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Reproductive System Flashcards

1
Q

Number of eggs at birth

A

About 7 million

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2
Q

Number of eggs ovulated in a lifetime

A

About 400

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3
Q

Neurohypophysis

A

Posterior pituitary

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4
Q

Adrenohypophysis

A

Anterior pituitary

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5
Q

Sperm produced per second per testis

A

1500

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6
Q

4 water soluble hormones

A

GnRH
LH
FSH
Oxytocin

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7
Q

3 lipid soluble hormone classes

A

Androgens
Oestrogens
Progestagens

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8
Q

2 androgens

A

Testosterone

5 alpha dihydrotestosterone

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9
Q

3 oestrogens

A

Oestradiol
Oestriol
Oestrone

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10
Q

The main progestagen

A

Progesterone

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11
Q

Describe how hormones are released from the posterior pituitary

A

Neurosecretory neurons are aggregated into nuclei and possess long axons that pass into the posterior pituitary
Neurosecretory peptide hormones are synthesised in the hypothalamus and travel bound to carrier proteins down the axon terminals to be stored in secretory vesicles
Nerve impulses travel down the axon to trigger exocytosis of the secretory vesicles releasing the peptide hormones

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12
Q

Describe how hormones are released from the anterior pituitary

A

Neurosecretory neurons synthesise releasing and inhibiting hormones which travel to the axon terminus
Neurosecretory peptide hormones are secreted in response to nerve impulses into linking hypophyseal portal vessels
Hormones act on specific anterior pituitary secretory cells arranged in clumps at the termini of the portal blood vessel

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13
Q

Pulsatile release

A

Hypothalamic secretions released in discrete bursts separated by periods of stasis
Prevents receptor desensitisation and downregulation

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14
Q

Vagina

A

Elastic muscular 7.5-9.0 cm tbue extending from cervix to external environment
Passageway for menstrual fluid elimination
Penis receiver
Sperm holder

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15
Q

Uterus

A

Small pear shaped organ hat weighs 30 - 40 g
Pathway for sperm transport
Provides mechanical protection, nutritional support and waste removal for embryo
Source of menstrual flow
Normally antiflex (90 degrees to vagina) but can be retroflex (not 90 degrees)

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16
Q

Stratum functionalis

A

Contains most of the uterine glands

During menstruation, expands, vascularises and sloughs off

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17
Q

Stratum basalis

A

Attaches endometrium to myometrium

Responsive to oxytocin by contracting

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18
Q

Uterine tubes

A

Fertilisation occurs in the ampulla
Provides a rich, nutritive environment containing lipids and glycogen for sperm, egg and embryo
Epithelial lining is ciliated and non-ciliated secretory columnar cells
Mucosa surrounded by concentric layers of smooth muscle

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19
Q

Fimbriae

A

Cilia like structures that partially cover the ovary and dray the oocyte into the uterine tube

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20
Q

Ovaries

A

Oval structures that weight 5 - 10 g

Comprised of cortex, medulla and hilum

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21
Q

Outer ovarian cortex

A

Contains developing ovarian folllicles

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22
Q

Central ovarian medulla

A

Consists of ovarian stroma and steroid producing cells

23
Q

Inner hilum

A

Acts as a point of entry for nerves and blood vessels

24
Q

McDonalds rule

A

A measure of normal pregnancy growth is measuring the distance from top of uterus to pubic bone
Number of cm should be roughly equal to number of weeks pregnant

