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Female Reproductive

Overview

gonads (ovary)

oviduct (fallopian tube)

uterus

vagina

Ovary

endocrine and exocrine

  • estrogens

  • progestogens

contains 300,000 to 400,000 ova per ovary at birth

  • some texts say about 2 million ova per ovary at birth

    • prior to puberty about 11 thousand die each month

capsule called tunica albuginea

  • similar to males but not as thick

germinal epithelium

  • just above the tunica albuginea

  • simple squamous to cuboidal epithelium

  • not actually germinative

    • does not give rise to eggs

  • source of 70% of ovarian cancers

Cortex

  • has developing follicles

Medulla

  • loose connective tissue

  • blood vessels

Follicles

  • ova and supporting cells

  • Primordial follicles

    • how all follicles begin

    • immature ovum

      • frozen in meiosis I

      • surrounded by simple squamous epithelium

    • called granulosa

      large

    • what we are born with

  • primary follicles

    • granulosa: transitions from simple squamous to simple cuboidal or columnar epithelium

    • zone pellucida

      • larger of glycoproteins for protection

      • between the granulosa and ovum

    • later stages have more layers of granulosa and thicker zona pellucida

  • secondary follicles

    • 8-12 layers of granulosa

      • in these layers, fluid filled spaces

        • liquor folliculi

        • precursor to antrum (fluid that surrounds ovum

          • so can be called antral follicle

        • fuse together to make 1 large pocket in mature follicle

  • mature (Graafian) follicle

    • after all liquor folliculi spaces fuse

    • this is what is ovulated

    • corona radiata

      • granulosa cells immediately around egg

    • ovum and corona radiata are released with ovulation

      • some liquor folliculi is released too

What happens to antrum after ovulation?

  • With fertilization

    • exists as corpus luteum

      • creates hormone progesterone

        • to maintain pregnancy

  • without fertilization

    • degenerates and forms small scar

      • corpus albicans

      • no progesterone

Fallopian Tube

aka Oviduct

fimbriae

  • finger like projections on end of oviduct

  • funnels egg in from ovary

Portions

  • infundibulum

    • first part after fimbriae

  • ampulla

    • after the infundibulum

    • where most eggs become fertilized

  • isthmus

    • after ampulla

  • uterine

    • last portion before uterus

Mucosa

  • simple columnar ciliated epithelium

    • move egg

  • Peg cells

    • help move egg

Muscularis

  • inner circular

  • outer longitudinal

  • peristalsis like waves to move egg

Hormonal Control

hormones produced by the pituitary gland

  • FSH - build follicles

  • LH - trigger ovulation

before ovulation is the follicular phase

after ovulation is the luteal phase

estrogen promotes build of endometrium

  • secreted by growing follicle in follicular phase

  • secreted by corpus luteum in luteal phase

progesterone maintains endometrium

  • secreted by corpus luteum

Menstrual cycle

  • menstrual phase

    • the beginning when bleeding occurs

  • proliferative phase

    • while follicle is building endometrium is building

  • secretory phase

    • after ovulation when the estrogen and progesterone are promoting growth of endometrium

Uterine Layers

endometrium

  • innermost layer

  • stratum basale

    • always present

    • regenerative cells for the build of next functionale

  • stratum functionale

    • what grows and sheds with cycle

  • simple columnar epithelium

  • extensive lamina propria

    • uterine glands

      • lined with simple columnar epithelium

      • mucoid secretion rich in glycogen

  • no line to divide basale and functionale

  • with proliferation, glands become spiraled

    • helps with implantation

  • very vascular with blood filled sinuses (lacunae)

  • menstrual phase, top will look broken

    • lose connective tissue, some glands, and blood

myometrium

  • smooth muscle

  • inner parallel (longitudinal)

  • middle circular (spiral)

  • outer parallel (longitudinal)

  • growth ability

    • 50 um when not pregnant

    • 500 um when pregnant

  • fibroids are benign tumors of this layer

  • cramps and contractions are within this layer

Perimetrium

  • outermost layer

  • continuous with peritoneum

Vagina

fibromuscular tube

external os of cervix to opening called vestibule

layers

  • mucosa - stratified squamous epithelium (non keratinized)

  • muscularis

    • inner circular

    • outer longitudinal

Accessory Structure

skene (lesser vestibular) glands

  • near vestibule

  • mucous secreting

  • for lubrication of vestibule

Bartholin (greater vestibule) glands

  • counterpart to bulbourethral glands

  • for lubrication of vagina

  • clogged ducts can form Bartholin cyst

Some Gross Anatomy

Uterus

  • fundus means bottom but is the top of the uterus

  • the middle part with the opening is called the body

  • at the bottom where it meets the cervix is called the internal os

    • os is the term for the abbreviation for ostium

Cervix

  • between the uterus and vagina

  • top is internal os and bottom is external os

  • cervical glands on each side

    • these secretions maintain mucous viscosity

      • thinner post ovulation to allow sperm to pass through

Vagina

  • top part is the external os

Female Reproductive

Overview

gonads (ovary)

