The Female Reproductive System

Tharaka Dunuwila MD, PhD

Female genital
system
Organs:
Ø Paired ovaries
Ø uterine tubes
Ø Uterus
Ø Vagina
Ø external genitalia
Functions:
Ø female gametes ( oocytes )
Ø environment for fertilization
Ø holds the embryo
Ø Delivery
Ovaries
• Size: 3/1.5/1 cm
• Surface (or germinal) epithelium – simple
cuboidal epithelium – mesothelium
• Tunica albuginea - dense connective tissue
capsule
• Cortex - ovarian follicles
• Medulla -loose connective tissue and blood
vessels
• Hilum
Ovarian
Follicles
• Primordial follicles - primary
oocyte enveloped by a single
layer of the flattened
follicular cells - formed during
fetal life
• Primary follicle
• Secondary – antral follicle
• Mature, preovulatory,
Graafian follicle
• Corpus luteum
• Corpus albicans
 • primordial follicles -
primary oocyte
enveloped by a single
layer of the flattened
follicular cells
• Unilaminar primary
follicle
Ovarian • Multilaminar primary
follicle
Follicles • Secondary – antral
follicle
• Mature, preovulatory,
Graafian follicle
• Corpus luteum
• Corpus albicans
Graafian (mature, preovulatory) Follicle

Contains:
• Primary oocyte
• Zona pellucida - layer of extracellular material,
containing glycoproteins secreted by the
oocyte, The zona pellucida components ZP3
and ZP4 are important sperm receptors,
inducing acrosomal activation
• Corona radiata
• Cumulus oophorus
• Granulosa cells – proliferate under the
stimulation of FSH, produces estrogens ,
expresses AMH.
Graafian (mature,
preovulatory) Follicle
• Antrum – contains follicular fluid - liquor
folliculi
• Basal lamina - layer of extracellular
material
• Theca interna – stromal cells, have LH
receptors, produces androstenedione,
which is transported to Granulosa cells
layer and is converted to estradiol by the
granulosa cells by enzyme aromatase - an
FSH-dependent function
• Theca externa – consists of fibroblasts
and smooth muscle cells
 • Zona pellucida (ZP) - glycoprotein layer
produced by the oocyte that is
required for sperm binding and
Structure of fertilization
• Granulosa cells (G)
follicle - • Oocyte (O)
Primary follicle • Cortical granules - secretory granules
under the plasma membrane of oocyte
– important for cortical reaction during
fertilization
• Basement membrane (BM)
 • oocyte (O)
• zona pellucida (ZP)
• granulosa cells (G)
• antrum (A) – follicular fluid
(or liquor folliculi)
• Theca interna (TI) - steroid-
secreting
• theca externa (TE)
• corona radiata (CR)
• cumulus oophorus (CO)
Structure of follicle - Antral follicle
and preovulatory follicle
Wall of antral
follicle

• antrum (A)
• granulosa (G)
• basement membrane (BM) - separates
the theca interna from the granulosa
• theca interna (TI)
• Theca externa (TE) contains fibroblasts
and smooth muscle
• stroma (S)
Uterine tubes
and uterus
Uterine Tubes
Uterine Tubes
• Structure of the wall:

• Mucosa – folded, simple columnar epithelium, two cell types:

• Ciliated cells in which ciliary movements sweep fluid toward
the uterus
• Secretory peg cells – nonciliated, secrete glycoproteins of a
nutritive mucus, capacitation factors
• Lamina propria
• Muscularis
• Serosa
 • Acrosome reaction – release of hyaluronidase and activation of acrosin by
binding of sperm surface with ZP3 and ZP4 receptors of zona pellucida
• Fusion of plasma membranes of gametes
Fertilization • Cortical reaction – release of cortical granules, production of perivitiline
barrier
• Zygote - Fusion of male and female pronuclei
Acrosome reaction and a sperm
penetrating an oocyte
• Sperm binds to a
glycoprotein (ZP3) on the
zona pellucida
• The membrane of acrosome
and sperm Plasmalemma
fuse
• Acrosin and hyaluronidase
are released
• Zona reaction takes place
 • Binding and entering of one
sperm
• Cortical granules bind to the
Egg plasma membrane
• Content of granules enters
the perivitiline space
• Envelop becomes
impermeable for other
sperms

Zona reaction
Uterus
• Parts:
• Body
• Fundus
• Isthmus
• Cervix
• cervical canal
• internal os (L. os, mouth)
• external os
• Layers:
• Endometrium – mucosa -
simple columnar epithelium
• Myometrium – smooth muscle
• Perimetrium – serosa,
adventitia
 Endometrium
Mucosa:
• Epithelium - simple columnar
• ciliated and secretory cells
• Lamina propria

Layers:
• Basal layer
• Functional layer
Important structures:
• uterine glands
• straight arteries
• spiral arteries
• vascular lacunae

Maximum thickness of endometrium - 5 mm

Cervix
• Endocervical mucosa –simple columnar
epithelium
• Thick lamina propria, with
• Mucus - secreting cervical glands - many,
large, branched
• Exocervical mucosa - nonkeratinized
stratified squamous epithelium
• Transformation zone - an area just outside
the external os
• Cervical effacement – during labor
• Simple columnar epithelium (SC)
• stratified squamous epithelium (SS)
• Junction (J) between the columnar
epithelium and the stratified squamous (b) The epithelial junction (arrow) is seen
epithelium (SS) more clearly
 Mammary glands

• 15-25 lobes - compound tubuloalveolar

• 15-25 lactiferous duct
• Lobes are separated from the others by
dense connective tissue and adipose
tissue
• Nipple - 15 to 25 pore-like openings, each
about 0.5 mm in diameter
• Epithelium:
• Lactiferous sinuses - stratified
cuboidal epithelium
• Alveoli , ducts - simple cuboidal
epithelium, myoepithelial cells
• Areola - skin covering the nipple, is thin
skin with sebaceous glands, more melanin
 Lactating alveoli

(a)
• A - Alveoli - cuboidal epithelial
• M - myoepithelial cells
• L – lymphocytes
• P - plasma cells
• V – venules
• D – ducts
• Arrow – milk

(b)
• Secretory cells of the lactating
gland
• LD - lipid droplets
• CT - Connective tissue
Alveolar development in the • (a) adult, nonpregnant women (b) during pregnancy, (c) During lactation
breast during pregnancy • Lobules (L); Connective tissue (CT); Adipocytes (A); Glandular alveoli (A); Excretory ducts (D)