Reproductive Health and Family Nursing

Vocabulary flashcards reviewing female and male reproductive anatomy, hormonal and uterine cycles, cell division, fertilization, fetal development stages, circulatory adaptations, twin classifications, and infertility interventions based on lecture notes.

Vagina

The birth canal, which features an acidic environment.

Uterus

The pelvic organ that elongates and enlarges in pregnancy; it is suspended by ligaments and attached only at the cervix.

Corpus

The main body of the uterus.

Fundus

The upper, rounded portion of the uterus above the insertion of the fallopian tubes. Also the largest muscle of the uterus.

Cervix

The neck-like lower portion of the uterus that opens into the vagina and serves as the placement site for medications used to cause contractions.

Endometrium

The innermost mucosal layer of the uterine wall that proliferates and sheds during the menstrual cycle.

Myometrium

The muscular middle layer of the uterine wall.

Perimetrium

The outermost serous layer of the uterine wall.

Uterine Ligaments

Structures that keep the uterus centrally located, supporting and suspending it within the pelvis.

Isthmus (Fallopian Tube)

The narrow segment of the fallopian tube located adjacent to the uterus. This is where sterilization happens.

Ampulla

The section of the fallopian tube where fertilization takes place and where an unfertilized ovum remains.

Fimbriae

Finger-like projections at the distal end of the fallopian tube that sweep the discharged ovum into the tube.

False Pelvis

The upper portion of the bony pelvis situated above the linea terminalis.

True Pelvis

The lower portion of the bony pelvis through which the fetus passes, composed of the pelvic inlet, pelvic cavity, and pelvic outlet.

Estrogen

An ovarian hormone responsible for the maturation of ovarian follicles and proliferation of the endometrial mucosa.

Progesterone

Known as the hormone of pregnancy; it decreases uterine contractility, prepares the uterus for implantation, and prepares the breasts for lactation.

Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)

An anterior pituitary hormone that stimulates the growth and maturation of immature ovarian follicles.

Luteinizing Hormone (LH)

An anterior pituitary hormone that triggers ovulation and development of the corpus luteum.

Corpus Luteum

A mass of cells formed from the ruptured follicle that secretes progesterone until the placenta takes over.

Follicular Phase

Days $1\text{--}14$ of the ovarian cycle during which an immature follicle matures under the influence of FSH and LH until ovulation.

Luteal Phase

Days $15\text{--}28$ of the ovarian cycle that begins when the ovum leaves the follicle and ends with corpus luteum degeneration if fertilization does not occur.

Menstrual Phase

Days $1\text{--}6$ of the uterine cycle characterized by the shedding of endometrial cells.

Proliferative Phase

Days $7\text{--}14$ of the uterine cycle where increased estrogen thickens the endometrium and causes cervical mucus to become thin, clear, alkaline, and elastic.

Secretory Phase

Days $15\text{--}26$ of the uterine cycle where progesterone causes epithelial swelling and increased vascularity to provide a nourishing bed for implantation.

Ischemic Phase

Days $27\text{--}28$ of the uterine cycle that occurs if implantation fails, leading to falling hormone levels and degeneration of the corpus luteum.

Mitosis

Cell division for growth and tissue repair in which body cells replicate to produce exact copies of the original cell.

Meiosis

Cell division during gametogenesis that reduces the chromosome count by half so that normal cell numbers are restored upon fertilization.

Gametogenesis

The process of cellular division (meiosis) by which gametes—sperm and ova—are produced.

Oogenesis

The process of female gamete (ovum) production, which develops early in fetal life so that all ova are present at birth.

Spermatogenesis

The production of male gametes (sperm), which does not begin taking place until puberty.

Zygote

A fertilized ovum containing a diploid set of $46$ chromosomes ($23$ pairs).

Chorion

The outermost embryonic membrane, featuring chorionic villi where genetic testing is performed.

Amnion

The innermost embryonic membrane that forms the amniotic cavity containing amniotic fluid.

Yolk Sac

An embryonic structure responsible for making red blood cells before eventually becoming part of the umbilical cord.

Dizygotic Twins

Fraternal twins arising from two separate ova fertilized by two separate sperm.

Monozygotic Twins

Identical twins originating from a single fertilized ovum whose inner cell mass splits in two.

Dichorionic/Diamniotic Twins (DiDi Twins)

Twins that possess different placentas and different amniotic sacs, resulting from cleavage division occurring at days $1\text{--}3$.

Monochorionic/Diamniotic Twins (MonoDi Twins)

Twins that share a placenta but reside in separate amniotic sacs, resulting from cleavage division at days $4\text{--}8$.

Monochorionic/Monoamniotic Twins (Mono Mono Twins)

Twins that share both a single placenta and a single amniotic sac, resulting from cleavage division at days $8\text{--}13$.

Conjoined Twins

Twins that develop attached to one another due to late cleavage division occurring at days $13\text{--}15$.

