Unit 7 - Reproductive System Flashcards
Which reproductive system is more complex, the female or the male?
female
What are the functions of the female reproductive system? (7)
- production of hormones
- develop gametes
- receive male gametes
- furnishes a site for gametes to fertilize the ovum
- provides environment for embryo to grow and develop
- carries embryo for entire pregnancy
- pushes offspring out when fully developed
where is the reproductive tract located in the female repro system?
pelvic cavity, positioned along rectum in mammalian farm animal prod species
What are the 7 parts of the female repro system?
- broad ligaments
- ovaries
- oviducts
- uterus
- cervix
- vagina
- vulva
What are the broad ligaments?
a suspensory tissue that supports the ovaries, oviduct, uterus, cervix, and the anterior vagina
contains blood vessels and nerve fibers that supply the ovaries, oviducts and uterus
What are the three segments of the broad ligaments
- mesometrium: support the uterus
- mesosalpinx: supports the oviducts
- mesovarium: supports the mesovarium
What are two features of the ovaries?
- primary organs of reproduction of a female
- has both endocrine and cytogenic functions
What are the two functions of the ovaries?
- produce hormones, which are released directly into the blood stream
- produce the ova (female gametes) which are released from the surface of the ovary during ovulation
What are the categories of hormones produced in the ovaries?
estrogens
progestins
Where are estrogens produced in the ovaries?
produced by cells of the developing ovarian follicles
What are the functions of estrogens?
responsible for physical and behavioural activity that prepare for breeding and pregnancy
mounting, phonation, willingness to be mounted by other animals
Where are progestins produced in the ovaries?
produced by the corpus luteum that develops from the empty follicle after ovulation
What are the functions of progestins?
help prepare the uterus for implantation of a fertilized ovum
necessary for pregnancy to be maintained once implantation occurs
What are the parts of the ovary?
- tunica albuginea
- ovarian stroma
- ovarian medulla
- ovarian cortex
- follicles
- primordial follicles
- primary follicle
- secondary follicle
- tertiary follicle
What are some features of the tunica albuginea?
covers the surface of the ovary
formed by connective tissue
What are some features of the ovarian stroma?
surrounds the follicles
formed by loose connective tissue
composed of the ovarian cortex and the ovarian medulla
What is the ovarian cortex?
outer region where the follicles rest, develop, and mature
What is the ovarian medulla?
middle part of the ovary, contain blood vessels, lymph vessels and nerve fibers
What is superovulation?
Superovulation (SOV) is a necessary technique to produce large numbers of embryos for embryo transfer
What is the difference in the ovarian stroma in horses?
ovarian cortex is in the middle and the medulla is on the outside
What is the primordial follicle?
- is a combination of a primary oocyte and a surrounding layer of flattened epithelial (follicular) cells
- at birth, the ovaries of most domestic species contain hundreds to thousands of primary follicles waiting to continue their development
- dormant follicles with a single layer of follicular cells clustered together at the periphery of the ovary
What is FSH?
Follicular stimulate hormone
What is FSH function?
following puberty, the primary oocyte surrounded by follicular cells enters follicular maturation when stimulated by FSH
primordial cells become primary cells
Does our number of primordial follicles increase?
no, you are born with a certain number of primordial follicles and you lose them overtime
What is a primary follicle?
- still contains the primary oocyte
- squamous epithelium becomes cuboidal epithelium, which keeps proliferating as the follicles develops
What do granulosa cells secrete in the primary follicle?
glycoproteins that cross-link to form a protective shell, known as zona pellucida around the oocyte
What is a secondary follicle?
- comprises of primary oocyte surrounded zona pellucida and multiple layers of cuboidal follicular cells now called granulosa cells
- oocyte is enlarged and surrounded by granulosa
What can you see at the late secondary follicular stage?
- theca, consisting of layers of cells immediately surrounding the granulosa
- internal layer produces hormones and serves as substrates for estrogen production
- external layer is formed by fibroblasts and smooth muscle like cells
- accumulation of cellular secretions among the granulosa cells which forms a fluid filled cavity known as antrum
What is the antrum?
fluid filled cavity found in a late secondary follicle
What is a tertiary follicle?
- large preovulatory follicles which bulge from the surface of the ovary
- final stage of follicular development and contain a well-defined follicular antrum
- oocyte sits on cumulus oophorus
- zona pellucida is surrounded by corona radiata
what is the mound of granulosa cells that the oocyte sits on top of in a tertiary follicle?
cumulus oophorus
What is the corona radiata?
thin layer of granulosa cells that surrounds the zona pellucida of a tertiary follicle
What happens during the ovulation?
- the surface of the mature follicle weakens and physically ruptures the fluid from the antrum
- the rush of fluid out of the follicle carries the ovum with it, still surrounded by the corona radiata
- the follicle ruptures, collapses and shrinks
- there is unfolding of the follicular wall forming the corpus hemorrhagicum with accumulation of blood into the antrum
What happens to the corpus luteum if fertilization occurs or if it doesn’t occur?
- corpus luteum has a limited lifespam
if fertilization occurs - will be maintained
if fertilization doesn’t take place - degenerate and be replaced by fibrous connective tissue forming the corpus albican
What are the oviducts?
also known as the fallopian tubes or the uterine tubes
- convoluted tubes that extend from the tips of the uterine horns
What is the function of the oviducts?
guide the oocyte from the ovary to the uterus and to serve as a site for fertilization of ova by spermatozoa
What are the parts of the oviducts?
- infundibulum: wide distal portion of the uterine tube
- ampulla: wider lateral 2/3 of the uterine tube
- isthmus: is the narrower medial 1/3 of the uterine tube
- uterine part: is the intramural segment of the uterine tube located within the wall of the uterus
What is the fimbriae?
muscular, finger-like projections in the infundibulum of the oviducts
- they touch the surface of the ovary and position the infundibulum where the follicles are locates, this helps ensure that the infundibulum is properly positioned to catch the ova when ovulation occurs
Are the uterine tubes attached to the ovaries?
no
When ovulation takes place, where are the ova caught?
by the funnel-like infundibulum, which is the enlarged opening at the end of each oviduct
What are some features of the uterine tube?
- walls lined with smooth muscle and cilia
- used to guide fertilized oocyte (zygote) to the uterus
- delicate muscle contractions and gentle movements of cilia to help the ova to move to the site of fertilization
What is the ampulla?
upper portion of the oviduct (uterine tube) closest to the ovary
it is wider than the isthmus and is the site of fertilization
What is the isthmus?
final segment of the uterine tube that connects it to the uterine horns
What is the UTJ?
(Utero Tubal Junction)
narrow passage that connects the uterus to the uterine horn to the uterine tube
it is a site that will contribute to a selection process of the sperm that will move into the isthmus and ampulla
Where does the mammalian sperm form a reservoir in the uterine tubes?
after passing the UTJ, the sperm forms a reservoir by binding the epithelium of the isthmus