Introduction to

Female Reproductive System

Functions of Female Reproductive System
• Formation of female gametes, ova
• Reception of male gametes, spermatozoa
• Provision of suitable environments for
fertilization of the ovum by spermatozoa and
development of the resultant fetus
• Parturition (childbirth)
• Lactation, the production of breast milk, which
provides complete nourishment for the baby
in its early life
• PUBERTY
• Onset of adult sexual life
• Developing of female glands
• Enlargement of breasts and erection of
nipples
• Growth of body hair, most prominently
underarm and pubic hair
• Greater development of thigh muscles
behind the femur, rather than in front of it
• Widening of hips
• lower waist to hip ratio than adult males
• Smaller hands and feet than men
• Rounder face
• Smaller waist than men
• Changed distribution in weight and fat;
more subcutaneous fat and fat deposits,
mainly around the buttocks, thighs, and
hips
• Menarche
means the time of the first menstrual cycle
AGE: Between 11 and 15 years
• Anovulatory Cycles
If the LH surge is not of sufficient
magnitude, ovulation will not occur and the
cycle is said to be “anovulatory”.
occurance:
1. First few cycles after the onset of
puberty.
2. Several month before menopause
• MENOPAUSE:
Menopause, or the climacteric, signals the
termination of reproductive function in the
female.
FSH and LH present
Estrogen diminishes
 Female Reproductive Hormones
• Female Sex hormones
– Estrogens
• Beta Estradiol (Most important estrogen)
• Estrone
• Estriol (Weak estrogen)
– Progestins
• Progesterone
• 17 Alpha hydroxyprogesterone
• Regulating Hormones
– GnRH
– FSH
– LH
• Androgen
• Estrogens • Progesterone
• Site of Formation: • Site of Formation
1. In Non pregnant Non-Pregnant female: Corpus luteum
females; Estrogens are mainly Pregnant female: Placenta
especially after the fourth month of
secreted in: gestation.
 Ovaries - Beta Estradiol. • Synthesis
 Adrenal Cortex – Estrone. Ovary contain Theca cells
 Peripheral Tissue – Estrone which secrete Progesterone.
 Liver - Estriol
2. During Pergnancy:
Tremendous quantities of
estrogens secreted by the
 Placenta. -Beta Estradiol
• Synthesis
– Ovary contain granulosa cells
which secrete Estrogens.
• Gonadotropin Releasing
Hormone (GnRH)
• Synthesized in the preoptic
region of hypothalamus
• Pulsatile release into
hypophyseal portal blood
vessels
• Secreted in short pulses
averaging once every 90
minutes.
• Luteinizing hormone (LH)
• Secretion of LH by the
anterior pituitary gland is
also cyclical, with LH
following fairly faithfully
the pulsatile release of
GnRH
• Follicle Stimulating
Hormone (FSH)
• FSH secretion increases
and decreases only
slightly with each
fluctuation of GnRH
secretion
 Physiological effects of Estrogens
• Effect of Estrogens on the Uterus and
External Female Sex Organs
• Enlargement of external genitalia due to
fat deposition
• Change of Vaginal epithelium from
cuboidal to stratified
• Increased size of uterus after puberty
• Proliferation of endometrial stroma
• Effect of Estrogens on the Fallopian
Tubes
• Glandular tissue proliferation
• Number of ciliated epithelial cells
increase
• Effect of Estrogens on the Breasts
• development of the stromal tissues of
the breasts
• Growth of an extensive ductile system
• Deposition of fat in the breasts.
• Effect of Estrogens on the
Skeleton
• Estrogens inhibit osteoclastic
activity in the bones stimulating
bone growth
• uniting of the epiphyses with the
shafts of the long bones
• Osteoporosis of the Bones Caused
by Estrogen deficiency in Old Age
• increased osteoclastic activity in the
bones
• decreased bone matrix
• decreased deposition of bone
calcium and phosphate
• Effect of Estrogens on Protein
Deposition
• Slight increase in total body protein
• Effect of Estrogens on Body Metabolism and Fat Deposition
• BMR increased only1/3rd as compared to testosterone
• Increased deposition of fate in:
– Subcutaneous tissue
– Breasts, buttocks and thighs
• Effect of Estrogens on Hair Distribution
• No effect
• Effect of Estrogens on the Skin
• Makes skin soft and smooth
• Increased skin vascularity
• Effect of Estrogens on Electrolyte Balance
• Slight sodium and water reabsorption
Physiological effects of Progesterone
– Effects on uterus
• Increased secretory changes
• Inhibit uterine contractions
– Effects on breast
Progesterone promotes
development of the lobules
and alveoli of the breasts,
causing the alveolar cells to
proliferate, enlarge, and
become secretory in nature.
However progesterone does
not cause breast to secrete
milk
• Effects on Fallopian tubes
Progesterone also
promotes increased
secretion by the mucosal
lining of the fallopian tubes.
These secretions are
necessary for nutrition of
the fertilized, as it traverses
the fallopian tube before
implantation
 STEPS Of GESTATION
1 Ovulation
2. Entry of ovum in the fallopian tube
3. Fertilization of Ovum Union of sperm and egg
• Fertilization occurs in upper end of oviduct within 8-25 hours after ovulation.
After this ovum loses its ability to be fertilized. Sperm retain its capacity to
fertilize an ovum as long as 72 hours after ejaculation.
Fertilization usually occurs in several steps

1. Transport of Fertilized ovum in the fallopian tube

2. Implantation of Blastocyst First 3 days after ovulation embryo remains in
follapian tube
• Enters uterine cavity and transform into blastocyst
• Floats for about 72 hours in uterine cavity
• Implantation occurs at around 5-7 days post ovulation

