SM180 Female Repro Histology Flashcards
Layers of the ovary: superficial to deep
- Germinal epithelium/Mesothelium (simple cuboidal)
- Tunica albuginea (dense C.T. capsule)
- Cortex (cellular C.T. containing follicles)
- Medulla (loose C.T. core containing vssels, nerves, lymphatics, and rete ovarii)
Follicle development: 4 stages names
Primordial -> primary -> secondary -> mature (Graafian)
Primordial follicle
Primary oocyte with a single layer of squamous follicular cells
Primary follicle
Follicular cells form the stratum granulosum, a stratified cuboidal sheath.
Interdigitations between oocyte membrane and follicular membrane form the zone pellucid.
A layer of stromal cells develops outside the BM called the theca folliculi.
Secondary follicle
Follicular antrum appears (fluid-filled cavity within the stratum granulosum).
Theca divides into the theca externa (C.T.) and the vascular, endocrine theca interna (produces estrogen in conjunction with the granulose cells that triggers the LH surge).
Mature (Graafian) follicle
Antrum enlarges.
Granulosa cells surrounding the oocyte are called the cumulus oophorus.
Innermost cumulus cells form the corona radita, a columnar layer.
What promotes follicle growth?
FSH
What are the components of a follicle?
Epithelial granulosa cells (from secondary sex cords) and theca cells (stroma surrounding oocytes)
When is the first meiotic division? What phase is it arrested in?
Before birth
Prophase
When does the first meiotic division continue? What is produced?
After puberty
Secondary oocyte with first polar body
When is the second meiotic division? What phase is it arrested in? When does it complete?
Just before ovulation
Metaphase
Fertilization
What happens during ovulation?
Rupture of the follicle at the surface of the ovary releasing the secondary oocyte, corona radiate, and other cumulus cells
What is the corpus luteum? What does it form from? What maintains it? What does it secrete? What hormone triggers its formation? What hormone maintains it in pregnancy? What does it degenerate into with no pregnancy?
Endocrine organ that acts on the endometrium to keep it intact during pregnancy
Forms from granulosa and theca interna cells
LH from the anterior pituitary
Progesterone
hCG (from zygote)
Corpus albicans (scar tissue)
What is an atretic follicle?
Degenerated follicle that never reached the mature stage
Smaller, wavier, and more numerous than corpus albicans
4 parts of the uterine tubes
Intramural segment (part of uterine wall)
Isthmus (narrow proximal segment)
Ampulla (dilated distal half)
Infundibulum (termine, funnel-shaped portion with fimbriae)
Uterine tube epithelium type
Simple columnar with ciliated and non-ciliated cells
What changes in the uterine tube epithelium in response to estrogen?
Number of ciliated cells increases (menopausal women have few ciliated cells)
Endometrium mucosa
Simple columnar epithelium
Mixture of ciliated and non-ciliated secretory cells
Spiral arteries, tubular glands
Lamina propria
Two layers of the endometrium
Stratum functionale (superficial, sloughed off during menstrual cycle)
Stratum basale (deeper layer, retained during menstrual cycle)
Myometrium
Smooth muscle
Blood vessels are in the stratum vasculare
Proliferative phase of menstrual cycle
Endometrium thickens 2-3 times, glands grow longer and more numerous, spiral arteries lengthen
Menstrual phase of menstrual cycle
Five days before menstruation, hormonal activity of corpus luteum is reduced (if no pregnancy)
Glands of stratum functional stop secreting, tissue becomes ischemic due to intermittent constriction of the spiral arteries
Blood and mucosa are discharged through vagina
Endometriosis
Abrnomal discharge of endometrium through the uterine tubes into the peritoneal cavity
Tissue adheres and results in painful swelling during the menstrual cycle
Secretory phase of menstrual cycle
1-2 days after ovulation, glands become coiled and sacculated and secrete glycogen rich fluid
Thickness twice that of proliferative phase
Gravid cycle
Fertilized ovum develops into blastocyst by day 5
Implants in the endometrium
Chorion of blastocyst (and the syncytiotrophoblast of the placental villus) secretes hCG to maintain the corpus luteum
Cervix
Mucosa contains extensively branched cervical glands that differ from the simple tubular glands in the body of the uterus
Vagina to cervix epithelium transition
Vagina is stratified squamous, cervix is simple columnar
Vagina epithelium
Non-keratinized, stratified squamous
Swell with glycogen in response to rising estrogen levels
Washed-out appearance, pyknotic nuclei
No glands
Major effect of progesterone
Prepares the endometrium for implantation
Major effect of LH
Triggers ovulation (surge)
Major effect of FSH
Stimulates follicle development
Major effect of hCG
Maintenance of the corpus luteum