oviduct (fallopian tube)

uterus

vagina

Ovary

endocrine and exocrine

  • estrogens

  • progestogens

contains 300,000 to 400,000 ova per ovary at birth

  • some texts say about 2 million ova per ovary at birth

    • prior to puberty about 11 thousand die each month

capsule called tunica albuginea

  • similar to males but not as thick

germinal epithelium

  • just above the tunica albuginea

  • simple squamous to cuboidal epithelium

  • not actually germinative

    • does not give rise to eggs

  • source of 70% of ovarian cancers

Cortex

  • has developing follicles

Medulla

  • loose connective tissue

  • blood vessels

Follicles

  • ova and supporting cells

  • Primordial follicles

    • how all follicles begin

    • immature ovum

      • frozen in meiosis I

      • surrounded by simple squamous epithelium

    • called granulosa

      large

    • what we are born with

  • primary follicles

    • granulosa: transitions from simple squamous to simple cuboidal or columnar epithelium

    • zone pellucida

      • larger of glycoproteins for protection

      • between the granulosa and ovum

    • later stages have more layers of granulosa and thicker zona pellucida

  • secondary follicles

    • 8-12 layers of granulosa

      • in these layers, fluid filled spaces

        • liquor folliculi

        • precursor to antrum (fluid that surrounds ovum

          • so can be called antral follicle

        • fuse together to make 1 large pocket in mature follicle

  • mature (Graafian) follicle

    • after all liquor folliculi spaces fuse

    • this is what is ovulated

    • corona radiata

      • granulosa cells immediately around egg

    • ovum and corona radiata are released with ovulation

      • some liquor folliculi is released too

What happens to antrum after ovulation?

  • With fertilization

    • exists as corpus luteum

      • creates hormone progesterone

        • to maintain pregnancy

  • without fertilization

    • degenerates and forms small scar

      • corpus albicans

      • no progesterone

Fallopian Tube

aka Oviduct

fimbriae

  • finger like projections on end of oviduct

  • funnels egg in from ovary

Portions

  • infundibulum

    • first part after fimbriae

  • ampulla

    • after the infundibulum

    • where most eggs become fertilized

  • isthmus

    • after ampulla

  • uterine

    • last portion before uterus

Mucosa

  • simple columnar ciliated epithelium

    • move egg

  • Peg cells

    • help move egg

Muscularis

  • inner circular

  • outer longitudinal

  • peristalsis like waves to move egg

Hormonal Control

hormones produced by the pituitary gland

  • FSH - build follicles

  • LH - trigger ovulation

before ovulation is the follicular phase

after ovulation is the luteal phase

estrogen promotes build of endometrium

  • secreted by growing follicle in follicular phase

  • secreted by corpus luteum in luteal phase

progesterone maintains endometrium

  • secreted by corpus luteum

Menstrual cycle

  • menstrual phase

    • the beginning when bleeding occurs

  • proliferative phase

    • while follicle is building endometrium is building

  • secretory phase

    • after ovulation when the estrogen and progesterone are promoting growth of endometrium

Uterine Layers

endometrium

  • innermost layer

  • stratum basale

    • always present

    • regenerative cells for the build of next functionale

  • stratum functionale

    • what grows and sheds with cycle

  • simple columnar epithelium

  • extensive lamina propria

    • uterine glands

      • lined with simple columnar epithelium

      • mucoid secretion rich in glycogen

  • no line to divide basale and functionale

  • with proliferation, glands become spiraled

    • helps with implantation

  • very vascular with blood filled sinuses (lacunae)

  • menstrual phase, top will look broken

    • lose connective tissue, some glands, and blood

myometrium

  • smooth muscle

  • inner parallel (longitudinal)

  • middle circular (spiral)

  • outer parallel (longitudinal)

  • growth ability

    • 50 um when not pregnant

    • 500 um when pregnant

  • fibroids are benign tumors of this layer

  • cramps and contractions are within this layer

Perimetrium

  • outermost layer

  • continuous with peritoneum

Vagina

fibromuscular tube

external os of cervix to opening called vestibule

layers

  • mucosa - stratified squamous epithelium (non keratinized)

  • muscularis

    • inner circular

    • outer longitudinal

Accessory Structure

skene (lesser vestibular) glands

  • near vestibule

  • mucous secreting

  • for lubrication of vestibule

Bartholin (greater vestibule) glands

  • counterpart to bulbourethral glands

  • for lubrication of vagina

  • clogged ducts can form Bartholin cyst

Some Gross Anatomy

Uterus

  • fundus means bottom but is the top of the uterus

  • the middle part with the opening is called the body

  • at the bottom where it meets the cervix is called the internal os

    • os is the term for the abbreviation for ostium

Cervix

  • between the uterus and vagina

  • top is internal os and bottom is external os

  • cervical glands on each side

    • these secretions maintain mucous viscosity

      • thinner post ovulation to allow sperm to pass through

Vagina

  • top part is the external os

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