Female Reproductive System

Front 1

broad ligament

Back 1

large fold of peritoneum that hangs over the uterus + tubes like a tent (mesentery)

Front 2

mesovarium

Back 2

part of the broad ligament that suspends/covers the ovaries

Front 3

suspensory ligament of the ovary

Back 3

lateral superior continuation of the broad ligament that anchors the ovary to the lateral pelvic wall; contains ovarian blood vessels

Front 4

ovarian ligament

Back 4

ligament that anchors ovaries to uterus medially

Front 5

tunica albuginea (ovaries)

Back 5

connective tissue covering of the ovaries (deep to germinal epithelium)

Front 6

germinal epithelium

Back 6

outermost layer of the ovaries

Front 7

ovarian cortex

Back 7

outer part of ovary; houses oocytes

Front 8

ovarian medulla

Back 8

innermost part of ovary; contains blood vessels, nerves, and lymph

Front 9

infundibulum (ovarian tube)

Back 9

lateral region of the ovarian tubes; an open funnel surrounded by fimbriae

Front 10

fimbriae

Back 10

ciliated fingerlike projections off the infundibulum of the ovarian tubes

Front 11

ampulla (ovarian tube)

Back 11

middle third of the ovarian tube

Front 12

isthmus (ovarian tube)

Back 12

most medial third of ovarian tube

Front 13

mesosalpinx

Back 13

part of the broad ligament that covers the uterine tubes; the 'fold' of the tent

Front 14

anteverted / retroverted

Back 14

tilt of the uterus; usually anterior, but in older women, may be reversed

Front 15

fundus (uterus)

Back 15

rounded region of the uterus superior to the entrance of the ovarian tubes

Front 16

isthmus (uterus)

Back 16

narrowed region of uterus inferior to the body

Front 17

cervix

Back 17

narrow neck of the uterus which projects into the vagina

Front 18

cervical canal

Back 18

main part of the cervix

Front 19

external/internal os

Back 19

ends of the cervical canal

Front 20

mesometrium

Back 20

part of broad ligament (mesentery) that anchors uterus to lateral pelvic walls

Front 21

lateral cervical (cardinal) ligaments

Back 21

ligaments that run horizontally from cervix/superior vagina to lateral pelvic walls

Front 22

round ligaments of the uterus

Back 22

continuations of the ovarian ligaments that descend through the inguinal canal and anchor on the labia majora

Front 23

perimetrium

Back 23

outer serous membrane of the uterine wall

Front 24

myometrium

Back 24

middle, smooth muscle layer of the uterine wall

Front 25

endometrium

Back 25

mucosal lining of the uterine wall; made of a simple columnar epithelium containing secretory and ciliated cells

Front 26

functional layer of endometrium

Back 26

luminal layer of the endometrium that undergoes cyclic changes

Front 27

basal layer of endometrium

Back 27

layer of the endometrium that does not undergo cyclic changes and regenerates the functional layer

Front 28

arcuate arteries (uterus)

Back 28

arteries in the myometrium

Front 29

radial arteries (uterus)

Back 29

uterine arteries that reach the endometrium; give off straight and spiral arteries to basal and functional layers

Front 30

oogonia

Back 30

female germ stem cells that give rise to lifetime supply of primary oocytes during fetal period

Front 31

primary oocytes

Back 31

oocytes arrested in prophase I; exist from birth to ovulation

Front 32

follicular cells

Back 32

cells that surround the oocytes in primordial follicles; become granulosa cells when they form a stratified epithelium

Front 33

primordial follicles

Back 33

follicles before they start to develop in the ovarian cycle

Front 34

primary follicles

Back 34

follicles during the first phase of follicular development (day 1-5)

Front 35

secondary follicles

Back 35

follicles during the second phase of follicular development (day 5-10); contain a stratified epithelium made of granulosa cells, zona pellucida, and theca folliculi

Front 36

granulosa cells

Back 36

follicular cells after they start to develop and form a stratified epithelium

Front 37

theca folliculi

Back 37

layer of connective tissue surrounding granulosa cells; secretes androgens

Front 38

antral follicle

Back 38

third phase of follicular development (day 10-14); contains an antrum filled with liquor folliculi and a corona radiata

Front 39

antrum

Back 39

in a follicle, a cavity filled with liquor folliculi that isolates the oocyte from its granulosa cells

Front 40

liquor folliculi

Back 40

liquid that fills the antrum in a follicle

Front 41

corona radiata

Back 41

layer of granulosa cells surrounding the zona pellucida that remains with the oocyte after ovulation

Front 42

mature ovarian follicle

Back 42

follicle at the end of its development, ready for ovulation

Front 43

ovulation

Back 43

event induced by an LH spike (day 14 of ovarian cycle) wherein the ovarian wall ruptures to release an oocyte

Front 44

secondary oocyte

Back 44

oocyte arrested in metaphase II; exists from ovulation to fertilization

Front 45

ovum

Back 45

an oocyte that has completed meiosis I and II; exists only during brief period of time between when a sperm contacts the oocyte and fertilization

Front 46

follicular phase

Back 46

days 1-14 of the ovarian cycle

Front 47

luteal phase

Back 47

days 15-28 of the ovarian cycle

Front 48

corpus luteum

Back 48

part of the follicle that remains in the uterus after ovulation; secretes estrogens and progesterone

Front 49

corpus albicans

Back 49

if implantation does not occur, corpus luteum dies and becomes this

Front 50

menstrual phase, proliferative phase, and secretory phase

Back 50

phases of the uterine cycle

Front 51

vagina

Back 51

thin-walled tube inferior to the uterus; has a layer of smooth muscle and an inner mucosa, which contains an elastic lamina propria and a stratified squamous epithelium

Front 52

vaginal orifice

Back 52

external opening of the vagina

Front 53

hymen

Back 53

part of the vagina's mucosa; an incomplete diaphragm covering the vaginal orifice

Front 54

fornix (anterior and posterior)

Back 54

the recesses formed in front of and behind the cervix where it projects into the vagina

Front 55

vulva/pudendum

Back 55

female genitalia external to vagina

Front 56

mons pubis

Back 56

a fatty, rounded pad covering the pubic symphysis

Front 57

labia majora

Back 57

female counterpart to scrotum; long, fatty, hair-covered

Front 58

labia minora

Back 58

thin, hairless folds of skin that enclose the vestibule

Front 59

vestibule

Back 59

space that contains the external openings of urethra and vagina; covered by labia minora

Front 60

fourchette

Back 60

posterior point where the right and left labia minora meet

Front 61

prepuce of the clitoris

Back 61

hood of the clitoris

Front 62

corpora cavernosa/crura

Back 62

internal parts of the clitoris

Front 63

gonadal ridges

Back 63

masses of intermediate mesoderm that develop in week 5; precursor to the gonads and sex cords

Front 64

paramesonephric (Mullerian) ducts

Back 64

(development) female sex cords; will become female ducts

Front 65

genital tubercle

Back 65

(development) small projection on external perineum during sexually indifferent stage; will become either penis or clitoris

Front 66

urethral groove

Back 66

(development) external opening for urogenital sinus (cloaca) that runs between genital tubercle and anus

Front 67

urethral folds

Back 67

(development) folds that flank the urethral groove; will become penile urethra or labia minora

Front 68

labioscrotal swellings

Back 68

(development) swellings that flank the urethral groove; will become scrotum or labia majora

Front 69

gubernaculum

Back 69

(development) fibrous cord that anchors on scrotum/labia majora that guides testes/ovaries into place