3. Development of Placenta and Early nutrition of embryo

 Early Nutrition of Embryo
• Under the influence of progesterone endometrial
cells get swollen and enriched with glycogen, lipids
and minerals
• After implantation these cells now called DECIDUAL
cells become more swollen and store more nutrients
• Trophoblasts invade the decidua (mass of decidual
cells), digest and imbibe and the stored nutrients are
used by developing embryo
• The embryo continues to obtain nutrients this way for
upto 8 weeks
Duration of Pregnancy
• Pregnancy is typically
broken into three periods,
or trimesters, each of
about three months.
• Obstetricians define each
trimester as lasting for 14
weeks, resulting in a total
duration of 42 weeks,
although the average
duration of pregnancy is
actually about 40 weeks.
Trimesters of Pregnancy
• LMP(First day of
menstrual cycle) to 12
weeks is first trimester
• Weeks 13 to 28 of the
pregnancy is called the
second trimester
• Week 29 to term is third
trimester
ENDOCRINE FACTORS DURING
PREGNANCY
HORMONAL FACTORS DURING PREGNANCY

1. Human chorionic gonadotropin

2. Estrogens
3. Progesterone
4. Human chorionic somatomamotropin
5. Relaxin
6. Other hormonal factors
 Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
• Secreted by syncitial
trophoblast cells
• HCG can first be measured in
the blood 8 to 9 days after
ovulation, shortly after the
blastocyst implants in the
endometrium.
• The rate of secretion rises
rapidly to reach a maximum at
about 10 to 12 weeks of
pregnancy
• Decreases back to a lower value
by 16 to 20 weeks.
• It continues at this level for the
remainder of pregnancy.
• Functions of Human Chorionic
Gonadotropin
• Prevent involution of the corpus luteum at
the end of the monthly female sexual cycle
• Stimulation of corpus luteum to secrete
larger quantities of Progesterone and
estrogens for the next few months
• Maintenance of Pregnancy
• Stimulates interstitial cells of leydig in fetal
testis to produce testosterone
• Descent of testis
• If the corpus luteum is removed before
approximately the 7th week of pregnancy,
spontaneous abortion almost always
occurs, sometimes even up to the 12th
week
• The corpus luteum involutes slowly after
the 13th to 17th week of gestation
• Estrogen
• Secreted by Syncitio trophoblast
• Functions Of Estrogen
• Enlargement of the mother’s
uterus
• Enlargement of the mother’s
breasts and growth of the breast
ductal structure
• Enlargement of the mother’s
female external genitalia
• Relaxation of pelvic ligaments of
the mother, so that the sacroiliac
joints become relatively limber
and the symphysis pubis
becomes elastic
• Promote Cell production in early
embryo, so promote growth
• Progesterone
• Secreted by Syncitio
trophoblast
• Development of decidual
cells
• Decrease contractility of
uterus
• Cell cleavage and
development of early
embryo
• Preparation of mother’s
breast for lactation
Human Chorionic
Somatomammotropin
• Begins to be secreted by
the placenta at about the
fifth week of pregnancy
• Secretion increases
progressively throughout
the remainder of
pregnancy in direct
proportion to the weight of
the placenta
• Secreted in quantities
several times greater than
all the other pregnancy
hormones combined
Relaxin
• Secreted by corpus
luteum and placenta
• causes relaxation of the
ligaments of the
symphysis pubis in the
estrous rat and guinea pig
• softens the cervix of the
pregnant woman at the
time of delivery
 Changes in maternal body

• Increased mothers cardiac output: • Haematological changes

30-40 % above normal 27th week
of gestation 1. Decrease in
• Heart rate increases(10-20 percent)
• Stroke volume increases(10 • RBC Count
percent)
• Mean arterial pressure decreases • Hb concentration
(10 percent) • Hematocrit
• Peripheral resistance decreases (35
percent) as a result there is no
hypertension associated with
normal pregnancy
2. Increase in
• BP declines in first trimester and
gradually rises to pre pregnancy • White cell count
levels thereafter • ESR
• Increased maternal blood volume
• Fibrinogen concentration
Pre-eclampsia • Eclampsia
It is a disease of pregnancy • It is the same condition
characterized by BP of as pre-eclampsia but it
140/90mmHg or more on has preceded to
two separate occasions after presence of convulsions
20th week of pregnancy in a
previously normotensive
women
This is accompanied by
proteinuria(> 300mg in 24
hour)
• Gravidity (no. of times pregnant)
a. Primigravida--------first pregnancy
b. Multigravida------- > second time pregnant
 Hormones of Placenta
• Estrogen
• Progesterone
• HCS( human chorionic somatomammotropin
causes decreased insulin sensitivity and decreased
utilization of glucose in the mother, thereby making
larger quantities of glucose available to the fetus)
• HPL(human placental lactogen was believed to
have functions similar to those of prolactin)
 Parturition

Parturition means birth of the baby

• Hormonal changes • Role oxytocin

• Changes in Estrogens- • Increased oxytocin receptors
progesterone ratio on uterus
Secretions of estrogens and • Increased rate of secretion at
progesterone continue the time of labor
throughout most of • In absence of oxytocin labor
pregnancy can prolong (animals)
but • Fetal hormones
7th months onward estrogen • Oxytocin from fetal
secretions continue to pituitary
increase while • Cortisol from adrenal glands
Progesterone remains • Prostaglandins from fetal
constant membranes
Ejection (or “Let-Down”)
Process in Milk Secretion
—Function of Oxytocin