Microstructure of Female

Reproductive Organ

Muhammad Ghufron
Deparment of Histology and Cell Biology
School of Medicine GMU
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
TO REVIEW THE COMPONENTS OF THE
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

TO CHARACTERIZE THE GENERAL

ORGANIZATION OF THE OVARIES
TO UNDERSTAND THE HORMONAL
REGULATION OF OOGENESIS, OVULATION,
AND THE UTERINE CYCLE
TO IDENTIFY THE HISTOLOGY OF THE
REPRODUCTIVE TRACT
 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

OVARIES
OVIDUCT (UTERINE TUBES)
UTERUS
VAGINA
 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

OVIDUCT (UTERINE TUBES)

INFUNDIBULUM, AMPULLA, ISTHMUS, UTERINE

UTERUS
FUNDUS, BODY (CORPUS), CERVIX
 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

OVARY

GERMINAL EPITHELIUM

TUNICA ALBUGINEA
- thin connective tissue capsule
underlying germinal epithelium

CORTEX
- surrounds the medulla and
contains maturing follicles

MEDULLA
- central connective tissue
containing vascular supply and
nervous innervation
 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

OVARY
3 to 5 million OOGONIA differentiate into
PRIMARY OOCYTES during early development

OOCYTES becomes surrounded by squamous

(follicular) cells to become PRIMORDIAL FOLLICLES

most PRIMORDIAL FOLLICLES undergo

atresia leaving 400,000 at birth

oocytes at birth arrested at

Meiosis I (prophase)
 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

OVARY
THREE STAGES OF OVARIAN FOLLICLES CAN
BE IDENTIFIED FOLLOWING PUBERTY:
(each follicle contains one oocyte)

(1) PRIMORDIAL FOLLICLES

- very prevalent; located in the
periphery of the cortex
- a single layer of squamous follicular
cells surround the oocyte
OOGENESIS

(2) GROWING FOLLICLES

- three recognizable stages:
(a) early primary follicle
(b) late primary follicle
(c) secondary (antral) follicle

(3) MATURE (GRAAFIAN) FOLLICLES

- follicle reaches maximum size
 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

OVARIAN FOLLICLES
(1) PRIMORDIAL FOLLICLES
(2) GROWING FOLLICLES
(a) early primary follicle
- follicular cells still unilaminar but now are cuboidal in appearance
- oocyte begins to enlarge

(b) late primary follicle

- multilaminar follicular layer; cells now termed granulosa cells
- zona pellucida appears; gel-like substance rich in GAGs
- surrounding stromal cells differentiate into
theca interna and theca externa
(b) secondary (antral) follicle
- cavities appear between granulosa cells forming an antrum
- follicle continues to grow
- formation of cumulus oophorus and corona radiata
(3) MATURE (GRAAFIAN) FOLLICLES
 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

OVARIAN FOLLICLES

late primary follicle

 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

OVARIAN FOLLICLES

GRANULOSA (FOLLICULAR) CELLS

OOCYTE

ZONA PELLUCIDA
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OVARY

CORTEX
MEDULLA

CORPUS LUTEUM
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OVARY

CORTEX
TUNICA ALBUGINEA
GERMINAL EPITHELIUM

PRIMORDIAL
FOLLICLES
 OVARY

GERMINAL EPITHELIUM

TUNICA ALBUGINEA
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

OVARY OVARY H&E

PRIMORDIAL
FOLLICLES

EARLY 1
 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

OVARY OVARY H&E

CORPUS
ALBICANS
EARLY PRIMARY
FOLLICLES

PRIMORDIAL
FOLLICLE
 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

OVARY

LATE PRIMARY FOLLICLE

multilaminar
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OVARY

MATURE (GRAAFIAN) FOLLICLE

zona pellucida
cumulus oophorus
corona radiata
theca interna and externa
theca interna cells begin to
produce androgens that are
converted to estrogens
 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

HORMONAL REGULATION OF
OOGENSIS AND OVULATION

HYPOTHALAMUS release of GnRF which

stimulates release of LH and FSH from the
adenohypophysis (ANTERIOR PITUITARY)
 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
HORMONAL REGULATION OF OOGENSIS AND OVULATION
OVULATION
FOLLICULAR PHASE
10-20 primordial follicles begin to develop
in response to FSH and LH levels
FSH and LH stimulate theca and granulosa
production of estrogen and progesterone
surge of LH induces ovulation
LUTEAL PHASE
theca and granulosa cells transform into the corpus
luteum and secrete large amounts of progesterone
if fertilization does not occur, corpus luteum
degenerates ... if fertilization does occur, HCG
released from the embryo maintains corpus luteum
 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

