Female Reproductive I (The Ovaries)

Question 1

What is the hilus of the ovary?

Answer 1

A conduit on the anterior surface of the ovary for blood vessels and nerves that supply the ovary

Question 2

What are the four histological layers of the ovaries?

Answer 2

1- Germinal epithelium
2- Tunica albuginea
3- Cortex
4- Medulla

Question 3

What is the epithelium of the germinal epithelium?

Answer 3

simple, cuboidal epitheliuum

Question 4

What is the germinal epithelium continuous with/

Answer 4

The mesothelium that lines the mesovarium, broad ligament, and peritoneal cavity

Question 5

Describe the tunica albuginea?

Answer 5

dense, irrecular connective tissue

Question 6

What cell type is found in the tunica albuginea?

Answer 6

Fibroblasts

Question 7

What makes up the cortex of the ovaries?

Answer 7

Follicles and Stroma

Question 8

What are the cortical follicles made of?

Answer 8

Oocytes and follicular epithelium

Question 9

What is the stroma of the follicles made of?

Answer 9

Highly cellular connective tissue with some smooth muscle

Question 10

Describe the composition of the medulla of the ovaries?

Answer 10

Loose connective tissue and it contains blood vessels and nerves

Question 11

What are the two main functions of the ovarian follicles?

Answer 11

1- House germ cells (oocytes)

2- Produce estrogen

Question 12

What defines the outer boundary of the ovarian follicle?

Answer 12

basement membrane of the follicular epithelium

Question 13

Describe the blood supply of ovarian follicles?

Answer 13

They are avascular…the oocyte depends on follicular cells for delivery of nutrients and removal of metabolic wastes

Question 14

Which layer of the ovary has tremendous regenerative properties?

Answer 14

germinal epithelium

Question 15

When do oocytes form?

Answer 15

During female development

Question 16

What do primordial germ cells differentiate into?

Answer 16

oogonia

Question 17

What phase are oogonia arrested in before puberty/ menstruation? What are they called when they undergo this change?

Answer 17

Prophasse of the first meiotic division…they are now Primary Oocytes

Question 18

What cell type surrounds each primary oocyte? What do the cells reorganize into?

Answer 18

Stomal cells surround the primary oocyte and they reorganize into a follicular epithelium

Question 19

True or False: Oogonia persist in the adult human ovary.

Answer 19

True….this is a recent discovery. This might allow for artificial stimulation of new follicle formation as part of future therapies for infertility related to low follicle populations

Question 20

Describe the morphology of primary oocytes?

Answer 20

Very large, spherical cells with euchromatic nuclei

Question 21

What is the epithelium of primordial follicle? What does this suggest?

Answer 21

Simple, squamous follicular epithelium. Suggests low metabolic activity.

Question 22

What is the most numerous follicles in fertile ovaries?

Answer 22

Primordial follicle

Question 23

Where in the cortex are primordial follicles more densely packed?

Answer 23

In the outer cortex

Question 24

Does the apical or basal surface of the follicular cell face the oocyte?

Answer 24

Apical

Question 25

How would you identify a primordial follicle on a glass slide?

Answer 25

Primary oocyte + simple, squamous follicular epithelium

Question 26

What are the five stages of follicular growth?

