The Female Reproductive Tract Flashcards
What are the main components of the female reproductive tract?
- Ovaries
- Fallopian tube
- Uterus
- Vagina
- External genitalia (accessory glands)
What are ovaries?
Endocrine glands
Flattened ovid, roughly 3cm long
What are the ovaries suspended in the upper pelvis by?
Broad ligament- peritoneum
Suspensor ligaments- to pelvic wall
Ovarian ligaments- lower to pole of ovary to the uterus
What is the ovary histology?
- Simple cuboidal germinal epithelium
- Tunica albuginea (connective tissue capsule- same name as capsule around testis)
- Stromal connective tissue
- Follicles in cortex= oocytes & supporting cells
- Roughly 400 (oocytes) fully released in lifetime
What are within the stromal connective tissue?
Outer cortex- developing follicles sit in here
Inner medulla
Follicles= oocytes and supporting cells, what do they do?
Produce hormones
Ovum expelled each month
Why are there roughly 400 oocytes released in lifetime?
Birth roughly 2 million follicles- mitosis during foetal life, then paused in meiosis. When puberty a new surge of hormones begins oogenesis
Puberty roughly 400,000 follicles
What is atresia?
Degeneration of follicles that aren’t going to be released
What is oogenesis?
Formation of female gametes
Where does oogenesis this begin?
Fetus
What is the primary oocyte surrounded by?
Granulosa cells
What happens during puberty?
Enlarged= primary follicle (primary oocyte surrounded by supporting granulosa cells)
What is the mature/tertiary follicle (Graafian follicle)?
Enlarged follicle with fluid filled atrium (cavity)
What is a secondary oocyte?
Oocyte that completes 1st meiotic division
What happens during ovulation?
One will be released the rest will go through Atresia. More follicles recruited to go through oogenesis than will complete cycle so will degenerate.
What is ovulation?:
Release of a secondary oocyte from ovary into peritoneal cavity
What is the difference between oorgenesis and ovulation?
Oogenesis- development of oocyte
Ovulation- release of oocyte
How many eggs are ovulated?
Lots of follicles mature each cycle
Only one ovulated
What is fertilisation?
Sperm binds to & penetrates the oocyte plasma membrane
What happens to the follicles that aren’t ovulated?
Others degenerate- atresia
What is the corpus luteum (CL)?
Enlarge and secrete hormones- progesterone and estrogen for 10 days- give hormone long enough to travel through fallopian tube
Degenerates when no pregnancy- corpus albicans
What happens to CL during pregnancy?
CL enlarges and remains throught pregnancy
Continues to produce progesterone and estrogen, stop uterine wall from shedding (preventing miscarriage)
How does high insulin and T alters follicle development in Polycistic (PCOS)?
High insulin & T alters follicle dev Many follicles develop but not fully No ovulation Difficulty conceiving Weight gain and hirsutism- increased testosterone 1 in 10 (or even 4)
What is the uterine (fallopian tubes)?
Space in between ovary and Fallopian tube, not released directly into fallopian tube
Paired, roughly 10cm long
Extends ovary- uterus
Opens into peritoneal cavity
How is the uterine (fallopian tube) expand?
Expands at ovary= infundibulum
Funnel shaped
Long, thin, processes (fimbriae)
What is the ampulla in the uterine?
Widest longest part
Site of fertilisation