female repro

estrogen, FSH, LH and progesterone

estradiol

ovaries produces gamates (eggs or ova)

• uterine tubes
• uterus
• vagina

tunica albuginea and germinal epithelium, outer cortex (form gametes), inner medulla (large blood vessels and nerves

• cortex, made up of immature egg (oocyte and surrounded by follicle cells)
• granulosa cells have more than one layer of follicle

egg needs to be ovulated

peritoneum

infundibulum, helps find ovulated egg

secrete muscus that blocks sperm entry except during midcycle

fundus

body of uterus opens to isthmus

opening to the cervical canal on the external side

• endometrium (stratum functionalis and stratum basalis)
• myometrium
• perimetrium

• uterine arteries branch into arcuate artersies in the myometrium
• arcuates branch into radial (goes through perimetrium and the myometrium)
• radial goes to straight (stratum basalis) or spirl arteries (stratum functionalis)

ring at the base of the cervix

• mucosa (stratified)-secretes mucous which has glycogen (acidic)
• muscularis (smooth muscle)
• advantitia (fibroelastic)

mucosa near the vaginal orifice forms incomplete partition 

oogonia (2n overian stem cells)

• before birth oogonia multiply by mitois and store nutrients
• primary oocytes develop in primordial follicles, begin meiosis but stall in prophase II
• one primary oocyte is selected each month to resume meiosis I

secondary oocyte and first polar body

• arrests in metaphase II; then ovulated
• if not penetrated by sperm, it deteriorates
• if penetrated by sperm, secondary oocyte completes meiosis II, yield ovum and scond polar body

• follicular phase (can change in number)
• ovulation (in midcycle)
• luteal phase (corpus luteum activity-number of days remains constant)

gap junctions

primordial follicle becomes primary follicle becomes secondary follicle (granulosa cells), which become late secondary follicle, which becomes tertiary follicle

• connective tissue (theca folliculi) and granulose cells produce estrogens
• inner theca cells produce androgens in response to LH
• zona pellucida forms
• fluid accumulates in granulose cells

FSH stimulates ovary to release estrogen (directly) or theca cells produced androgens which produce estrogen (indirectly)

• where gap junctions are located, between the oocyte and follicle cells
• has microvilli (increase SA) very easy to move nutrients between egg and follicle cells

• antrum forms; expands to isolate oocyte with corona radiata
• tertiary follicle bulges from external surface of ovary (which blocks blood supply to thin wall, cells die, which will allow follicles to burst out on the side
• primary oocyte completes meiosis I producing secondary oocyte and first polar body

follicles still around the egg as the antrum expands isolating the egg 

tertiary follicle bursts and ovary wall ruptures, expels secondary oocyte with its corona radiata to pelvic cavity

• more than one secondary oocyte is ovulated
• single ovulation, which causes the egg to be fertilized and then the egg divides

• ruptured follicle collapses, antrum fills with clotted blood
• granulosa cells and internal theca cells form corpus luteum
• no pregnancy, corpus luteum degenerates into corpus albicans in 10 days
• pregnancy: corpus luteum producese hormones that sustain pregnacy until placenta

• causes ovulation
• -triggers inflammatory response, weakens ovarian wall
• blood flow stops through protruding follicle wall: wall things, bulges and ruptures
• ovulation happens

• estrogen levels delcine
• LH transforms ruptured follicle (corpus luteum) which releases progesterone and some estrogen 

• makes progesterone and feeds back to prevent ovary from ovulating another egg
• LH regulates corpus luteum

remove feedback on FSH and LJ, increase hormone again

regulates corpus luteum and stimilates the theca and granulose cells that produce androgens

• low levels (prevent LH secretion)
• high levels: creates huge spike in LH secretion: triggers ovulation
• LH sells, constricts blood flow, causes ouvlation and corpus leuteum to produce progesterone

• corpus luteum degenerates when LH levels fall, creates sharp decrease in estrogen and progesterone, ends blockage of FSH and LH secretion
• cycle starts
• oocyte is activated 12 months prior to ovulation

first cycle at menarche (begins at puberty), cycle continues until menopause

prepare uterine lining for implantation of fertilized ovum, called zygote

• menstrul phase
• proliferative (preovulatory phase)
• secretory (postovulatory) phase (constant 14 days)

• ovarian hormones at lowest levels (GnRH) begins to rise
• functional zone of endometrium sheds as a result of constrictuion of arteries
• by day 5, growing ovarian follicles produce more estrogen

• rising estrogen levels promt generation of new statum functionalis layer, increased synthesis of pregesterone receptors in endometrium, glands enlarge and spirl arteries increase in number
• cervical mucus thins due to rise in estrogen (allows sperm passage)
• ovulation at end of proliferative phase

• begins at ovulation
• endometrium prepares for embryo
• rising progesterone levels 
• if fertilization does not occur, corupus luteum degenerates toward end of secretory phase (progesterone levels fall) endometrial cells begin to die; glands regress, menses begins again