Reproductive System Flashcards
What hormones are produced by the ovaries?
- estrogen
- progesteron
- inhibin
- relaxin
What is the germinal epithelium of the ovaries?
- surface epithelium of the ovary
- misnomer, does not give rise to ova
What is the tunica albuginea of the ovary?
-a connective tissue capsule beneath the epithelium
What is contained within the ovarian cortex?
- ovarian follicles
- dense ovarian stroma
What is contained within the ovarian medulla?
- blood vessels
- lymphatic vessels
- nerves
What is a Graafian Follicle?
-a fluid-filled follicle which is ready to expel the oocyte during ovulation
What is the corpus albicans?
-a degenerated corpus luteum
When, and in response to what hormone, do primordial follicles start growing?
- puberty
- FSH
What is the granulosa like in the various stages of follicle development?
Primary unilaminar: -single layer, cuboidal
Primary multilaminar: -multiple layers, cuboidal
Mature Graafian: Corona Radiata
Which follicle shows the beginning of a zona pellucida?
Primary unilaminar follicle
What secretes the zona pellucida?
-primary oocyte and the granulosa cells
What is the function of the zona pellucida?
-activate the acrosomes of sperm
Describe the primary multilaminar follicle.
- multiple granulosa layers
- zona pellucida fully formed
- Theca cells organize around basal lamina
What cells produce estrogen?
- Theca cells
- Granulosa cells
Describe the Antral follicle.
- follicular fluid secreted and forms an antrum
- theca interna and externa cells layers are completed around basal lamina
- basal lamina now fully formed
Describe the structure of a Graafian Follicle.
- single large antrum
- oocyte surrounded by corona radiata
- Cumulus oophorus attaches corona radiata and oocyte to side of follicle
What does the cumulus oophorus do?
-it is a mass of granulosa cells that attaches the corona radiata and oocyte to the side of the follicle
What are the three layers of a fallopian tube?
- Mucosa
- Muscularis
- Serosa
What type of epithelium is contained within the mucosa of a fallopian tube?
-simple columnar
What two cell types are present in the epithelium of the fallopian tube?
- ciliated cells
- secretory cells
What do ciliated cells of the fallopian tube do?
- proliferate under the influence of estrogen
- aid in transporting the egg down the tube to the uterus
What do the secretory cells of the fallopian tube do?
-secrete glycoproteins and are nutritive
What does GnRH do?
-stimulates secretion of FSH and LH from the anterior pituitary
What does FSH do?
- initiates follicular growth
- stimulates ovarian follicles to secrete estrogens
What does LH do?
- stimulates further development of ovarian follicles
- stimulates ovarian follicles to secrete estrogens
- stimulates thecal cells to produce androgens to be converted to estrogens
- triggers ovulation
- promotes formation of the corpus luteum
What do estrogens do?
- promote primary and secondary development of female reproductive structures
- inhibit the release of GnRH, LH, and FSH
What does progesterone do?
- prepares and maintains the endometrium for implantation, as well as mammary glands
- inhibits secretion of GnRH and LH
What does Relaxin do?
- relaxes uterus by inhbiting contraction of myometrium
- increases flexibility of pubic symphisis and dilates uterine cervix
What does Inhibin do?
-inhibits secretion of FSH and LH
What are the three layers of the uterus?
-endometrium, myometrium, and perimetrium
What are the two zones of the endometrium?
- stratum functionalis
- stratum basalis
What layer of the endometrium contains the majority of the length of the glands of the uterus?
-stratum functionalis
Where are the straight arteries located in the endometrium?
-stratum basalis
What arteries extend into and supply the stratum functionalis?
-spiral arteries
What causes vasoconstriction of the spiral arteries?
-a decrease in progesterone levels
What happens in the uterus during the menstrual phase?
-shedding of the functionalis
What happens in the uterus during the proliferative phase?
a buildup of functionalis with growth of glands and stroma.
-elongation of the spiral arteries
What happens in the uterus during the secretory phase?
- fructose and glycogen is secreted from uterine glands
- Glands and arteries become tortuous
- Endometrium reaches maximum thickness
What happens in the uterus during the ischemic/premenstrual phase?
- results from vasoconstriction of the spiral arteries
- occurs if implantation has not happened 8-10 days post ovulation
- local hypoxia causes an influx of leukocytes
What are the phases of the menstrual cycle, in order?
- menstrual phase
- proliferative phase
- secretory phase
- ischmic/premenstrual phase
What type of epithelium is present at the exo/ectocervix?
-stratified, non-keratinized squamous epithelium
What type of epithelium is present at the endocervix?
