EMBRYOLOGY OF THE INTERNAL

FEMALE PELVIC ORGANS

Dr. Shauntelle Winchester

The Internal Female Pelvic organs(true pelvis)
are the uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes and
ovaries
 GENITAL SYSTEM
• Sex differentiation is a complex process

• The Y chromosome, which contains the SRY gene on

its short arm(yp11) is important.

• SRY protein is the testes determining factor, under

its influence the male development occurs.

• In its absence, female development occurs.

 GONADS
• Gonadal development begins at week 4
• They appear as a pair of longitunidal ridges,
the genital ridges or gonadal ridges remain in
different until week 7.
• Finger like epithelial cords, the gonadal cords,
grow into the underlying mesenchyme,
dividing the ridge into the external cortex and
internal medulla.
• Primordial germ cells from the yolk sac
migrate by amoeboid movement along the
dorsal mesentery, invading the genital ridges
by week 6.
• Primitive sex cord is derived from
mesonephros and overlying coelomic
epithelium.
3 week old embryo showing primordial cells
Primordial cell mirgration
oocyte
THE FEMALE GENITAL DUCTS
 DESCENT OF OVARIES
• Ovaries are pulled down from lumbar region
to the pelvic cavity.

• They settle down slightly below the level of

the pelvic brim.
 FORMATION OF FALLOPIAN TUBE AND
UTERUS
• Descent of ovaries into pelvic inlet, the first
two parts of the duct on each side will form
fallopian tubes.
• Caudal fused parts will become the uterine
canal
• The fused paramesonephric ducts will give rise
to the fundus, body and cervix, as well as
upper part of vagina.
• The cranial end of the gubernaculum attached
between the lower pole and the ovary and
side of the uterus becomes the round
ligament of the ovary
• Whilst the portion crossing the sides of the
uterus till the end becomes the round
ligament of the uterus.
Picture with ligaments of uterus
 PARTS OF THE PARAMESONEPHRIC DUCT

• The paramesonephric ducts have three

portions:
1. an upper vertical segment which runs lateral
to the mesonephric ducts
2. a horizontal middle section which crosses
the mesonephric ducts
3. and another vertical portion running medially
to the mesonephric ducts.
• The stroma and muscular and connective
tissue elements of the walls of these
structures are induced in, and formed from,
the surrounding mesoderm.
• The fundus is developed by week 12 of
development, and the fallopian tubes, uterine
corpus, cervix and the upper vagina are all
fully developed by week 22 of gestation.
EMBRYONIC STRUCTURES AND DERIVITES
EMBRYONIC STRUCTURE FEMALE
INDIFFERENT GONAD OVARY

CORTEX OVARIAN FOLLICLES

MEDULLA RETE OVARI

GUBERNACULUM OVARIAN LIGAMENT AND ROUND

LIGAMENT

MESONEPHRIC TUBULES EPOOPHORON

MESONEPHRIC DUCT PARAOOPHORON

PARAMESONEPHRIC DUCT UTERINE TUBE, UTERUS

 USEFUL TIME POINTS
• Primordial germ cells develop in the endodermal yolk sac- week 4

• Germ cells migrate to mesodermal endothelium-

week 5

• Gonads remain as indifferent- week 6

• Secondary sex cords- weeks 10-12

• Primordial follicles – week 16

• The epithelial covering of the ovary and
mullerian duct are both formed b the
coelomic epithelium
 REFERENCES
• Thomas W, Sadler JL, Leland J, editors.
Langman’s Medical Embryology, 10th edition.
Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins;
2006
• Keith L, Moore T V N P, editord. The
Developing Embryo, 7th Edition . Philadelphia:
Saunders; Saunders 2003