STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION OF THE FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM Flashcards
True/False
The mammary glands are not considered part of the female reproductive system.
False
Is considered
The organs of the female reproductive system
-the ovaries
-the uterine (fallopian) tubes, (or oviducts);
-the uterus;
-the vagina;
*external organs
which are collectively called the vulva, or pudendum
________ are paired organs that produce secondary oocytes and hormones, such as progesterone and estrogens, inhibin, and relaxin
The ovaries (egg receptacles)
The ovaries arise from the same embryonic tissue as the _____
They are the size and shape of what?
-testes
-unshelled almonds
______ is a layer of simple epithelium that covers the surface of the ovary
The germinal epithelium
what is the region of dense connective tissue that contains ovarian follicles?
ovarian cortex
What consists of an oocyte and a variable number of surrounding cells that nourish the developing oocyte.
ovarian follicle (folliculus little bag)
What is a mature follicle
graafian
remnants of the ovulated follicle develops in to a what?
corpus luteum
corpus luteum (the Yellow Body) produces what hormones?
progesterone
estrogens
relaxin
inhibin
True/False
When the Corpus luteum degenerates into a CORPUS ALBICANS if produces more hormones.
False
it stops producing hormones
What is a region deep to the ovarian cortex that consists of loose connective tissue and contains blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and nerves
The ovarian medulla
The follicle enlarges until it is a mature (graafian) follicle, a large, fluid-filled follicle that is preparing to rupture and expel a ________
secondary oocyte
What transports the secondary oocytes from the ovaries to the uterus
uterine (fallopian) tubes
The open, funnel shaped end of each tube, the ________, lies close to the ovary, but is open to the pelvic cavity.
infundibulum
Uterine Tubes
The infundibulum ends in a fringe of fingerlike projections called what?
Fimbriae
From the infundibulum, uterine tubes extend medially attaching where?
the upper and outer comers of the uterus
After ovulation, local currents produced by movements of the _______, which surround the surface of the mature follicle just before ovulation occurs, sweep the secondary oocyte into the uterine tube.
fimbriae
The oocyte is then moved along the tube by _____ in the tube’s mucous lining and _______ of its smooth muscle layer.
-cilia
-peristaltic contractions
Where is the usual site for fertilization of a secondary oocyte by a sperm cell?
Uterine Tube
How long is the window for feralization after ovulation?
24h
The fertilized ovum is also known as what?
Zygote
The fertilized ovum (zygote) descends into the uterus within ____ days.
What happens to unfertilized secondary oocytes?
-seven days
-disintegrate
________ serves as part of the pathway for sperm deposited in the vagina to reach the uterine tubes.
-also the site of implantation of a fertilized ovum, development of the fetus during pregnancy, and labor
The uterus (womb)
the uterus is situated between the _______ and ________ and is shaped like an inverted pear.
urinary bladder and the rectum
Parts of the uterus include
1) the dome shaped portion superior to the uterine tubes:
2) the tapering central portion:
3) the narrow portion opening into the vagina:
1) Fundus
2) Body
3) Cervix
What are the layers of the uterus?
the endometrium
the myometrium,
Perimetrium
The vagina is situated between the urinary bladder and the rectum. A recess, called the _______, surrounds the cervix.
fornix
The mucosa of the vagina contains large stores of ______, the decomposition of which produces organic acids
glycogen
What is the diamond-shaped area between the thighs and buttocks of both males and females that contains the external genitals and anus
The perineum
what refers to the external genitals of the female?
vulva, or pudendum
________ is an elevation of adipose tissue covered by coarse pubic hair, which cushions the pubic symphysis
The mons pubis
In females, the _______ develop from the same embryonic tissue that the scrotum develops from in males.
labia majora
True/False
The labia majora contains adipose tissue and sebaceous (oil) and sudoriferous (sweat) glands.
True
Medial to the labia majora are two folds of skin called the
labia minora
true/false
The labia minora contains pubic hair and fat and have a few sudoriferous (sweat) glands; they do contain numerous sebaceous (oil) glands.
false does not contain pubic hair and fat
_______ is a small cylindrical mass of erectile tissue and nerves. It is located at the anterior junction of the labia minora
The clitoris
The exposed portion of the clitoris is the ______
glans
A layer of skin called the ______, also known as the foreskin, is formed at a point where the labia minora unite and cover the body of the clitoris.
prepuce
The region between the labia minora is called the
vestibule
The male’s prostate develops from the same embryonic tissue as the female’s ________ glands
paraurethral glands (Skene glands)
On either side of the vaginal orifice itself are the ________ glands
greater vestibular (Bartholin glands),
What glands produce a small quantity of mucus during sexual arousal and intercourse that adds to cervical mucus and provides lubrication?
greater vestibular glands
(Bartholin glands)
The mammary glands located in the breasts, are modified _____________ glands that produce milk.
sudoriferous (sweat)
Internally, each mammary gland consists of __#_____ lobes arranged radially and separated by adipose tissue and strands of connective tissue called_______, which support the breast.