Answer 26

``` 1- Primordial follicle 2- Unilaminar primary follicle 3- Multilaminar primary follicle 4- Secondary/ antral follicle 5- Mature/ graafian follicle ```

Question 27

What is the stimulus for follicular growth?

Answer 27

FSH activates a small fraction of primordial follicles

Question 28

What enzyme does FSH promote follucular cells to produce? What is the function of the enzyme?

Answer 28

Aromatase....converts androstenedione into estrogen

Question 29

True or False: The vast majority of primordial follicles become active during follicular growth.

Answer 29

False...the vast majority remain dormant

Question 30

What is the epithelium of unilaminar primary follicles? What does this indicate?

Answer 30

Simple, cuboidal epithelium. This shows increased metabolic activity.

Question 31

What changes are seen to the primary oocyte in a unilaminar primary follicle? The follicular cells?

Answer 31

Oocyte: Nucleus expands and organelles proliferate Follicular cells: cell proliferation and epithelial change

Question 32

How would you identify a unilaminar primary follicle on a glass slide?

Answer 32

Primary oocyte + simple, cuboidal follicular epithelium

Question 33

What do the follicular cells of multilaminar primary follicles produce?

Answer 33

Estrogen

Question 34

What is the epithelium of the multilaminar primary follicle? What is the epithelium now called?

Answer 34

Stratified, cuboidal....it is now called granulosa/ granulosa cells

Question 35

What is the zona pellucida?

Answer 35

Thick, eosinophilic layer of glycoproteins that is secreted by the primary oocyte

Question 36

What is the function of the zona pellucida?

Answer 36

Promotes sperm association and activation much later, during fertilization

Question 37

What do the granulosa cells/ follicular cells have that penetrate the zona pellucida to contact oocyte microvilli?

Answer 37

Filopodia

Question 38

What is the function of the gap junction between granulosa cells and the oocyte?

Answer 38

To facilitate in transport and signaling across the granulsa and zona pellicida

Question 39

How would you identify a multilaminar primary follicle on a glass slide?

Answer 39

Primary oocyte + stratified, cuboidal epithelium

Question 40

What is indicative of a secondary (antral) follicle?

Answer 40

1- Follicular liquid 2- Antrum 3- Cumulus oophorous 4- Corona Radiata

Question 41

What is folicular epithelium secreted by?

Answer 41

Granulosa cells

Question 42

What is follicular liquid?

Answer 42

A liquid rich in hyaluronic acid, steroid binding proteins and other substances

Question 43

What is the antrum?

Answer 43

A large, fluid filled space formed by follicular liquid accumulation

Question 44

What is the cumulus oophorous?

Answer 44

Mound of granulosa cells that protrudes into the antrum. It works to surround and anchor the oocyte into the follicle wall.

Question 45

How do you identify a seconday (antral) follicle on a glass slide?

Answer 45

Primary oocyte + stratified, cuboidal epithelium + one or more fluid filled spaces

Question 46

When a follicle is becoming a mature (graafian) follicle, what size is the follicle and how does it get this big?

Answer 46

about 2 cm...beause follicular liquid accumulates

Question 47

What follicle stage is stigma present in...and what is it?

Answer 47

It is present in graafian follicle stage and it is a bulge on the ovary surface caused by the mature follicle

Question 48

How do you identify a mature/ graafian follicle on a glass side?

Answer 48

Secondary follicle that pushes the ovary surface outward

Question 49

What happens to the stroma during follicular growth?

Answer 49

The stromal cells differentiate to form a sheath called the thecal folliculo

Question 50

What are the function of the 2 layers of the theca folliculi?

Answer 50

Theca externa: Supportive outer layer of smooth muscle, fibroblasts and collagen Theca interna: highly vascular inner layer with steroid hormone producing cells

Question 51

How doe the steroid hormone producing cells of the theca appear?

Answer 51

Pale and eosinophilic with foamy looking sytoplasm and large euchromatic nuclei

Question 52

What is atresia?

Answer 52

Programmed cell death of ovarian follicles

Question 53

When does atresia occur?

Answer 53

It can occur at any point during folliclar development

Question 54

Which trype of atretic follicles vasnish quickly? Which display dying granulosa cells with pyknotic nuclei?

Answer 54

Small disapear quickly Large display dying granulosa cells with pyknotic nuclei

Question 55

What is the corpus fibrosum? How does it form?

Answer 55

A TRANSIENT collagenous scar that the large atretic follicles form when they collapse and their basement memrane thickens

Question 56

What is the name for what theca interna cells that retains their hormone producing character after follicle atresia form?

Answer 56

interstital glands

Question 57

Describe the histology of interstitial glands?

Answer 57

Groups of hormone producing cells in the cortex (pale, eosinophilic with foamy cytoplasm and euchromatic nuclei)

Question 58

When are interstitial glands present with the greatest frequency?

Answer 58

During early puberty

Question 59

What stimulates ovulation?

Answer 59

LH...by triggering changes that weaken the follicle wall and increase follicular liquid production

Question 60

What happens in the HOURS prior to ovulation? What is produced?

Answer 60

The primary oocyte completes asymmetric FIRST meiotic division. A polar body results

Question 61

What is happens IMMEDIATELY prior to ovulation? What results?

Answer 61

2nd meitotic division begins but it is arrested in metaphase. A secondary oocyte results.

Question 62

When will a secondary oocyte complete its second meiotic division?

Answer 62

With fertilization (and a second polar body is formed)

Question 63

If a secondary oocyte is not fertilized, how soon before it degrades?

Answer 63

24 hours

Question 64

Why does the corpus luteum develop?

Answer 64

It arises from the ruptured follicle after ovulation because the walls of the ruptured follicle collapses into folds

Question 65

What is the role of LH in the formation of the corpus luteum?

Answer 65

LH converts the granulosa cells and theca interna cells into luteinized cells which undergo hypertrophy and the collapsed follicle wall thickens

Question 66

What are lipochrome pigments?

Answer 66

They accumulate in luteinized granulosa cells that give the corpus luteum its yellow color

Question 67

Describe what luteinized granulosa cells look like?

Answer 67

Large,pale, eosinophilic cells with foamy appearing cytoplasm and large euchromatic nuclei

Question 68

Describe what luteinized thecal cells look like?

Answer 68

smaller and darker than luteinized granulosa cells

Question 69

What hormones does the corpus luteum produce?

Answer 69

Progesterone and estrogen

Question 70

What happens to the corpus luteum in the absence of pregnancy?

Answer 70

It undergoes a form of apoptosis called luteolysis and the corpus ablicans forms.

Question 71

What is the corpus ablicans made of? How does it appear on a glass slide?

Answer 71

Dense collagen fibers (it is a connective tissue scar) Appears as a very dark, large, acellula, eosinophilic area