Ovary microstructure

Components of the female reproductive system

1- two ovaries

2- two oviducts

3- Uterus

4- Vagina

What is the body of an ovary shaped like?

Almond-shaped body

What does an ovary consist of?

An outer cortex and inner medulla

What does the outer cortex of the ovary contain?

Ovarian follicles

What type of connective tissue is found in the ovary’s inner medulla?

Loose vascular connective tissue

What is the cortex’s stroma composed of?

Spindle shaped cells

What is the function of the spindle shaped cells?

Responding to hormonal stimuli

What is the ovary’s surface covered with?

Germinal epithelium

What type of epithelium is a germinal epithelium?

Simple squamous epitelium

What is the connective tissue layer found under the germinal epithelium called?

Tunica albugenia

What type of connective tissue is the tunica albuginea?

White dense connective tissue

What is not found between the ovary’s cortex and medulla?

A sharp demarcation

What are the ovarian follicle types?

1- Primordial

2- Growing

3- Mature

4- Atretic

What are the two categories of the growing ovarian follicles?

Primary and secondary

What are the two categories of the growing primary ovarian follicles?

Unilaminar and multilaminar

What makes up a primordial follicle?

Oocyte and follicular cells

What are follicular cells?

A single layer of flat cells

What makes up a growing+primary+unilaminar follicle?

Big oocyte and a single layer of cuboidal follicular cells.

What makes up a growing follicle+primary+multilaminar follicle?

Biggest sized oocyte and many layers of cuboidal cells.

What are many layers of cuboidal cells referred to as?

Granulosa cell layer

What makes up a growing+secondary follice?

More thickened zona pellucida and appearance of antrum and stromal cells.

What do the antrum and stromal cells differentiate into?

Theca cells

What are the theca cells differentiated into?

Theca interna and theca externa.

What makes up a mature follicle?

Single large antrum, thin granulosa and an appearance of cumulus oophorus.

What makes up the atretic follicles?

Dense connecive tissue

At what stage can the atretic follicles occur?

Any stage of follicular development

Which structure of the ovary remains after ovulation?

Corpus luteum

What is the definition of ovulation?

Rupture of mature follicle and release of the ovum.

In which phase does the oocyte remain in unti its time for ovulation?

Metaphase 2

If fertilization occurs what happens to the oocyte?

The 2nd meiotic division is completed.

If frtilization does not occur what happens to the oocyte?

It dies in the 2nd meiotic division.

What process divides the oogona?

Mitosis