- 15 to 20 lobes
- suspensory ligaments of the breast (Cooper’s ligaments)
In each lobe are smaller lobules, in which milk secreting glands called ________ are found.
alveoli
With the onset of puberty, under the influence of what hormones, will the female breasts begin to develop?
estrogens and progesterone
The functions of the mammary glands are what?
What are these functions called?
-synthesis, secretion, and ejection of milk
-Lactation
Milk production is stimulated largely by the hormone __________ from the anterior pituitary .
What are the contributory hormones?
-prolactin
-contributions from progesterone and estrogens
The ejection of milk is stimulated by what hormone?
where is this released?
-Oxytocin
-posterior pituitary
Hormones secreted from where control the main events of Oogenesi
-hypothalamus,
-anterior pituitary
-ovaries
Each cycle takes about a ______ and involves both oogenesis and preparation of the uterus to receive a fertilized ovum.
a month
what is the formation and development of gametes in females?
Oogenesis
The general term female reproductive cycle encompasses what?
-the ovarian and uterine cycles
-the hormonal changes that regulate them
-the related cyclical changes in the breasts and cervix
Hormonal Regulation of the Female Reproductive Cycle
_________________ secreted by the hypothalamus controls the ovarian and uterine cycles
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)
Hormonal Regulation of the Female Reproductive Cycle
GnRH stimulates the release of ________________ and _______________ from the anterior pituitary.
-follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)
-luteinizing hormone (LH)
Hormonal Regulation of the Female Reproductive Cycle
_________________ stimulates the further development of ovarian follicles and their full secretion of estrogens.
_________________ initiates follicular growth and the secretion of estrogens by the growing follicles.
-LH
-FSH
At what part of the cycle?
LH triggers ovulation and then promotes formation of the corpus luteum, the reason for the name luteinizing hormone.
Mid-cycle
Stimulated by LH, the corpus luteum produces and secretes what?
-estrogens,
-progesterone,
-relaxin
-inhibin.
What hormone promotes the development and maintenance of female reproductive structures, feminine secondary sex characteristics, and the mammary glands?
Estrogen
The _____________ characteristics include distribution of adipose tissue in the breasts, abdomen, mons pubis, and hips; a broad pelvis; and the pattern of hair growth on the head and body.
secondary sex
What hormone stimulates protein synthesis, acting together with insulin-like growth factors, insulin, and thyroid hormones?
Estrogen
What is probably the reason that women under age 50 have a much lower risk of coronary artery disease than do men of comparable age?
Estrogens lower blood cholesterol level,
What hormone is secreted mainly by cells of the corpus luteum, acts together with estrogens to prepare and then maintain the endometrium for implantation of a fertilized ovum and to prepare the mammary glands for milk secretion.
Progesterone
A small quantity of _____________ , produced by the corpus luteum during each monthly cycle, relaxes the uterus by inhibiting contractions of the myometrium.
relax.in
During pregnancy, what produces much more relaxin, and it continues to relax uterine smooth muscle?
the placenta
What is secreted by growing follicles and by the corpus luteum after
ovulation?
What does it do?
lnhibin
It inhibits secretion of FSH and, to a lesser extent, LH.
The duration of the female reproductive cycle varies from ___ to __ days.
For discussion purposes, we assume a duration of ___ days and divide it into what four phases:
-24 to 36 days
-28 days
menstrual phase, the pre-ovulatory phase, ovulation, and the
postovulatory phase
True/False
The phases of the menstrual phase happen at the same time
True
The menstrual phase, also called menstruation or menses, lasts for roughly the first ____ days of the cycle.
five
What marks the first day of a new cycle?
First day of menstruation
Menstrual Phase
What happens in the ovaries?
several ovarian follicles grow and enlarge
Menstrual Phase
Menstrual flow from the uterus consists of what?
50 to 150 mL of blood and tissue cells from the endometrium
what phase?
The time between the end of menstruation and ovulation
Pre-ovulatory Phase
The pre-ovulatory phase of the cycle accounts for most of the variation in cycle length. In a 28-day cycle, it lasts from days __ to __.
6 to 13
______ is the rupture of the mature (graafian) follicle and the release of the secondary oocyte into the pelvic cavity, usually occurs on day 14 in a 28-day cycle.
Ovulation
