Reproductive System Flashcards
What are the female gonads called?
Ovaries
What is the Function of the uterus?
To hold and nourish the developing fetus
What are the functions of the ovaries?
To produce gamtes and to produce sex hormones such as estrogen and progesterone
What is a haploid cell?
Only have 23 chromosomes and formed by meiosis
What is the external female genitalia called?
The vulva
What does the vulva consist of?
Mons Pubis, Labium minora, labium majora, Hymen, vagina, urethra, clitoris
What is the vestibule?
The combination of the urethra and vaginal openings
What is the functional unit of the female reproductive system?
The ovum/ ovaries
What is an ovarian follicle?
Tiny sac-like structures that each contain a single oocyte
What is an oocyte?
An incomplete egg
What happens to the development of oocytes right after birth?
They stop developing at first stage of meiosis until puberty
What is egg creation called?
Oogenesis
what is the menstrual cycle, basically?
What happens in the uterus to prepare for a fertilized egg
What is the ovarian cycle, basically?
The maturation of the follicle and egg
The ovarian and menstrual cycles are primarily controlled by which two structures?
- Hypothalamus
2. Anterior pituitary gland
Brief description of the Ovarian cycle:
- Hypothalamus secretes GnRH
- Stimulates anterior pituitary gland to secrete FSH and LH.
- FSH stimulate growth of 1 follicle
- Triggers follicles to secrete its own estrogen
- Follicle stimulated estrogen stimulates pituitary to produce more LH
Function of LH
Works on the growth of the dormant oocyte inside the follicle to restart division
What is the Average length of ovarian cycle?
14 days
What happens to the mature follicle at the end of the 14 days?
Pushes up against the ovarian wall, ruptures, and with the help of enzymes, ejects the oocyte out of the ovary
What is the damaged follicle now called?
Corpus Luteum
What happens to the damaged follicle after oocyte ejection?
morphs into corpus luteum, slows down estrogen production, produces progesterone and inhibin
The P.I.E. that the corpus lutetium produces is to do what?
Signal the stopping of FSH and LH from Pituitary,
prepare the uterus to receive oocyte
Where does the egg travel after the ovary?
Down the fallopian tube towards the uterus
What are the vestibular glands for?
To secrete lubrication during sexual intercourse
What are the 3 phases of the menstrual cycle?
Menstrual phase, proliferative phase, secretory phase
Menstrual phase last how many days
0-5 days
Proliferative phase is from when to when?
5-14
Secretory phase is from when to when?
14-28
