Female Repro Flashcards
(38 cards)
basic anatomy
- 2 ovaries
- repro tract : two fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, vagine (last 3 = internal genitalia)
how m +f differ in urinary tract
men - urinary tract same tract as ejaculatory duct/internal genitalia.
f: urinary tract is separate from repro
fallopian tubes + ovaries - connected?
how to carry ovum thru?
not connected.
- finger-like projections called fimbriae brush over surface of ovaries. if ovum present, will be picked up and drawn into fallopian tubes.
fallopian tubes have cilia that beat in direction of uterus. movement coaxes ovum through the fallopian tube into the uterus
female external genitalia
- mons pubis
- labia majora (~scrotum)
- labia minora
- clitoris (~penis, has corpora cavernosa, can tumesce)
- vaginal vestibule (contains urethral opening + vaginal opening)
- vestibular glands
glands in F external genitalia
skenes glands = on either side of vaginal opening. produce milky white secretion (~prostate)
bartholin’s, closer to vaginal opening - mucoid type of secretion (~bulbourethral)
what is hymen?
thin fold of mucous membrane partly overlies the vaginal opening
–can remain if non-penetrative sex has been had. but can rupture in other ways.
ovary function (2 main)
- matures oocyte + endocrine function in follicles.
- ovulation
- eggless follicle differentiates into corpus luteum
fetal development +oogenesis
develops primordial germ cells in ovaries as fetus. quiescent until puberty. but oocytes will go thru apoptosis over time.
- at birth has 1-2 million
- at puberty has 300-400 thousand.
- each cycle, cohort of oocytes mature, the one with most FSH receptors will develop into mature ovum + be released/ovulated.
production of sex hormones by ovary
- E, P and Inhibin.
- some Androgens produced too + aromatized to E.
- uterus primed for baby with hormones from corpus luteum. CL releases hormones to prep + maintain endometrium. if no fertilization, endometrium sloughed + CL degrades
ovarian microanatomy
- primordial oocyte surrounded by granulosa cells = primordial follicles.
- primary follicles
- secondary follicles
- Graafian vesicle: one ovum picked to mature
- graafian becomes CL
ovarian medulla vs cortex
where arterial inflow and veinous drainage is.
- Autonomic nerves trace blood vessels.
cortex: oocytes and follicle development
hormonal control of ovarian function
- dependent upon pulsatile secretion of GnRH.
- frequency + amplitude of GnRH pulse changes over course of menstrual cycle
- change in GnRH = change in Gn (FSH,LH), E, P,I
where do FSH, LH act?
FSH - granulosa
LH - theca cells
support development of follicle, ovum + direct ovulation
when + how does ovulation occur?
- day 14 of menstrual cycle may differ btw women, btw periods
- thin walls of follicle + ovary ruptured by enzymatic digestion
- carried out of ovary by antral fluid (optimal enviro) - pushes ovum out with fluid pressure
- need LH surge*
cells around secondary oocyte?
zona pellucida + granulosa cells
noticing change in ovulation?
heaviness in abdomen, feel rupture, local inflammatory reaction
FSH actions on follicles?
acts on granulosa cells
- stimulate proliferation to develop + mature
- contain aromatase, thus producing E.
- granulosa produce antral fluid to expand follicle
= dominant follice = Graafian has increased FSH receptors = higher sensitivity to FSH = greater E production.
LH on follicles?
- act on theca cells. theca cells differentiate from granulosa cells.
- theca cells produce A, which diffuses into granulosa allowing conversion to E.
E on follicles?
produced by granulosa cells + stimulates granulosa cells to multiply + continue E production.
formation of the CL
@ovulation: discharge ovum + antral fluid
granulosa + theca cells undergo phenotypic change after ovulation.
- increase size, accumulate lipid (yellow colour)
- mini-endocrine gland: secrete E, P, I= support endometrium + maintain enviro for uterus
- maxes out at 10 days + degrades by apoptosis.
- loss of function triggers menstruation
what does inhibin do?
negative feedback on FSH
- inhibit follicle maturation/development.
- but FSH (+LH) maintain CL, so with too much (-) feedback CL degrades.
two phases of menstrual cycle?
follicular phase: uterine bleeding as follicles develop, ~day 7 follicle is dominant + chosen to mature.
ovulation at ~day 14
- luteal phase: corpus luteum functions for ~10 days, then degenerates
LH + FSH hormone patterns in normal menstrual cycle
FSH: increases early follicular phase, then steadily decreases until mid-cycle
LH: constant in follicular phase. surge triggers ovulation.
- peaks 18hr before ovulation, then rapidly declines.
E+P hormone patterns in normal menstrual cycle
both low during menstruation. *no follicles/CL to produce
- no neg feedback allows FSH + LH to increase.
- need some follicle development/differntiation for E to form.
- E rises before ovulation = (-) feedback on ant.pit and hypothal - FSH declines, but E supports follicles to continue E production.
- if high E sustained for 24-36 hours, switches to (+) feedback [E action on kisspeptin neurons] = pronounced increase in FSH, especially LH = LH surge.
- P increases in luteala phase
- E high in luteal phase, but not enough for (+) feedback.
= both E+P = negative feedback, suppressing FSH +LH thus preventing maintenance of CL.
