An Sci/ Dairy Sci 434

• Chapter 1, 2
• Handout 1 - Functional Anatomy of the Female (a short concise summary of female anatomy)
• Images of Female Anatomy, Histology and Reproductive Tract Diagrams

Female reproductive tract gross anatomy - The Mare

Species, common name, adult female, adult male

• bovine, cattle, cow, bull
• ovine, sheep, ewe, ram
• equine, horse, mare, stallion
• porcine, swine (pigs), sow, boar
• canine, dog, bitch
• feline, tom, queen

Main features of the female reproductive tract (gross anatomy)

Suspensory Ligaments of the Reproductive Tract

• Broad ligament
  • mesometrium
  • mesovarian
  • mesosalpinx

Primary sex organ - the ovary

• Functions
  • Hormonal
    • Estrogen
    • Progesterone
  • Female gamete
    • Oocyte
• Shape - Equine
  • Kidney Bean
• Ovary Types
  • Equine
    • Medulla on outside, cortex on inside
    • Follicles and CL in cortex
  • Bovine and other species
    • Cortex on outside, medula on inside
    • Follicles and CL on outside
• Internal Structures
  • Medulla
  • Cortex
    1. follicles
       • primordial, primary, secondary, tertiary, ovulation
    2. corpus hemorrhagicum
    3. corpus luteum
    4. corpus albicans
    5. atretic follicle
• Ovulation
  • Ruputure of follicle
  • Equine - ovulation fossa only
  • Other species over entire surface of ovary
• Other ovarian structures
  • Germinal Epithelium - mare (ovulation fossa area), other species (entire surface)
    • 85% of ovarian cancers
  • Surface equine - Tunica Albuginea
  • Hilus - entry of blood vessels, lymph, nerves
• Follicles
  • Primordial - surrounded by flattened cells
  • Primary - follicle cells increase and size and become cuboidal
  • Secondary - multiple layers of follicle cells
  • Tertiary - fluid filled (antrum), diferentiation of follicle cells (granulosa cells, theca interna, theca externa)
  • follicular blood supply - does not penetrate basement membrane and only to theca interna cells

Reproductive tract is a series of tubes

• Serosa
• Muscularis
  • Longitudinal smooth muscle
  • Circular smooth muscle
• Submucosa
• Mucosa
• Lumen

Secondary sex organs - the tubes to convey the oocyte/embryo/fetus to the outside

• Oviduct
1. Functions
   • Gamete Transport
     • Sperm
     • Oocyte
   • Supports early embryo development
   • Transport of embryo to uterus
2. Parts
   • fimbria, infundibulum, ostium, ampulla, isthmus, ampullary-isthmic junction, uterotubal junction
3. Mucosa
   • consists of non-ciliated and ciliated columnar cells
• Uterus
  1. Functions
     • Muscle contractions
     • Transport sperm
     • Expel fetus and placenta
     • Absorption and phagocytosis
     • Partially prepares sperm for fertilization
       • capacitation
     • Provides environment for embryo and fetal growth
     • Hormone production
       • Prostaglandin F2 alpha
  2. Parts
     • uterine horns (2), uterine body (1)
  3. Type
     • bicornuate - 2 uterine horns, 1 uterine body, one cervix, 1 vagina
  4. Uterine histology
     perimetrium, myometrium, endometrium, uterine glands
• Cervix
  1. Function
     • Transport of sperm
     • Barrier to sperm (species dependent)
     • Reservoir for sperm
     • Blocking bacterial invasion during pregnancy
     • Birth canal
  2. Parts
     • composed of connective tissue
     • internal os, external os, longitudinal folds
     • protudes into vagina, forms fornix
• Vagina
  1. Functions
     • Copulatory organ
     • Glands secrete lubrication
     • Birth canal
     • Glands secrete pheromones
  2. Parts
     • anterior, fornix, posterior (vestibule), hymen or vulva-vaginal sphincter, urethral opening
  3. Vaginal histology
     • columnar epithelium in anterior
     • stratified squamous epithelium in posterior

External genitalia

• vulva
  1. Function
     • entrance to vagina
     • sensory organ
  2. Parts
     • labia, clitoris

Review:

Online review quizzes

Additional Items

1. Be sure you can describe each of the following structures and its location.
   
   
   

   zona pellucida	corpus luteum	uterotubal junction	external cervical os
   corona radiata	corpus hemorrhagicum	uterus	vagina
   cumulus oophorus	corpus albicans	endometrium	clitoris
   follicular fluid	infundibulum	myometrium	mesovarium
   theca interna	isthmus	perimetrium	mesosalpinx
   granulosa cells	ampulla	internal cervical os	mesometrium