25
Primordial follicle
The oocyte surrounded by flat follicular cells
26
Primary follicle
Increase in size, squamous cells convert to columnar cells | Can be one layer of granulosa cells (used to be the follicular cells) or more layers depending on maturity of follicle
27
Secondary follicle
Granulosa cells proliferate and produce a viscous follicular fluid that coalesces to form an antrum Thecal cells condense and form around follicle to become the theca interna and theca externa Any follicle that has an antrum but no stalk is considered secondary
28
Mature follicle
Oocyte becomes suspended in fluid as the antrum grows | It is connected to the rim of peripheral granulosa cells by a thin stalk of cells
29
Ovulation
Increasing size of the follicle and its position in the cortex causes it to bulge from the ovarian surface The follicle ruptures, carrying the oocyte and its surrounding mass of cumulus cells with it outside the ovary The fimbria sweep the sumulus mass into the uterine tube
30
Corpus luteum (no fertilisation)
Empty follicle Antrum breaks down Basement membrane between granulosa and thecal layers breaks down Blood vessels invade Granulosa cells form lutein cells and secrete progesterone The white scar tissue remaining is absorbed back into the stromal tissue of the ovary over weeks to months
31
Corpus albicans
The white scar tissue left over from the corpus luteum after luteinisation and without fertilisation
32
Corpus luteum (fertilisation)
Corpus luteum is rescued from degeneration by hCG produced by the chorion of the embryo and persists past its normal 2 week lifespan
33
Theca interna
Inner layer Glandular and highly vascular Secrete oestradiol
34
Theca externa
Surrounding fibrous capsule | Supportive
35
Describe the hormonal changes in the female reproductive cycle
Corpus luteum regresses, FSH levels increase FSH stimulation increases follicular growth After 6 - 7 days, dominant follicle is selected, oestradiol secreted by mature follicle Oestradiol suppresses FSH and LH production Oestrogen levels rise until a threshold concentration of oestradiol is exceeded (about day 12) which is maintained for 36 hours causing a switch from negative to positive feedback The positive feedback triggers a rise in GnRH leading to LH surge LH surge induces ovulation Corpus luteum develops and secretes progesterone Elevated progesterone levels inhibit GnRH leading to decreased LH and FSH levels Corpus luteum regresses
36
Describe the uterine cycle in terms of its phases
``` Menstruation - Menstrual phase - Days 1 - 5 - Very thin stratum functionalis Proliferative phase - Preovulatory phase (days 6 - 12) - Stratum functionalis increasing in thickness - Ovulatory phase (days 13 - 15) Secretory phase - Postovulatory phase - Days 16 - 28 - Huge increase in stratum functionalis thickness - peaks around day 24 ```
37
Describe how female sex differentiation occurs
The default mechanism In the absence of testosterone, estrogens and progestagens secreted allowing Mullerian duct development and Wolffian ducts regress Internal female genitals created
38
Describe how male sex differentiation occurs
Sertoli cells secrete anti-Mullerian hormone which leads to Mullerian duct regression Leydig cells secrete testosterone which leads to Wolffian duct development which leads to internal male genitals
39
Describe what the urethral folds turn into
Male: Penis shaft Female: Labia minora
40
Describe what the genital tubercle turns into
Male: Glans penis Female: Clitoris
41
Describe what the labioscrotal swelling turns into
Male: Scrotum Female: Labia majora
42
First endocrine sign of puberty
GnRH release causing an increase in plasma LH levels
43
Secondary sexual characteristic development in females
1) Breast development 2) Pubic hair 3) Height spurt 4) Menarche Starts and stops by oestrogens
44
Secondary sexual characteristic development in males
1) Testis development 2) Pubic hair 3) Penis growth 4) Height spurt Starts by androgens, stops by oestrogens
45
Describe how pubic hair begins to grow
Exposure of hair follicles to increased androgens causes increased hair growth
46
Describe why ovulation doesn't start at the same time as the first menstrual bleed
Ovulation requires an oestrogen-mediated positive feedback mechanism causing an LH surge which isn't fully developed at the time of the first bleed Ovulation can lag behind for about a year after the first bleed
47
Menopausal phases
``` Pre-menopause - 40 years - regular menstrual cycles Menopausal transition - 46 - 52 years - end of regular cycles, some still occur - pre-menopause to post-menopause Peri-menopause - 46 - 55 years - pre-menopause to ovarian senescence Post-menopause - 52 years - no more menstruation - ovary still functioning Ovarian senescence - 55 years - no more eggs, ovary no longer functioning ```
48
Symptoms of menopause
``` Vasomotor - hot flushes - night sweats Genitourinary - atrophic changes - vaginal dryness Bone metabolism - osteoporosis Behavioural - depression, tension, anxiety - loss of libido ```
49
Precocious puberty
Puberty before 7 in girls and 9 in boys | GnRH dependent problem, often due to a hypothalamus tumour that increases GnRH levels
50
Delayed puberty
Lack of puberty at 13 in girls and 14 in boys | Gonadotrophin signals from pituitary inadequate for sex steroid hormone secretion
51
Seminiferous tubules
Where spermatogenesis occurs | 20,000 sperm per second in a male
52
Stages of sperm production
``` Spermatogonium Primary spermatocyte Secondary spermatocyte Spermatid Spermatozoon ```
53
Spermatogenesis
At puberty, primary germ cells are reactivated - not spermatogonial stem cells Spermatogonia divide by mitosis 6 times - 1 cell left undifferentiated each time to maintain stem cell population Primary spermatocyte goes through meiosis I, dividing the pairs of chromosomes into separate cells Secondary spermatocyte goes through meiosis II, dividing the pairs of chromatids into separate cells Spermatid grows a tail and develops into spermatozoon

Medical Science (11 decks)

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