Female Reproductive System

ANAPHY LAB/ PPT-BASED

OVERALL FUNCTIONS OF THE FEMALE Bloodstream

REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
1. Produces sex hormones ❏Vagina(site of sperm deposition)

2. Produces functional gametes o Birth canal during delivery

o Passageway for fluids during
3. Protects and supports developing embryo menstruation
4. Maintains growing fetus ❏ External genitalia
5. Nourishes newborn infant Mons pubis
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE STRUCTURES o Pad of fatty tissue overlapping
❏ Female external genitalia symphysis pubis
o Vulva—outer genitals and urethra Clitoris
❏ Female internal genitalia o Contains erectile tissue
o Ovaries, uterine tubes, uterus, and Labia
vagina
o Contain glands that lubricate the
❏ Mammary gland of breast entrance to the vagina

o Produces milk to nourish infant ❏ Mammary glands

o Produce milk to nourish newborn
infant

❏ Female gonads are the ovaries

o Produce gametes (oocytes that
mature into ova) OVARIES
o Produce hormones ❏ Ovaries, uterine tubes, and uterus are
enclosed in Broad ligament.
❏ Female reproductive tract
❏ Uterine tubes
o Uterine tubes (deliver oocyte or
embryo to the uterus) o Run along broad ligament
o Normal sites of fertilization o Open into pelvic cavity lateral to
o Uterus(site of embryonic and fetal ovaries
development)
o Also site of exchange between
maternal and embryonic/fetal

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Female Reproductive System
ANAPHY LAB/ PPT-BASED

❏ Ovaries ❏ Stroma
o small , almond-shapedorgans near o Interior tissue of ovary
lateral wall of pelvic cavity o Superficial cortex
o Deeper medulla
Main functions o Gametes are produced in cortex
o Production of immature female
gametes (oocytes)
o Secretion of female sex hormones
(estrogens and progesterone)

Support of ovaries

❏ Mesovarium UTERINE TUBES

❏ Also called fallopian tubes or oviducts
o Thickened fold of mesentery
o Supports and stabilizes position of ❏ Hollow, muscular tubes about 13 cm long
each overy
❏ Transport oocyte to uterus
❏ Ovarian ligament extents from uterus to
ovary

❏ Suspensory ligament extends from ovary to 3 segments of uterine tubes

pelvic wall Infundibulum
o Contains ovarian artery and ovarian o Expanded funnel near ovary
vein o Fimbriae (projections) extend into
o These vessels connect to ovary at pelvic cavity
ovarian hilum, where ovary attaches o Inner surface lined with cilia
to mesovarium
Ampulla
❏ Visceral peritoneum of ovary
o Middle segment.
o Also called germinal epithelium o Thickness of muscle layers increases
o Covers surface and overlies tunica near uterus
albuginea
o Consists of columnar epithelial cells Isthmus
o Short segment between ampulla and
uterine wall

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Female Reproductive System
ANAPHY LAB/ PPT-BASED
❏ Functional anatomy of uterine tube
❖ Epithelium lining uterine tube
o Ciliated columnar epithelial cells
o Scattered mucin-secreting cells
❖ Mucosa is surrounded by concentric
layers of smooth muscle
❖ Oocyte transport
o Involves ciliary movement and
peristaltic contractions in walls of
uterine tube
❏ Uterine tube and fertilization
❖ For fertilization to occur
o Secondary oocyte must meet sperm
within the first 12-24 hrs in uterine
tube
❖ Fertilization typically occurs near
boundary between ampulla and
isthmus
❖ Peg cells in epithelium secrete fluid that
o Completes capacitation of sperm
o Supplies nutrients to sperm and pre-
embryo
UTERUS
❏ Uterus
Provides for developing embryo (weeks 1-8)
and fetus (week 9 throughdelivery)
o Mechanical protection
o Nutritional support
o Waste removal
Pear-shaped organ
❏ Uterine body
Largest portion of uterus
Ends at isthmus (constriction)
Fundus
o Rounded portion of uterine body
o Superior to attachment of uterine tubes
❏ Cervix
Inferior portion of uterus
Extends from isthmus to vagina
Distal end projects about 1.25 cm into vagina
❏ External os
o Opening surrounded by distal end of
cervix
o Leads into cervical canal
❏ Cervical canal
o Constricted passageway opening to
uterine cavity at internal os
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Female Reproductive System
ANAPHY LAB/ PPT-BASED

