Reproductive System and STIs Flashcards
Functions of the female reproductive organs
- produce ova (ovum)
- maintain and nourish the fetus during pregnancy
- childbirth
- urination
Structures of the female reproductive organs
- 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)
What are the layers of the uterine walls?
- endometrium (inner layer, forms menstrual ‘blood’
- myometrium (muscular middle layer)]
- perimetrium (outer layer)
What is the ovarian cycle?
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)
What is the uterine cycle?
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)
Functions of the male reproductive system
- produces sperm
- transfers sperm to the female
- urination
What are spermatic cords?
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
What are the structures of the male reproductive system?
- spermatic cords
- testes and seminiferous tubules (site of sperm production within the testes)
What is spermatogenesis?
- 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
what are the characteristics of semen?
- 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
What is the function of the prostate gland?
- secretes prostate fluid which:
- activates sperm
- nourishes sperm
- protects sperm
What are the three classifications of STIs?
1 - bacterial
2 - viral
3 - parasitic
Common bacterial STIs?
- gonorrhoea
- chlamydia
- syphilis
common viral STIs?
- HIV
- HPV (can cause cervical cancer)
- herpes
common parasitic STIs?
- trichomoniasis
symptoms of gonorrhoea?
- 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
Symptoms of syphilis
- 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
symptoms of chlamydia
- 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
symptoms of trichomonaisis
- yellow/green vaginal discharge, strong smell
- males are mostly asymptomativ but can have urethral discharge and frequent urge to urinate
- treat with antibiotics
What is meiosis?
- 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
Define Spermatogonia:
stem cells that produce sperm. When undergoing mitosis, type A daughter becomes another spermatogonium, type B cell goes on to create 4 sperm cells
