Reproduction Flashcards
(183 cards)
What is a teratoma?
Tumour formed by ectopic primordial germ cells. They’re usually benign, cystic tumours
What are germ cells?
Progenitors of sperm and egg. Arise outside gonads.
What are gonadal cords? What do they become and what is their significance?
Distal parts of many mesonephroc tubules fuse with invaginated coeliomic epithelial cords. They become infiltrated with primary germ cells and cavitation to form seminiferous ubules where spermatogenesis occurs.
What do the mesonephric tubules become?
Efferent ducts and rete testes which transport sperm to epididymis
What are Sertoli cells? Where are they derived from, what do they secrete and what is their function?
They are the first testis-unique cells to differentiate. They’re derived from coelomic epithelium and are critical for spermatogenesis. Secrete AMH in the embryo. Secrete inhibin and androgen binding protein later also
What is the role of AMH?
Initiates degeneration of progenitors of female reproductive ducts.
What are Leydig cells?
Cells of the testes that synthesise and secrete testosterone
What is the SRY gene? Briefly describe conditions such as XXY and XO.
= transcriptional regulatory gene that is activated within the progenitors of Sertoli cells.
XXY individuals are phenotypically male
XO individuals are phenotypically female
In females, what do the mesonephric tubules become?
Nothing. They degenerate.
What does Wnt4 do?
It has a suppressive effect on the differentiation of steroid-
producing cells. Important in ensuring females aren’t masculinised.
Overexpression in males may lead to cryptorchidism
In males, what does the mesonephric duct become?
The epididymis and the ductus deferens
What do the paramesonephric ducts become?
The uterine horns
How does the vagina form?
Evagination of the urogenital sinus plus the distal part of the paramesonephric duct
In females, the urethral folds and genital swellings form the…?
Labia
Scrotum in males
What does the gubernaculum form?
The scrotal ligament.
What is Klinefelter’s syndrome?
XXY genotype. Results from meiotic x-chromosome nondisjunction during oogenesis. Individuals are phenotypically male. Tortoiseshell cats.
What is a male pseudohermaphrodite? What about a female pseudohermaphrodite?
Male: phenotypically female with testes. Genotypically female (xx) but possess an autosomal gene with Y effect on their chromosomes. (Occurs in goats that are homozygous for polledness)
Female: phenotypically male with ovaries and testicular tissue present. Have an XX genotype with an SRY translocation
What is a freemartin?
Situation on cows with twins where blood crosses from one twin to the other. The XY present in the heifer calf prevents the development of paramesonephric ducts in the female . External genitalia often show some masculinisation
What are some basic differences between an oestrous cycle and menstrual cycle?
Species (non-primates vs primates) Length (28d vs 21d) Shedding of mucosa Sexual receptivity (heat) Length of follicular and lateral phases Time point of ovulation (oestrous cycle starts and ends with ovulation)
What are some things which may cause anouestrus?
Season Lactation Offspring Stress Pathology Pregnancy
What is the cycle length in sheep?
200-260 d (merino)
100-140d in blackface breeds
How is melatonin important in cycling?
Increased light -> decreased melatonin levels -> increased RF-aside related peptide-3 -> increased kisspeptin (in long day breeders) -> increased GnRH release
Pigs and ruminants have 21d oestrus cycles. Duration of oestrus differs how?
🐄 Cattle: 18hrs (ovulation is 10-11 hrs after end of oestrus) 🐑 Sheep: 24-36hrs (24-30 hours after beginning of oestrus) 🐐 Goats: 32-40hrs (30-36 hrs after beginning of oestrus) 🐖 Pigs: 2-3d (35-45hrs after beginning of oestrus) 🐎 Horses: 4-8d (1-2d before the end of oestrus)
Describe the oestrous cycle of the dog.
Oestrus occurs approximately every 7 months.
The beginning is marked by an LH surge which lasts 24-28hrs. Ovulation occurs approximately 2 days after the LH peak
Proestrus (when bleeding occurs) 9d on avg
Oestrus 8-9d
Dioestrus 57d in pregnant bitch
No sharp drop in progesterone