Many uterine glands

o Open onto endometrial surface
o Extend deep into lamina propria
Estrogens
o Cause uterine glands, blood vessels,
and epithelium to change monthly

UTERINE WALL
❏ Perimetrium
o Incomplete serous membrane
o Continuous with peritoneal lining
o Covers fundus and posterior surface of
uterine body and isthmus
Two divisions of endometrium
❏ Myometrium
❏ Functional layer
Thick, middle, muscular layer
o Contains most of uterine glands
o Thickest portion of uterine wall
o Contributes most of endometrial
o Constitutes almost 90% of mass of uterus
thickness
o Smooth muscle is arranged into
o Undergoes dramatic changes in
longitudinal, circular, and oblique
thickness and structure during uterine
layers
cycle
o Provides force to move fetus from
uterus into vagina ❏ Basal layer
❏ Endometrium o Attaches endometrium to myometrium
o Contains terminal branches of tubular
Thin, inner, glandular layer
uterine glands
Contributes about 10% of mass of uterus
❏ Changes in endometrium
Glandular and vascular tissues support
physiological demands of growing Basal layer remains relatively constant

fetus Functional layer undergoes cyclical changes

o In response to sex hormone levels
o Produce characteristic features of
uterine cycle

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Female Reproductive System
ANAPHY LAB/ PPT-BASED

VAGINA Vaginal epithelium

❏ Elastic, muscular tube
o Nonkeratinized stratified squamous
❏ Extends between cervix and vestibule o Forms folds (rugae)

❏ 7.5-9 cm long Vaginal mucosa

❏ Highly distensible o Surrounded by elastic muscular layer

o Layers of smooth muscle fibers
❏ 3 functions: o Arranged in circular and longitudinal
bundes
o Passageway for elimination of o Continuous with uterine myometrium
menstrual fluids
o Receives sperm during sexual Harmless resident bacteria in vagina
intercourse
o Supported by nutrients in cervical
o Forms inferior portion of birth canal
mucus
❏ Cervix projects into vaginal canal o Create acidic environment
o Restrict growth of many pathogens
❏ Vaginal fornix
Vaginitis
o Shallow recess surrounding cervical
protrusion o Inflammation of vagina
o Caused by fungi, bacteria, or parasites
Vaginal smear
o Sample of epithelial cells at surface of
vagina
o Used to estimate stages of ovarian,
uterine cycles.
EXTERNAL GENITALIA
Vulva (pudendum)
o Area containing female external
genitalia
Vestibule
o Central space bounded by small folds
(labia minora)
o Covered with smooth, hairless skin
HISTOLOGY OF VAGINA o Urethra opens into vestibule
o Anterior to vaginal entrance
Vaginal wall
❏ Urethral glands
Contains network of blood vessels and layers
of smooth muscle o Discharge into urethra near external
opening
Moistened by:
o Secretions of cervical glands
o Water movement across permeable
epithelium

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Female Reproductive System
ANAPHY LAB/ PPT-BASED

