FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 TO REVIEW THE COMPONENTS OF THE
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 TO CHARACTERIZE THE GENERAL
ORGANIZATION OF THE OVARIES
 TO UNDERSTAND THE HORMONAL
REGULATION OF OOGENESIS, OVULATION,
AND THE UTERINE CYCLE
 TO IDENTIFY THE HISTOLOGY OF THE
REPRODUCTIVE TRACT
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 OVARIES
 OVIDUCT (UTERINE TUBES)
 UTERUS
 VAGINA
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 OVIDUCT (UTERINE TUBES)
INFUNDIBULUM, AMPULLA, ISTHMUS, UTERINE
 UTERUS
FUNDUS, BODY (CORPUS), CERVIX
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 OVARY
GERMINAL EPITHELIUM
TUNICA ALBUGINEA
- thin connective tissue capsule
underlying germinal epithelium
CORTEX
- surrounds the medulla and
contains maturing follicles
MEDULLA
- central connective tissue
containing vascular supply and
nervous innervation
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 OVARY
3 to 5 million OOGONIA differentiate into
PRIMARY OOCYTES during early development
OOCYTES becomes surrounded by squamous
(follicular) cells to become PRIMORDIAL FOLLICLES
most PRIMORDIAL FOLLICLES undergo
atresia leaving 400,000 at birth
oocytes at birth arrested at
Meiosis I (prophase)
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 OVARY
THREE STAGES OF OVARIAN FOLLICLES CAN
BE IDENTIFIED FOLLOWING PUBERTY:
(each follicle contains one oocyte)
(1) PRIMORDIAL FOLLICLES
OOGENESIS
- very prevalent; located in the
periphery of the cortex
- a single layer of squamous follicular
cells surround the oocyte
(2) GROWING FOLLICLES
- three recognizable stages:
(a) early primary follicle
(b) late primary follicle
(c) secondary (antral) follicle
(3) MATURE (GRAAFIAN) FOLLICLES
- follicle reaches maximum size
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 OVARIAN FOLLICLES
(1) PRIMORDIAL FOLLICLES
(2) GROWING FOLLICLES
(a) early primary follicle
- follicular cells still unilaminar but now are cuboidal in appearance
- oocyte begins to enlarge
(b) late primary follicle
- multilaminar follicular layer; cells now termed granulosa cells
- zona pellucida appears; gel-like substance rich in GAGs
- surrounding stromal cells differentiate into
theca interna and theca externa
(b) secondary (antral) follicle
- cavities appear between granulosa cells forming an antrum
- follicle continues to grow
- formation of cumulus oophorus and corona radiata
(3) MATURE (GRAAFIAN) FOLLICLES
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 OVARIAN FOLLICLES
late primary follicle
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 OVARIAN FOLLICLES
GRANULOSA (FOLLICULAR) CELLS
OOCYTE
ZONA PELLUCIDA
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 OVARY
CORTEX
MEDULLA
CORPUS LUTEUM
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
TUNICA ALBUGINEA
GERMINAL EPITHELIUM
CORTEX
 OVARY
PRIMORDIAL
FOLLICLES
TUNICA ALBUGINEA
GERMINAL EPITHELIUM
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 OVARY
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 OVARY
OVARY
H&E
PRIMORDIAL
FOLLICLES
EARLY 1º
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 OVARY
OVARY
H&E
CORPUS
ALBICANS
EARLY PRIMARY
FOLLICLES
PRIMORDIAL
FOLLICLE
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 OVARY
LATE PRIMARY FOLLICLE
multilaminar
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 OVARY
MATURE (GRAAFIAN) FOLLICLE
zona pellucida
cumulus oophorus
corona radiata
theca interna and externa
theca interna cells begin to
produce androgens that are
converted to estrogens
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 HORMONAL REGULATION OF
OOGENSIS AND OVULATION
HYPOTHALAMUS release of GnRF which
stimulates release of LH and FSH from the
adenohypophysis (ANTERIOR PITUITARY)
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 HORMONAL REGULATION OF OOGENSIS AND OVULATION
FOLLICULAR PHASE
OVULATION
LUTEAL PHASE
10-20 primordial follicles begin to develop