HORMONAL REGULATION OF OOGENSIS AND OVULATION

OVULATION:

sharp surge in LH
with simulataneous
increase in FSH

Meiosis I resumes;
oocyte and surrounding
cumulus break away and
are extruded

oocyte passes into

oviduct

ECTOPIC
IMPLANTATIONS
 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

CORPUS LUTEUM
FORMED FROM FOLLICLE WALL WHICH
REMAINS FOLLOWING OVULATION
TRANSFORMED CELLS SECRETE
ESTROGENS AND PROGESTERONE:
(1) GRANULOSA LUTEIN CELLS
- large, light cells derived from
granulosa cells
(2) THECA LUTEIN CELLS
- strands of small cells derived from
theca interna
 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

CORPUS LUTEUM

(1) GRANULOSA LUTEIN CELLS CORPUS LUTEUM H&E

(2) THECA LUTEIN CELLS

(1)

(2)
 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

OVIDUCT
TRANSMITS OVA FROM
OVARY TO UTERUS

MEIOSIS II IN PROGRESS AND ULTIMATELY

ARRESTS UNLESS FERTILIZED

SITE OF FERTILIZATION

MUCOSA
EPITHELIUM AND LAMINA PROPRIA

MUSCULARIS
INNER CIRCULAR; OUTER LONGITUDINAL
INCREASES AS APPROACH UTERUS

SEROSA
 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

OVIDUCT

SIMPLE COLUMNAR EPITHELIUM

TWO CELL TYPES:

(1) CILIATED

(2) PEG CELLS (NONCILIATED)

 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

UTERUS
PERIMETRIUM, MYOMETRIUM, ENDOMETRIUM
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UTERUS
ENDOMETRIUM
undergoes cyclic changes which prepare
it for implantation of a fertilized ovum

TWO LAYERS:

(1) FUNCTIONAL LAYER (stratum functionalis)

- BORDERS UTERINE LUMEN
- SLOUGHED OFF AT MENSTRATION
- CONTAINS UTERINE GLANDS

(2) BASAL LAYER (stratum basale)

- RETAINED AT MENSTRATION
- SOURCE OF CELLS FOR REGENERATION OF
FUNCTIONAL LAYER

STRAIGHT AND SPIRAL ARTERIES

 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
HORMONAL REGULATION OF UTERINE CYCLE
(1) PROLIFERATIVE PHASE concurrent with follicular maturation and influenced by estrogens
(2) SECRETORY PHASE concurrent with luteal phase and influenced by progesterone
(3) MENSTRUAL PHASE commences as hormone production by corpus luteum declines
 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

UTERUS
PROLIFERATIVE PHASE

cells in basal layer begin to

proliferate to regenerate
functional layer
spiral arteries begin to lengthen
and revascularize developing layer

functional layer becomes thicker

than basal layer during late
proliferative phase

developing uterine glands are

tubular in arrangement
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UTERUS
PROLIFERATIVE PHASE

tubular uterine glands

simple columnar lining

 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

UTERUS
PROLIFERATIVE PHASE UTERUS H&E
PROLIFERATIVE PHASE
tubular uterine glands

simple columnar lining

UTERINE
GLANDS
 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

UTERUS
SECRETORY PHASE

functional layer thickens

glands become coiled and

accumulate large quantities of
secretory product
 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

UTERUS
UTERUS H&E
SECRETORY PHASE SECRETORY PHASE

functional layer thickens

glands coiled
COILED
UTERINE
GLANDS
 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

UTERUS
SECRETORY PHASE

functional layer thickens

glands become coiled and

accumulate large quantities of
secretory product
 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

VAGINA

MUCOSA
STRATIFIED SQUAMOUS EPITHELIUM
LAMINA PROPRIA

---------------- no glands ----------------

MUSCULARIS
INNER CIRCULAR
OUTER LONGITUDINAL

ADVENTITIA
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LABIA MINORUM
LABIA MINORUM H&E