Reproductive System and STIs

Question 1

Functions of the female reproductive organs

Answer 1

• produce ova (ovum)
• maintain and nourish the fetus during pregnancy
• childbirth
• urination

Question 2

Structures of the female reproductive organs

Answer 2

• mons pubis
• labia
• vagina
• uterine and arcuate arteries
• suspensory ligaments of the ovaries
• cervix (strongest muscle in the female body)
• uterus
• uterine (fallopian) tubes (transport sperm to the ovum and fertilised ovum to the uterus)
• ovaries (produce oocytes and oestrogen + progesterone)
• Fimbriae (projections from the fallopian tubes that push the ovum from the ovaries to the fallopian tubes)

Question 3

What are the layers of the uterine walls?

Answer 3

• endometrium (inner layer, forms menstrual ‘blood’
• myometrium (muscular middle layer)]
• perimetrium (outer layer)

Question 4

What is the ovarian cycle?

Answer 4

a series of changes in the ovaries.
1 - follicular phase - follicles mature (days 1 - 14)
2 - (~day 14) - ovarian phase - ovum is produced (ovum is only viable for 24 hours before it dissolves)
3 - luteal phase - corpus luteum develops (day 14 - 28)

Question 5

What is the uterine cycle?

Answer 5

changes in the endometrium (inner lining of the uterus)
1 - menstrual phase (takes ~5 days)
2 - proliferative phase (~day 5 to day 14, pre-ovulation phase)
3 - secretory phase (~day 14 - 28, post-ovulatory phase)

Question 6

Functions of the male reproductive system

Answer 6

• produces sperm
• transfers sperm to the female
• urination

Question 7

What are spermatic cords?

Answer 7

cord-like structures formed by the vas deferens and surrounding tissues. From the inguinal ring down to each testicle. Forms a pathway for testicular nerves and blood vessels

Question 8

What are the structures of the male reproductive system?

Answer 8

• spermatic cords

- testes and seminiferous tubules (site of sperm production within the testes)

Question 9

What is spermatogenesis?

Answer 9

• where spermatozoa are produced by mitosis and meiosis
• in early spermatogenesis, spermatagonia divide into two daughter cells via mitosis. One daughter cell remains a spermatagonium. The other becomes a primary spermatocyte, which then undergoes meiosis to become 2 secondary spermatocytes. The two secondary spermatocytes undergo meiosis II and become 4 early spermatids.
• in late spermatogenesis, the 4 spermatids mature into spermatozoa and travel from the seminiferous tubules into the epididymis
• the final stage of spermatogenesis, when the spermatids enlongate and become motile, is called spermiogenesis

Question 10

what are the characteristics of semen?

Answer 10

• semen is a transport medium for sperm
• it is alkaline to neutralise the pH of the vagina
• 1 ejaculation is between 2-5ml
• each ml of ejaculate contains between 20-100million sperm
• semen also contains protease and antibiotic secretions

Question 11

What is the function of the prostate gland?

Answer 11

• secretes prostate fluid which:
  
  • activates sperm
  • nourishes sperm
  • protects sperm

Question 12

What are the three classifications of STIs?

Answer 12

1 - bacterial
2 - viral
3 - parasitic

Question 13

Common bacterial STIs?

Answer 13

• gonorrhoea
• chlamydia
• syphilis

Question 14

common viral STIs?

Answer 14

• HIV
• HPV (can cause cervical cancer)
• herpes

Question 15

common parasitic STIs?

Answer 15

• trichomoniasis

Question 16

symptoms of gonorrhoea?

Answer 16

• reproductive tract infection
• UTIs

In males - urethritis, painful urination, penile drip

In females - frequently asymptomatic, but sometimes abdominal discomfort, vaginal discharge, uterine bleeding, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), infertility

Treated with antibiotics

Question 17

Symptoms of syphilis

Answer 17

• primary - chancre (painless ulcers)
• secondary - rash/fever/joint pain
• frequently lies dormant and hidden (revealed by blood tests)
• tertiary - gummas (soft non-cancerous tumors)
• can be passed from mother to fetus
• treated with penicilin

Question 18

symptoms of chlamydia

Answer 18

• most common sti in australia
• PID
• urethritis
• frequent urination
• penile/vaginal discharge
• pain
• 80% of females have no symptoms, but can cause sterility, and in their newborns - conjunctivitis or respiratory tract inflammation
• treat with tetracycline

Question 19

symptoms of trichomonaisis

Answer 19

• yellow/green vaginal discharge, strong smell
• males are mostly asymptomativ but can have urethral discharge and frequent urge to urinate
• treat with antibiotics

Question 20

What is meiosis?

Answer 20

• Cellular division only present in gametes
• Instead of producing 2 identical daughter cells, produces 4 daughter cells with half the chromosomes
• In Meiosis 1, instead of the sister chromatids being pulled apart, the chromosomes are ramdomly separated. The daugher cells are not identical
• in Meiosis 2, the chromatids of the 2 daughter cells separate, leaving 4 daughter cells that are genetically different from the mother cell. This is similar to mitosis, except the chromatids do not replicate first
• this introduces genetic variability in the resulting offspring

Question 21

Define Spermatogonia:

Answer 21

stem cells that produce sperm. When undergoing mitosis, type A daughter becomes another spermatogonium, type B cell goes on to create 4 sperm cells