Female Reproductive System!

• The ovaries are pair organs with cytogenic and endocrine functions.
• The ovaries are ovioid, flattened bodies.
• The length of an ovary is about 4 cm, the width is 2 cm, and the thickness is 1 cm.
• Each ovary has two surfaces: medial, in direction to the pelvic cavity, and lateral, to the pelvic wall.
• Each ovary has two margins: posterior, margo liber, and anterior, margo mesovaricus, which is attached by the mesovarium (a fold of the peritoneum).
• The ovary, uterus and the oviduct are located sideward of the uterus.
• The other primary and secondary follicles undergo atresia.
• During a typical menstrual cycle, one follicle becomes dominant and develops farther than the others.
• A group of follicular cells forms a cumulus oophorus, which is located eccentrically around the oocyte.
• The mature (Graafian) follicle appears on days 10-14 of the ovarian menstrual cycle, is about 2 cm in diameter, occupies the full ovarian cortex, and has a bulge on the ovarian surface, known as the stigma.
• The oocyte is covered by a zona pellucida and a corona radiata.
• The dominant follicle usually reaches the most developed stage of follicular growth, known as the Graafian follicle, and undergoes ovulation.
• The ovary is situated in excavatio rectouterina, on the posterior sheet of the broad ligament of the uterus.
• During the secretory (luteal) stage of the ovarian menstrual cycle, three zones of the endometrium can be distinguished: the compact layer (narrow zone), the spongy layer, and the basal layer.
• The uterus is supplied with blood by straight and spiral arteries and uterine glands.
• Cervicales are branched tubular glands that form distentions, known as ovula (cystes).
• The compact and spongy layers together are termed the functional layer, which is lost at menstruation.
• The supravasculosum (subserosum), an outer, thin muscular layer beneath the perimetrium, is the outer layer of the uterine muscles.
• The uterus is innervated by the pudendal nerve (pulled from the sacral plexus) and the pluaterovaginalis nerve, which contains sympathetic fibers.
• The perimetrium, a serous membrane, consists of loose connective tissue (adventitia) and one layer of epithelial cells (mesothelium).
• The basal layer, which is the deepest layer of the endometrium, does not participate in the cyclic changes and is not lost at menstruation.
• The uterus consists of the cervix, the endometrium, and the myometrium.
• The vasculosum, a thick middle layer of circular muscles with numerous blood vessels, is the main part of the uterine muscles.
• The uterus has a massive coat of smooth muscles arranged in three layers: the vasculosum, the subvasculosum (submucosum), and the supravasculosum (subserosum).
• The subvasculosum (submucosum), an inner layer under the endometrium with longitudinal arranged fibers, is the inner layer of the uterine muscles.
• The corpus uteri and the cervix uteri are joined by the isthmus uteri, a narrow zone of transition.
• The endometrium is with smooth surface, only in the cervix is thrown by folds, plicae palmatae, and is subject of cyclic changes during the menstrual cycle.
• The fundus uteri is the upper rounded part of the body from which the Fallopian tubes extend.
• In the cervix, there are additional glands, glandulae cervicales.
• The cervix uteri has two parts: the upper part, portio supravaginalis, and the lower part that projects into the vagina, portio vaginalis cervicis uteri.
• The uterus has two major portions: the corpus uteri or body, which comprises 2/3 of the organ, and the cervix uteri or neck, which is the lower, cylindrical portion.
• The uterus has two margins: margo uteri dexter et sinister.
• The wall of the uterus consists of three layers: the inner mucosa or endometrium, the middle muscularis or myometrium, and the outer serosa or perimetrium.
• The uterus has supporting ligaments: ligamentum uteri, ligamentum teres uteri, ligamentum sacrouterinum, and ligamentum cardinale uteri.
• The uterus has two surfaces: facies vesicales, in direction to the urinary bladder, and facies intestinales, to the rectum.
• The endometrium is firmly adherent to the underlying myometrium and is covered by a simple columnar epithelium with few ciliated cells.
• The uterus is located in the peritoneal part of the pelvic cavity, interposed between the Fallopian tubes and the vagina, with a thick wall, pear-shaped tubular segment of the female reproductive system, flattened anterior-posteriorly about 7 cm long, 80 g.
• The uterus is normally located more to the left or to the right part of the pelvis, lateropositio dextra or sinistra.
• Between the body and the cervix of the uterus, there is an angle about 170º, opened anteriorly, and between the whole uterus and the vagina, there is an angle of 90º, opened anteriorly.
• Except columnar cells, the epithelium of the Fallopian Tubes also contains mucous cells (goblet cells).