Anatomy Of The Female Reproductive System

Question 1

What is the venous drainage for the ovaries?

Answer 1

Ovarian vein - drains to the IVC on the right and the left renal vein on the left

Question 2

Where do the lymphatics that drain the ovaries drain to?

Answer 2

The aortic nodes at the level of the renal vessels

Question 3

What are the three ligaments that are associated with the female reproductive system?

Answer 3

Broad ligament
Ovarian ligament
Suspensory ligament of the ovary

Question 4

Where is the broad ligament, and how are the ovaries are attached to it?

Answer 4

• It’s draped over the uterus and uterine tubes, on both sides
• the ovaries are attached to the posterior layer by the mesovarium (a short mesentery)

Question 5

What does the ovarian ligament join?

Answer 5

It joins the ovary and the uterus by a fibrous cord

Question 6

What does the Suspensory ligament of the ovary connect, and what does it contain?

Answer 6

It joins the ovary to the lateral wall of the pelvis and contains the ovarian artery and vein

Question 7

Name the two pouches of peritoneal reflections

Answer 7

Rectouterine pouch

Uterovesical pouch

Question 8

What is significant about the rectouterine pouch?

Answer 8

It’s very deep, and is a common site for infection because it’s hard to reach for treatment.

Question 9

What is significant about the uterovesical pouch?

Answer 9

It’s very shallow and it the lowest fold in the peritoneum (in women)

Question 10

Where are the uterine tubes located?

Answer 10

In the free margin of the broad ligament

Question 11

Where do the uterine tubes open?

Answer 11

Into the peritoneum (is an open system - not directly connected to the ovary)

Question 12

What are the four different parts of the uterine tube?

Answer 12

Infundibulum
Ampulla
Isthmus
Uterine part

Question 13

What is the infundibulum?

Answer 13

A funnel shaped opening into the peritoneal cavity, fringed by finger like fimbriae

Question 14

What is special about the ampulla?

Answer 14

It’s where fertilisation occurs

Question 15

How large is the uterus in its resting state?

Answer 15

7-8cm long
5cm wide
2.5cm thick

Question 16

What are the four parts of the uterus?

Answer 16

Fundus
Body
Cervix
Isthmus

Question 17

Describe the cervix

Answer 17

The neck of the uterus

Contains the cervical canal, internal orifice and external orifice

Question 18

Where is the isthmus of the uterus?

Answer 18

The narrowing of the uterus between the body and the cervix

Question 19

What is a bicornuate uterus?

Answer 19

2 uteruses (each with one uterine tube)

Question 20

The uterus is both antefelexed and anteversed, what does this mean?

Answer 20

Antefelexion = the uterus is curved over the cervix
Anteversion = the uterus is bent at right angles to the vagina

Question 21

What is the blood supply, venous drainage and lymphatic drainage to the uterus?

Answer 21

Blood supply - uterine artery (branch of the iliac artery)
Venous drainage - uterine vein, draining to the internal iliac
Lymph drain to - the body drains to the para-aortic nodes, while the cervix drains to the internal iliac nodes

Question 22

What is the blood supply to the ovaries?

Answer 22

Ovarian artery - arising from the aorta at the level of the renal artery

Question 23

What is the name of the thick connective tissue that covers the ovary?

Answer 23

Tunica albuginea- covered in cuboidal, germinal epithelium

Question 24

What are the three layers that make up the wall of the uterine tubes?

Answer 24

Mucous
Smooth muscle
Serosa

Question 25

Where are the most folds of the uterine tubes mucosal lining found?

Answer 25

In the ampulla section

Question 26

What are peg cells, and what do they do?

Answer 26

Non-ciliated secretory cells that provide the oocytes, spermatogonia and zygotes with nutrients

• prominent on day 14 in response to progesterone
• remove glycoproteins from the sperm cap to help fertilisation

Question 27

What are intercalated cells?

Answer 27

A variation on peg cells

Question 28

What are the two layers of the endometrium?

Answer 28

Stratum basalis
Stratum functionalis
- which it also split into the stratum compactum and the stratum spongiosum (compactum lies over the spongiosum)

Question 29

What kind of arteries are found in the stratum functionalis layer, and what does this mean in relation to the reproductive cycle?

Answer 29

It contains spiral arteries, and so is shed during menstruation

Question 30

What’s the difference between the stratum spongiosum and the stratum compactum layers?

Answer 30

The compactum contains the neck of the glands and is thinner.
The spongiosum contains the body of the glands and is thicker (a more spongy appearance)

Question 31

Describe the stratum basalis layer.

Answer 31

Contains straight arteries and is the more cellular layer

- this layer remains during menstruation

Question 32

What happens to the endometrium during the proliferation phase?

Answer 32

The endometrium thickens and creates numerous glands

Question 33

What happens to the endometrium during the secretory phase?

Answer 33

The glands became coiled and secrete a glycogen rich secretion

Question 34

What is the epithelial lining of the uterus?

Answer 34

Pseudostratified columnar ciliated epithelium

Question 35

What is the epithelial lining of the vagina?

Answer 35

Stratified squamous non-keratinised epithelium

Question 36

Describe the wall of the vagina.

Answer 36

Lamina propria has many elastic fibres
Basement membrane has an irregular border with connective tissue projection form underneath to act as an anchor
Has smooth and skeletal muscle
An outer adventitia layer