Comparative Female Anatomy and Historical Perspectives

Reading

• Chapter 1, 2
• Handout 1 - Functional Anatomy of the Female
• Images of Female Anatomy, Histology and Reproductive Tract Diagrams

Comparative Female Anatomy

Ovarian differences

• Cow, sow, ewe, human
  1. cortex on outside
  2. ovulation over entire surface
• Mare
  1. inversion of cortex and medulla
  2. ovulation occurs only in the ovulation fossa
  3. has internal ovulatory follicle and corpus luteum

Uterine and cervical differences

• Uterus Type
  1. Duplex - opposum, mouse, rabbit
     • two cervixes, no uterine body, one or two vaginas
  2. Bicornuate - cow, ewe, mare, sow, bitch, queen
     • one cervix, uterine body, poor to good development of uterine horns, one vagina
  3. Simplex - primate
     • one cervix, uterine body, no uterine horns, one vagina
• Cervix
  1. Cow, ewe - cervix has annular rings, ewe has more obsticles
  2. Mare - longnitudinal folds
  3. Sow - interdigitating prominances, no fornix

Vulvar differences

• Labia majora - cow, ewe, sow, mare
• Labia majora and minora - human

Avian reproductive tract

• Ovary (hierachical follicular growth)
• Secondary sex organs (left side only, oviduct, magnum, isthmus, shell gland, vagina, cloaca)

Historical Perspectives

Aristotle - Generation of Species

• Fetus arises from menstrual blood
• Seminal plasma initiates the conversion of menstrual blood
• Semen from all parts of body

The age of gross anatomy

• Fallopius (1562) - Describes the oviduct
• Coiter (1573) - Describes the corpus luteum
• Regnier de Graff (1672) - Describes the antral follicle (Grafian Follicle)

Development of the microscope

• van Leewenhoek (1677) - Develops the microscope - Describes spermatozoa in semen
• Spallanzani (1780) - Sperm were the fertilizing agent in semen - Successful artificial insemination of a dog
• Dumas (1825) - Proves sperm the fertilizing agent

Modern Reprod. Physiology

• Gonads produce steroid hormones
• Cyclicity in females
• Radioimmunoassay (RIA)
• Artificial Insemination
• Semen Cryopreservation
• Prostaglandin used to control estrous cycles
• Biotechnology

Approach to Applications

• Develop basic knowledge of how system works
• Investigate methods that can perturb the system
• Manipulate the system to improve reproduction

Enhancing Reproduction

• Small improvements have profound effects on production

3% improvement in birth rate results in an additional:

1. 1 million beef calves/year
2. 3.2 million pigs/year
3. 3.7 million gallons of milk/year

Current Trends

• Continuing need to:

1. improve reproduction
2. understand how to apply new technology

Limiting Reproduction

• Humans
• Pets
• Insects
• Wildlife

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