in response to FSH and LH levels
theca and granulosa cells transform into the corpus
luteum and secrete large amounts of progesterone
FSH and LH stimulate theca and granulosa
production of estrogen and progesterone
if fertilization does not occur, corpus luteum
degenerates ... if fertilization does occur, HCG
released from the embryo maintains corpus luteum
surge of LH induces ovulation
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 HORMONAL REGULATION OF OOGENSIS AND OVULATION
OVULATION:
sharp surge in LH
with simulataneous
increase in FSH
Meiosis I resumes;
oocyte and surrounding
cumulus break away and
are extruded
oocyte passes into
oviduct
ECTOPIC
IMPLANTATIONS
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 CORPUS LUTEUM
FORMED FROM FOLLICLE WALL WHICH
REMAINS FOLLOWING OVULATION
TRANSFORMED CELLS SECRETE
ESTROGENS AND PROGESTERONE:
(1) GRANULOSA LUTEIN CELLS
- large, light cells derived from
granulosa cells
(2) THECA LUTEIN CELLS
- strands of small cells derived from
theca interna
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 CORPUS LUTEUM
(1) GRANULOSA LUTEIN CELLS
CORPUS LUTEUM
H&E
(2) THECA LUTEIN CELLS
(1)
(2)
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 OVIDUCT
TRANSMITS OVA FROM
OVARY TO UTERUS
MEIOSIS II IN PROGRESS AND ULTIMATELY
ARRESTS UNLESS FERTILIZED
SITE OF FERTILIZATION
MUCOSA
EPITHELIUM AND LAMINA PROPRIA
MUSCULARIS
INNER CIRCULAR; OUTER LONGITUDINAL
INCREASES AS APPROACH UTERUS
SEROSA
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 OVIDUCT
SIMPLE COLUMNAR EPITHELIUM
TWO CELL TYPES:
(1) CILIATED
(2) PEG CELLS (NONCILIATED)
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 UTERUS
PERIMETRIUM, MYOMETRIUM, ENDOMETRIUM
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 UTERUS
ENDOMETRIUM
undergoes cyclic changes which prepare
it for implantation of a fertilized ovum
TWO LAYERS:
(1) FUNCTIONAL LAYER (stratum functionalis)
- BORDERS UTERINE LUMEN
- SLOUGHED OFF AT MENSTRATION
- CONTAINS UTERINE GLANDS
(2) BASAL LAYER (stratum basale)
- RETAINED AT MENSTRATION
- SOURCE OF CELLS FOR REGENERATION OF
FUNCTIONAL LAYER
STRAIGHT AND SPIRAL ARTERIES
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 HORMONAL REGULATION OF UTERINE CYCLE
(1) PROLIFERATIVE PHASE
concurrent with follicular maturation and influenced by estrogens
(2) SECRETORY PHASE
concurrent with luteal phase and influenced by progesterone
(3) MENSTRUAL PHASE
commences as hormone production by corpus luteum declines
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 UTERUS
PROLIFERATIVE PHASE
cells in basal layer begin to
proliferate to regenerate
functional layer
spiral arteries begin to lengthen
and revascularize developing layer
functional layer becomes thicker
than basal layer during late
proliferative phase
developing uterine glands are
tubular in arrangement
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 UTERUS
PROLIFERATIVE PHASE
tubular uterine glands
simple columnar lining
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 UTERUS
PROLIFERATIVE PHASE
tubular uterine glands
UTERUS
H&E
PROLIFERATIVE PHASE
simple columnar lining
UTERINE
GLANDS
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 UTERUS
SECRETORY PHASE
functional layer thickens
glands become coiled and
accumulate large quantities of
secretory product
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 UTERUS
SECRETORY PHASE
UTERUS
H&E
SECRETORY PHASE
functional layer thickens
glands coiled
COILED
UTERINE
GLANDS
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 UTERUS
SECRETORY PHASE
functional layer thickens
glands become coiled and
accumulate large quantities of
secretory product
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 VAGINA
MUCOSA
STRATIFIED SQUAMOUS EPITHELIUM
LAMINA PROPRIA
---------------- no glands ---------------MUSCULARIS
INNER CIRCULAR
OUTER LONGITUDINAL
ADVENTITIA
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 LABIA MINORUM
LABIA MINORUM
H&E