Clitoris MAMMARY GLANDS

BREAST
o Small projection in vestibule
o Derived from same embryonic Mammary glands
structures as penis
o Corpus cavernosum of clitoris forms o Specialized organs of integumentary
body system
o Produce milk (lactation) to nourish
Vestibular glands infant
o Controlled by hormones
Lesser vestibular glands
o Lie in pectoral adipose tissue
o Secrete onto exposed surface of Nipple
vestibule
o Contains ducts of mammary glands
Greater vestibular glands
Areola
o Secrete into vestibule near vaginal
entrance during sexual arousal o Reddish-brown skin around each
nipple
Mammary glands
Consists of lobes

o Each containing several secretory

lobules
o Separated by dense connective tissue
Mammary gland ducts
o Leave lobules
o Converge to form a lactiferous duct in
each lobe
Lactiferous duct
Forms expanded chamber (lactiferous sinus)
o 15-20 open to each nipple

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Female Reproductive System
ANAPHY LAB/ PPT-BASED

FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE FUNCTIONS Process of oogenesis

Oogenesis (ovum production)
o Begins before birth
o Accelerates at puberty
o Ends at menopause
-Primary oocytes remain in suspended
development until puberty
- At puberty

❏ Fetal ovaries o Rising FSH triggers start of ovarian cycle

Contain oogonia (female reproductive -Each month thereafter

stem cells) o Some primary oocytes are stimulated
o Undergo mitosis to develop further
o Producing diploid primary oocytes
(2n)
Ovarian follicles
❏ At birth
Specialized structures in cortex of ovaries
Ovaries contain approximately 2 million
primary oocytes o Where oocyte growth and meiosis I
occur
o Most degenerate in process called
atresia Primary oocytes
o Those that survive remain at
o Located in outer part of ovarian cortex
prophase I until puberty
o Near tunica albuginea
❏ By puberty o In clusters called egg nests

About 400,000 primary oocytes remain Primordial ovarian follicle

o Some are stimulated to finish o Primary oocyte and its surrounding

meiosis I, producing haploid follicle cells
secondary oocytes (n) Primary ovarian follicle
o Formed from an activated primordial
Oogenesis ovarian follicle
Cytoplasm of primary oocytes divides ❖ Zona pellucida
unevenly o Area of intermingling microvilli of
follicle cells and surface of
o Producing one secondary oocyte oocytes
with most of original cytoplasm
o And two or three polar bodies that
disintegrate
Ovary releases secondary oocyte
o In suspended metaphase II
Meiosis II is completed upon fertilization
o After which, a mature ovum is formed

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Female Reproductive System
ANAPHY LAB/ PPT-BASED

Secondary ovarian follicle

o Forms from primary ovarian follicle >Rising LH levels prompt completion of
meiosisI
Tertiary ovarian follicle
>Corona radiata - granulosa cells that
o Follicular fluid accumulates between remain associated with secondary oocytes
inner and outer cellular layers
o Twice the size of secondary ovarian
follicle

❏ Ovulation
o Tertiary follicle releases secondary
oocyte into pelvic cavity
o Oocyte moves into uterine tube by
Ovarian cycle
contact with fimbriae or by fluid
❏Monthly process of maturation, ovulation, currents
and degeneration of tertiary o Ovarian follicles that started but did
not complete development undergo
ovarian follicle atresia
❏ Divided into
o Follicular phase
o Luteal phase
Follicular phase (preovulatory phase)
>Tertiary ovarian follicle creates bulge in
ovary
>Oocytes and its follicular cells project into
antrum (central chamber of
follicle)
o Surrounded by granulosa cells
o Cells in adjacent ovarian stroma form
layer of thecal endocrine cells that
produce estrogens

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Female Reproductive System
ANAPHY LAB/ PPT-BASED

Luteal phase (Postovulatory phase)

Corpus luteum
o Forms from remaining granulosa cells
under stimulation of LH
o Yellow in color due to cholesterol
o Cholesterol is converted to
progesterone
o Prepares uterus for pregnancy
o Secretes moderate amounts of
estrogens
o Begins degenerating about 12 days
after ovulation

❏ Corpus albicans
o Produced from nonfunctional corpus
luteum as fibroblasts invade and form
scar tissue
o Marks end of ovarian cycle

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