?
syncytiotrophoblast
cytotrophoblast
What are the vacuoles called that appear in the syncytiotrophoblast?
lacunae
What forms between the cytotrophoblasts and the embryo proper?
extraembryonic mesoderm
Continued invasion of the endometrium by the syncytiotrophoblasts erodes maternal blood vessels and causes formation of what?
blood flow into the lacunae forming MATERNAL BLOOD LAKE
What forms when extensions of the cytotrophoblast protrude into the surrounding syncytiotrophoblast?
Primary chorionic villi
What protrudes into the primary chorionic villi converting them to secondary chorionic villi?
extensions of extra embryonic mesoderm—-> becomes vascularized to form fetal capillaries
What is the term used to describe the endometrium of the uterus during pregnancy? what are the 3 components?
Decidua
- Decidua basalis
- Decidua Capsularis
- Decidua Parietalis
What are the 2 components of the chorion?
chorion laeve–smooth part in contact with decidua capsularis
chorion frondosum- part next to decidua basalis
The placental barrier occurs where>
between the decidua basalis and the embryonic blood vessels within the chorionic frondosum