Placental functions for the fetus

nutrition, excretion, fetal oxygenation, and hormone production

Amniotic Fluid

Cushions the growing embryo/fetus and umbilical cord, helps control and keep a constant temperature, allow fetal movement, and promotes symmetrical growth and development

Wharton's Jelly

Specialized connective tissue that surrounds and protects the vessels within the umbilical cord.

"Shiny" Schultz

The smooth fetal surface side of the placenta.

"Dirty" Duncan

The rough, vascular maternal surface side of the placenta.

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG)

A hormone secreted by the implanted blastocyst and placenta to maintain progesterone production by the corpus luteum.

Hydramnios

An excessive volume of amniotic fluid defined as greater than $2000\,\text{ml}$.

Oligohydramnios

A abnormally low volume of amniotic fluid defined as less than $400\,\text{ml}$.

Amniotic Fluid Index (AFI)

An ultrasound assessment of amniotic fluid where a value $\le 5\,\text{cm}$ indicates low fluid and $\ge 20\,\text{cm}$ indicates high fluid.

Ductus Venosus

A fetal circulatory shunt connecting the umbilical vein directly to the inferior vena cava, bypassing the liver.

Foramen Ovale

An opening in the fetal heart septum allowing blood to flow directly from the right atrium to the left atrium.

Ductus Arteriosus

A fetal blood vessel connecting the pulmonary artery to the aorta, bypassing the non-functional fetal lungs.

Quickening

The mother's initial perception of fetal movement in utero, typically occurring around $20\,\text{weeks}$ of gestation.

4 Weeks

heart begins to beat, arm and leg buds are present, somites develop, primary lung buds present, eyes and ears begin to form

6-7 Weeks

Body is straighter, trachea developed, nares present, liver produces blood cells, the heart begins circulating blood, digits develop, tail begins to recede, and eyelids begin to form,

8 Weeks

all body organs are formed

12 weeks

face is well developed, the eyelids are closed, tooth buds appear, genitals are well differentiated, urine is produced, spontaneous movement occurs, fetal heart tones can be heard by doppler

16 weeks

sex determination is now possible

20 weeks

Subcutaneous brown fat appears, vernix caseosa begins to form, lanugo covers the body, nipple and nails are present, sucks and swallows amniotic fluid, quickening is felt, fetal heartbeat is heard

24 weeks

Eyes structurally complete, respiratory movement may begin, surfactant production may begin, alveoli form, grasp and startle reflex present, fingerprints and footprints present, considered the age of viability.

28 weeks

brain develops rapidly, the nervous system begins to regulate, eyelids open and close, testes begin to descend, and lungs can provide gas exchange.

36 weeks

Increase in subcutaneous fat, lanugo begins to disappear, for males, the testes descend into the upper scrotum, and for females labia minora and labia major are prominent.

37-40 weeks

full term, skin smooth and polished, vernix caseosa in creases in folds, head bigger than chest, antibodies passively received by mother

Age of Viability

The point in fetal development reached around $24\,\text{weeks}$ when lungs begin producing surfactant and gas exchange becomes possible.

Vernix Caseosa

A lanolin-like protective cheesy covering that forms on the fetal skin starting around $20\,\text{weeks}$.

Lanugo

Fine hair covering the fetal body that helps hold protective oils on the skin.

Infertility

The failure to achieve a pregnancy after $12\,\text{months}$ of regular, unprotected intercourse.

Secondary infertility

unable to conceive or sustain a pregnancy after one or more successful pregnancies.

Spinnbarkeit

The stretchability or elasticity of cervical mucus; a measurement greater than $5\,\text{cm}$ indicates favorable, clear, thin mucus suitable for sperm passage.

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)

An assisted reproductive procedure where washed sperm is placed directly into the uterus via a catheter, bypassing the cervix.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

A procedure in which a woman's eggs are harvested, fertilized with sperm in a laboratory, and placed back into the uterus.

Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer (GIFT)

An assisted reproductive technique in which unfertilized oocytes and washed sperm are placed directly into a fallopian tube to allow natural in vivo fertilization.

Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer (ZIFT)

Eggs are retrieved and incubated with man’s sperm and placed back into the fallopian tubes at the Zygote stage.

Tubal Embryo Transfer (TET)

Eggs are retrieved and incubated with a man’s sperm and placed back into the fallopian tubes at the embryonic stage.

Karyotype

Pictoral analysis of chromosomes

Phenotype

Observable expression of the trait

Autosomal Dominant

affected individual has an affected parent, and there is a 50% chance of passing the trait to offspring—examples: Huntingtons disease, polycystic kidney disease, and Marfan syndrome.

Autosomal Recessive

Affected individuals have clinical normal parents, but both are carriers. When both are carriers, both have 25% chance of passing on to any offspring. A child of two carrier parents have a 50% chance of being a carrier. Examples: cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, and Tay-Sachs syndrome.