Reproductive Systems Flashcards
The main function of the hypothalamus:
Acts as a homeostatic regulator for reproduction, stress, body temperature, hunger, and sleep.
Called a neuroendocrine organ, as it processes both neural and hormonal information
Posterior pituitary function:
releases hormones
Name the two neurosecretory peptide hormones released by the posterior pituitary:
Oxytocin and antidiuretic hormone (ADH or vassopression)
What does oxytocin aid in the female body?
Milk ejection and childbirth
Anterior pituitary function:
Neurosecretory neurons synthesize releasing and inhibiting hormones
Name the two gonadotrophs produced by the anterior pituitary:
- Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
- Luteinising hormone (LH)
In the reproductive system, the hypophyseal portal system is a _____ arrangement, in which blood flows from on capillary bed in the _______ to another capillary bed in the ______ pituitary without growing through the heart in its journey
vascular
hypothalamus
anterior
The two neurosecretory hormones are _____ and _____. They are synthesized in the _________ and transported to the ______ pituitary, where they are stored and released.
Oxytocin
Antidiuretic hormone
hypothalamus
posterior
The gonadotrophs are located in the _____ pituitary
anterior
The two gonadotrophins produced are:
- follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
- Luteinising hormone (LH)
The female endocrine gland where gonadotrophins act is the _____ and in men the _____.
Ovaries
testes
FSH: function
Acts on ovaries and testes to stimulate the production of gametes
LH: function
- Acts on ovaries to trigger ovulation and promote the synthesis and release of ovarian hormones
- Acts on testes to promote the synthesis of testosterone
What determines whether the bipotential gonad develops into an ovary of testis?
the SRY gene
Men: what do Sertoli cells do?
Secrete anti-mullerian hormone leads to Mullerian duct regression
Men: what do Leydig cells do?
Produce testosterone -> wolffian duct development -> internal male genetals
The criteria for staging the development of secondary sexual characteristics is known as what?
Tanner stages
Puberty sequence: girls
- Breast budding
- Pubic hair development
- achievement of peak height growth spurt
- menarche
- ovulation
Puberty sequence: boys
- testes enlarge
- penile enlargement
- pubic hair development
In boys, during puberty, the first sign of secondary sexual development is ____ enlargement. ____ cells enlarge and secrete _______, giving rise to testicular size.
Elongation and enlargement of the ____ begins within a year of ______ ________.
testes
Leydig
testosterone
penis
In girls, first ovulation does not take place until 6-9 months after ______. This delay is because the positive feedback mechanisms involving the hormone _____ have not developed.
menarche
estrogen
At puberty in response to ________ hormone (___) produced by the hypothalamus, the two gonadotropin hormones ___ and __ are secreted from the ______ pituitary gland.
Gonadotropin-stimulating
GnRH
FSH and LH
anterior
These hormones travel via the blood to the testes where LH binds to receptors on the ____ cells inducing the production of _______.
Leydig
testosterone
By approximately one year after menopause, the ovary has essentially ceased producing hormones (ovarian senescence)
Estrogen production reduces to approximately __% of previous levels.
The estrogen which is now produced is _____, which is a weak estrogen that arises mainly from the _____ cells of _____ tissue.
10
stromal
adipose
Vagina: three main functions
- Passageway for the elimination of menstrual fluids
- receives penis for intercourse, holds spermatozoa before they pass into the uterus
- forms lower portion of the birth canal
Where does fertilization occur?
