Female Reproductive Anatomy

Question 1

Describe the peritoneum that surrounds the tract

Answer 1

• connective tissue
• protects the tract
• continuous with broad ligament
• connects whole tract and suspends it within abdomen

Question 2

What are the sections within the peritoneum?

Answer 2

• serosa
• muscularis
• mucosa/submucosa

Question 3

Where does the peritoneum sit continuously with the broad ligament?

Answer 3

on ovary on anterior part of vagina dorsally

Question 4

Describe the serosa in the peritoneum

Answer 4

connective tissue to protect

Question 5

Describe the muscularis in the peritoneum

Answer 5

circular and longitudinal muscles

Question 6

Describe the mucosa/submucosa in the peritoneum

Answer 6

mucosa - lines lumen, consists of epithelial cells
submucosa - blood supply, nerves

Question 7

Describe the perineum

Answer 7

• region around anus and vulva
• section of skin sits between the two

Question 8

Describe the vulva

Answer 8

• swells when in heat
• external genitalia
• consists of labia and inner vulva

Question 9

Describe the labia and its function

Answer 9

• prevents foreign bodies entering
• right and left labia held in tight apposition together by vulval constrictor muscles
• sweat glands and hair follicles present

Question 10

What is the name of the area where the labia meet?

Answer 10

dorsal and ventral chalmysra

Question 11

Describe the inner vulva

Answer 11

• continuous with vagina
• clitoral fossa is ventral and contains erectile tissue

Question 12

Describe winking in horses

Answer 12

inversion of labia to show clitoris when sexually receptive

Question 13

Describe the vagina

Answer 13

• copulatory organ
• involved in urine expulsion
• rests on ischium of pelvis in good anatomy
• mucus secretion
• protective role
• thickness of tissue controlled by cycle & endocrine

Question 14

Where does the urethra open into?

Answer 14

caudal aspect of vagina

Question 15

Describe the cranial/anterior vagina

Answer 15

• columnar epithelial cells
• tall cells, often ciliated, some secretory properties

Question 16

Describe the caudal/posterior/vestibular vagina

Answer 16

• stratified squamous epithelium
• common to urinary and genital systems
• unciliated cells

Question 17

Describe the mucus production in the cranial vagina

Answer 17

• flushes out pathogens
• production and type controlled by oestrus, more during receptivity

Question 18

Describe the cervix

Answer 18

• sphincter muscle with high collagen content
• protects uterus from pathogens
• varied structure between species
• barrier to sperm
• tone and mucus controlled by cycle

Question 19

In which species does the cervix protrude into the vagina?

Answer 19

• cow
• mare
• bitch

Question 20

Describe annular rings and in which species they are present

Answer 20

• cow, ewe, sow
• interlocking projections which help in projection
• annular rings more tightly packed/projections more interlocked in sow

Question 21

In which species are there multiple cervical folds and describe them

Answer 21

• mare
• in line with the uterus
• often carry on up and into the uterus

Question 22

Describe the structure of the cervix in the bitch and queen

Answer 22

• similar to mare
• still have a thickening just no folds

Question 23

What tone is the cervix in oestrus, dioestrus and anoestrus?

Answer 23

• oestrus - pink
• dioestrus - white
• anoestrus - white

Question 24

Describe cervical mucus in the oestrus stage

Answer 24

thinner and more sterile

Question 25

Describe the position of the vagina in good anatomy

Answer 25

naturally collapses in vestibular region

Question 26

When does the cervix tightly close?

Answer 26

dioestrus and pregnancy

Question 27

What are the 3 tract seals for tract saftey?

Answer 27

- vulva - vagina on ischium of pelvis - cervix

Question 28

Describe the vulval tract seal

Answer 28

labia in tight apposition

Question 29

Describe the vaginal tract seal

Answer 29

- walls collapse creating a seal - also called vestibular seal

Question 30

Describe the cervical tract seal

Answer 30

tight sphincter

Question 31

What is seal competency affected by?

Answer 31

oestrus cycle and conformation

Question 32

Why is seal commonly poor in mares?

Answer 32

selective breeding for athleticism

Question 33

Describe vulval seal incompentency in mares

Answer 33

- anus sunken - faeces can enter vagina in defacation - vagina doesn't collapse properly onto ischium - odd angle of vagina so urine cannot drain

Question 34

What is the procedure for sunken anatomy in mares?

Answer 34

- operations can prevent faecal contamination - vagina sown with gap at bottom for urination, can be taken out for parturition - Caslick index - if uterine angle more than 150 degrees then operation required

Question 35

Describe the duplex uterus and give an example species

Answer 35

- rabbit - 2 cervixes creates 2 separate uterine horns - no uterine body -

Question 36

Describe a bipartite uterus and give example species

Answer 36

- sow, bitch, queen - small uterine body and longer uterine horns

Question 37

Describe bicornuate uterus and give example species

Answer 37

- cow, ewe, mare - horns are shorter, longer body - septum arises from horns and comes down into body of uterus

Question 38

Describe the mare bicornuate uterus

Answer 38

body usually longer than horns, 60:40 split

Question 39

Describe simplex uterus and give an example species

Answer 39

- primates - one cervix - uterus mainly body and no horns

Question 40

What is the split of uterine body to horns ratio dependent on?

Answer 40

size of litter

Question 41

What are the 3 tissue layers in the uterus?

Answer 41

- perimetrium (serosa) - myometrium (muscularis) - endometrium

Question 42

What is the perimetrium layer in the uterus

Answer 42

protective layer

Question 43

Describe the myometrium layer in the uterus

Answer 43

2 layers of muscle: - circular - longitudinal

Question 44

What are the 2 subsections of the uterine endometrium?

Answer 44

submucosa (stroma) mucosa (epithelium)

Question 45

Describe the submucosa section of the uterine endometrium

Answer 45

blood and nerves

Question 46

Describe the mucosal layer in the uterine endometrium

Answer 46

- endometrial glands - endometrial folds (sow, mare) - area of placental attachment - caruncles (ruminants) - area of placental attachment

Question 47

Where is semen deposited in each of the main species?

Answer 47

- dog - cranial vagina - tom, bull - vagina - ram - vagina, close to cervix entrance - stallion - cervix and uterus - boar - cervix, dorsal-uterine end, sometimes uterus

Question 48

Describe the fallopian tubes

Answer 48

- utero-tubular junction - called oviducts - found within mesometrium - covers site of ovulation in mare

Question 49

What are the 3 regions within the fallopian tubes?

Answer 49

- isthmus - ampulla - infundibulum

Question 50

Describe the isthmus layer of oviducts

Answer 50

- thick muscular layer - mainly secretory cells

Question 51

Describe the ampulla region of oviducts

Answer 51

- mucosal folds - secretory and ciliated cells

Question 52

Describe the infundibulum region of the oviduct

Answer 52

- funnel shape - mucosal folds - secretory and ciliated cells - closest to ovary - covers surface of ovary in cow, sow, pig