-simple columnar eptithelium
What lies between the exocervix and endocervix?
-the transformation zone
What forms Nabothian cysts?
-endocervical glands
What do the endocervical glands secrete?
- GAGs
- Glycoproteins
- IgA
- Lactoferrin
- Lysozymes
What type of epithelium is in the vagina?
-stratified, non-keratinized squamous epithelium
What leads to the low pH in the vaginal canal?
- mucosa secretes glycogen in response to estrogen
- normal vaginal flora convert glycogen to lactic acid
Where are Bartholin’s located, and what is their role?
- located on either side of the vaginal opening
- secrete a fluid that lubricates the vagina
What connects milk secreting glands to the opening at the nipple?
-lactiferous ducts
What structure is present just before the lactiferous duct opens into the nipple?
-lactiferous sinus
What epithelium lines the mammary duct system?
-simple to stratified cuboidal epithelium with an outer layer of contractile myoepithelial cells
What hormone stimulates sperm production in the testis?
-FSH
What are the two classes of cells in the seminiferous tubules?
- Proliferating cells of spermatogenic lineage
- supporting sertoli cells
What cells are in the connective tissue surrounding the seminiferous tubules?
- Myoid Cells
- Leydig Cells
What is the ploidy of a primary spermatocyte?
-2n
What is the ploidy of a secondary spermatocyte?
n
Name the cells of spermatogenesis in order of formation
- Spermatogonium/Type A spermatogonium
- Type B spermatogonium
- Primary spermatocyte
- secondary spermatocyte
- Spermatids
What is spermiogenesis?
- the final stage in sperm production in which spermatids transform into spermatozoa
- no cell division
What is spermiation?
-the process where spermatozoa are released into the testicular fluid by sertoli cell and myoid cell contractions
What are the three phases of spermiogenesis?
- Golgi phase
- acrosomal phase
- maturation phase
What is the golgi phase of spermiogenesis?
-when pro-acrosomal granules collect in the golgi and fuse to form a membrane-bound acrosomal vesicle
What is the acrosomal phase of spermiogenesis?
-when the acrosomal vesicle becomes larger and covers the top half of the sperm nucleus
What is the maturation phase of spermiogenesis?
- when the mitochondria enter the proximal part of the tail,
- the sperm shed extra cytoplasm which is eaten by sertoli cells,
- and the sperm takes its final form with the head containing the acrosomal vesicle and having a tail
What do sertoli cells do?
- form blood testis barrier
- provide support and nutrition to developing sperm
- eat residual bodies
- secrete basement membrane
- secrete fluid for sperm transport
What are the endocrine functions of sertoli cells? What hormone triggers the release of these hormones?
- secrete androgen binding protein, inhibin, and mullerian inhibiting substance
- triggered by FSH
What does androgen binding protein (ABP) do?
-concentrates testosterone to a level required by spermiogenesis
What does inhibin do?
-suppresses the synthesis and release of FSH (negative feedback)
WHat does Mullerian Inhibiting Substance (MIS) do?
-causes regression of the mullerian ducts in development
What is the function of Leydig cells?
- produce testosterone (in response to LH post puberty)
- testosterone for the development of the male reproductive system (in response to placental gonadotropin
What are the three intratesticular ducts?
- straight tubules
- Rete testis
- Efferent Ductules
What lines straight tubules?
- Beginning: sertoli cells
- Main segement: Cuboidal epithelium
What two cells types are found in the lining of the efferent ducutules? What are their functions
- cuboidal cells: Absorb fluid
- ciliated cells: propel non-motile sperm
What are the three excretory genital ducts?
- duct of epididymis
- ductus deferens
- urethra
what lines the epididymis ducts and what cell types are there?
- pseudostratified columnar epithelium
- contains basal cells and tall columnar principal cells with stereocilia
what lines the ductus deferens and what cell types are there?
pseudostratified epithelium
-basal and columnar cells
What are the layers of the ductus deferens?
- pseudostratified epithelium
- thin lamina propria
- 3 layered muscularis
- adventitia
What are the three portions of the urethra and what lines them?
Prostatic: urothelium
Membranous: pseudostratified columnar epithelium
Penile: pseudostratified columnar transitioning to stratified squamous epithelium at glans
What are the glands of littre?
-mucus secreting glands found along the entire length of the penis that provide lubrication
What are the three accessory reproductive glands in males?
- seminal vesicles
- prostate
- bulbourethral glands
What do seminal vesicles do?
- produce a fluid high in fructose that makes up 70% of semen
- fluid also contains prostaglandins, coagulating factors, and immunosuppressant factors