Ampulla of the uterine tube
Uterine (fallopian) tubes: function
- Fertilisation -> provides a rich nutritive environment containing lips and glycogen for spermatozoa, oocytes, and the developing embryo
The ______ lining of the uterine tube has both ciliated and non-ciliated ______ ______ cells.
epithelium
secretory columnar
In the uterine tube: the mucosa is surrounded by _____ layers of _____ _____.
concentric
smooth muscle
Just above the ovary extending from the tube are ____, finger-like structures, this area is called the _____
fimbriae
infundibulum
The ovary is covered in ____. Following ovulation, the oocyte is drawn into the uterine tubes by the ____ then down to the uterus.
fimbriae
fimbriae
Ovary: has three distinct regions
- Outer ovarian cortex (containing the ovarian follicles
- Central ovarian medulla (consisting of ovarian stroma and steroid producing cells)
- Inner hilus (entry point for nerves and vessels)
Ectopic pregnancy
- When the fertilized embryo is implanted in any other tissue than the uterus wall
- most occur in the uterine tube (tubal pregnancy)
About __% of women have a _____ uterus (instead of the regular ____ uterus), which could cause some pain during menstruation or intercourse
20
retroflexed
anteflexed
Histology of the ovary:
- Primordial follicle
- primary follicle
- secondary follicle
- mature (Graafian or pre-ovulatory) follicle
- ovulation
- corpus luteum
- fertilization
Primordial follicle:
- the oocyte is surrounded by a single layer of flat follicular cells (which develop into granulosa cells), form the primordial follicle
Primary follicle:
- as the follicles grow, they are called primary or pre-antral follicles
- immature primary follicles consist of only one layer of granulosa cells
- In response to FSH, some follicles get larger producing many layers of granulosa cells surrounding the oocyte
Primary follicle: more detail
The oocyte secretes _____, which form a translucent cellular layer (___ ______)
Condensation of ovarian ____ cells, known as ___ cells, start to form around the follicle
glycoproteins
zona pellucida
stromal
thecal
Secondary follicle:
- as granulosa cells proliferate they produce a viscous follicular fluid that coalesces to form a single follicular antrum
- these are called secondary or antrum follicles
- the theca develops to become inner glandular, highly vascular theca internal, and the surrounding fibrous capsule, the theca externa
Mature follicle:
- As follicular antrum grows, the oocyte becomes suspended in fluid
= it is connected to the rim of peripheral granulosa cells by a thin stalk of cells
Ovulation:
- increasing size plus position in the cortex of ovarian stroma = bulge out from ovarian surface then follicle ruptures, carrying with it the oocyte and surrounding mass of cumulus cells
- oocyte collected by the cilia on the fimbria -> taken into the fallopian tube
Corpus luteum:
- Antrum breaks down
BM between granulosa and thecal layers breaks down and blood vessels invade - yellow pigment cells form
- transformation called luteinization -> associated with increased secretion of progestagens
- whitish scar tissue remains, the corpus Albicans (white body) is absorbed back into the stromal tissue
Fertilization:
- if oocyte is fertilized and begins to divide -? corpus luteum persists past its normal 2-week lifespan
- it is reduced from degeneration by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)
- this hormone is produced by the chorion of the embryo beginning about 9 days after fertilization
When does mitogenesis start in men?
around puberty
Men produce around ___ sperm per second
20,000
What is contained in the structural part of the sperm cell?
Mitochondria
- provides energy (ATP) for sperm to move
Three phases of spermatogenesis:
- mitotic division
- meiotic division
- cytodifferentiation
Spermatogenesis: These mitotic divisions occur in the ____ compartment of the ______ ______
basal
seminiferous tubules
Spermatogenesis: when mitotic division is complete, the spermatogonia move between adjacent ____ cells to the ______ compartment of the _____ tubules.
Sertoli
adluminal
seminiferous
Spermatogenesis: in the _____ compartment they are renamed ____ spermocytes, then undergo ____
adluminal
primary
meiosis
Spermiogenesis:
where round spermatids differentiate their shapes -> undergo elongation to become sperm
Hormonal control of spermatogenesis:
The _____ releases gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) that travels via the _____ _____ system to the _____ pituitary and stimulates the release of two gonadotrophins ___ and __.
hypothalamus
hypophyseal portal
anterior
FSH and LH