Gross and Microscopic Anatomy of the Female Reproductive System – Part 3

Uterine/Fallopian Tubes

·       About 10cm long

·       Extend from the sides of the uterus between the body and the fundus

·       Open into the peritoneal cavity close to the ovaries

·       End of each tube has finger like projections – fimbriae

 

The wall composed of

Mucosa

·       Lined by simple columnar epithelium

·       Lamina propia – lies beneath squamous epithelium, loose connective tissue (is richly vascularis)

·       Characterized by longitudinal folds

Muscularis

·       Inner circular and outer longitudinal layers of smooth muscle

Serosa

·       Lined by simple squamous epithelium

Blood and nerve supply and lymphatic drainage are as for the uterus

 

Ovaries

·       Female gonads (glands producing sex hormones and the ova)

·       Pear shaped

·       Present in a pear

·       About 2.5 – 3.5 cm long 2cm wide and 1cm thick

·       Lie in a shallow fossa on the lateral walls of the pelvis

·       Each is attached,

-        To the upper part of the uterus by ovarian ligament

-        To the back of the broad ligament by a broad band of tissue, the mesovarium

-        Before puberty, ovaries are inactive but the stoma already contains immature (primordial) follicles (female has from birth)

-        During the child bearing years about every 28 days one or more ovarian follicle (Graafian follicle) matures, ruptures and releases its ovum into the peritoneal cavity – ovulation

-        It occurs during menstrual cycle

-        Following ovulation, the ruptured follicle develops into the corpus luteum (yellow body)

-        Then it turns into corpus albicans (white body) – a small permanent scar of fibrous tissue which forms finally

 

Two layers of tissue

1.    Medulla

-        Lies in the center and consists of fibrous tissue, blood vessels and nerves

 

2.    Cortex

-        Surrounds medulla

-        Has a frame work of connective tissue or stroma

-        Covered by geminal epithelium

-        Contains ovarium follicles in various stage of immunity

-        Each ovarian follicle contains an ovum

 

Blood supply, lymph drainage and nerve supply

 

Arterial blood

-        By the ovarian arteries (branch from the abdominal aorta)

Venous drainage

-        This is into a plexus of veins behind the uterus from which the ovarian veins arise

-        Right ovarian veins open into the inferior vena cava

-        Left ovarian vein into the left renal vein

Lymph drainage

-        To the lateral aortic and preaortic lymph nodes

-        Lymph vessels follow the same route as the arteries

Nerve supply

-        Parasympathetic nerves from the sacral outflow

-        Sympathetic nerves from the lumber outflow

 

Breasts

Breasts / mammary glands are accessory glands of the FRS

Exists also in the male, but in only a rudimentary form

Consists varies amount of glandular tissue and supported by fatty tissue, fibrous connective tissue

Each breast contains about 20 lobes

Each of which contains a number of glandular structures called lobules

Lobules open into tiny lactiferous ducts

Supporting fatty and connective tissues run through the breast surrounding the lobules

Breast itself covered in subcutaneous fat

 

Nipple

A small conical eminence the center of the breast

Surrounded by the pigmented area, the areola

On the surfaces of the areola are numerous sebaceous glands