SM180 Female Repro Histology

Question 1

Layers of the ovary: superficial to deep

Answer 1

1. Germinal epithelium/Mesothelium (simple cuboidal)
2. Tunica albuginea (dense C.T. capsule)
3. Cortex (cellular C.T. containing follicles)
4. Medulla (loose C.T. core containing vssels, nerves, lymphatics, and rete ovarii)

Question 2

Follicle development: 4 stages names

Answer 2

Primordial -> primary -> secondary -> mature (Graafian)

Question 3

Primordial follicle

Answer 3

Primary oocyte with a single layer of squamous follicular cells

Question 4

Primary follicle

Answer 4

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.

Question 5

Secondary follicle

Answer 5

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).

Question 6

Mature (Graafian) follicle

Answer 6

Antrum enlarges.

Granulosa cells surrounding the oocyte are called the cumulus oophorus.

Innermost cumulus cells form the corona radita, a columnar layer.

Question 7

What promotes follicle growth?

Answer 7

FSH

Question 8

What are the components of a follicle?

Answer 8

Epithelial granulosa cells (from secondary sex cords) and theca cells (stroma surrounding oocytes)

Question 9

When is the first meiotic division? What phase is it arrested in?

Answer 9

Before birth

Prophase

Question 10

When does the first meiotic division continue? What is produced?

Answer 10

After puberty

Secondary oocyte with first polar body

Question 11

When is the second meiotic division? What phase is it arrested in? When does it complete?

Answer 11

Just before ovulation
Metaphase
Fertilization

Question 12

What happens during ovulation?

Answer 12

Rupture of the follicle at the surface of the ovary releasing the secondary oocyte, corona radiate, and other cumulus cells

Question 13

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?

Answer 13

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)

Question 14

What is an atretic follicle?

Answer 14

Degenerated follicle that never reached the mature stage

Smaller, wavier, and more numerous than corpus albicans

Question 15

4 parts of the uterine tubes

Answer 15

Intramural segment (part of uterine wall)
Isthmus (narrow proximal segment)
Ampulla (dilated distal half)
Infundibulum (termine, funnel-shaped portion with fimbriae)

Question 16

Uterine tube epithelium type

Answer 16

Simple columnar with ciliated and non-ciliated cells

Question 17

What changes in the uterine tube epithelium in response to estrogen?

Answer 17

Number of ciliated cells increases (menopausal women have few ciliated cells)

Question 18

Endometrium mucosa

Answer 18

Simple columnar epithelium

Mixture of ciliated and non-ciliated secretory cells

Spiral arteries, tubular glands

Lamina propria

Question 19

Two layers of the endometrium

Answer 19

Stratum functionale (superficial, sloughed off during menstrual cycle)

Stratum basale (deeper layer, retained during menstrual cycle)

Question 20

Myometrium

Answer 20

Smooth muscle

Blood vessels are in the stratum vasculare

Question 21

Proliferative phase of menstrual cycle

Answer 21

Endometrium thickens 2-3 times, glands grow longer and more numerous, spiral arteries lengthen

Question 22

Menstrual phase of menstrual cycle

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Endometriosis

Answer 23

Abrnomal discharge of endometrium through the uterine tubes into the peritoneal cavity

Tissue adheres and results in painful swelling during the menstrual cycle

Question 24

Secretory phase of menstrual cycle

Answer 24

1-2 days after ovulation, glands become coiled and sacculated and secrete glycogen rich fluid

Thickness twice that of proliferative phase

Question 25

Gravid cycle

Answer 25

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

Question 26

Cervix

Answer 26

Mucosa contains extensively branched cervical glands that differ from the simple tubular glands in the body of the uterus

Question 27

Vagina to cervix epithelium transition

Answer 27

Vagina is stratified squamous, cervix is simple columnar

Question 28

Vagina epithelium

Answer 28

Non-keratinized, stratified squamous

Swell with glycogen in response to rising estrogen levels

Washed-out appearance, pyknotic nuclei

No glands

Question 29

Major effect of progesterone

Answer 29

Prepares the endometrium for implantation

Question 30

Major effect of LH

Answer 30

Triggers ovulation (surge)

Question 31

Major effect of FSH

Answer 31

Stimulates follicle development

Question 32

Major effect of hCG

Answer 32

Maintenance of the corpus luteum