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Female Reproductive System Lecture

The document outlines the development of the female reproductive system from the indifferent stage through differentiation and formation of internal and external genitalia. It begins with sex determination and development of the indifferent gonads. In females, the paramesonephric ducts develop into the uterus, fallopian tubes, and upper vagina while the urogenital sinus contributes to the lower vagina. A number of clinical defects can occur if development of the internal genitalia is disrupted. The external genitalia also progress through an indifferent stage before differentiating into female external genitalia.

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Jessy Onah
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
9 views

Female Reproductive System Lecture

The document outlines the development of the female reproductive system from the indifferent stage through differentiation and formation of internal and external genitalia. It begins with sex determination and development of the indifferent gonads. In females, the paramesonephric ducts develop into the uterus, fallopian tubes, and upper vagina while the urogenital sinus contributes to the lower vagina. A number of clinical defects can occur if development of the internal genitalia is disrupted. The external genitalia also progress through an indifferent stage before differentiating into female external genitalia.

Uploaded by

Jessy Onah
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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DEVELOPMENT OF FEMALE

REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
OUTLINE
• Sex differentiation / determination
• Indifferent gonads
• Clinical application
• Ovary
• Genital ducts
- Indifferent stage.
- Female internal genitalia.
• Vagina
• Uterine and vaginal defects( Clinicals)
• External genitalia
- Indifferent stage.
- Female external genitalia
Sex Differentiation
• This complex process involves many genes which
include some autosomes.
• Y-chromosome is the key to sexual differentiation
of primordial sexual organs.
• On its short arm resides the SRY gene (sex
determining region on Y-chromosome). The
protein product of the gene is the testis-
determining-factor.
• In its absence, female development is established.
• The genetic sex of the embryo is determined at
the time of fertilization.
Indifferent Gonads
• Male and female morphological characteristics do
not begin to develop until 7th week.
• The gonads begin as a pair of longitudinal ridges,
the genital or gonadal ridges, by proliferation of
the surface epithelium and condensation of the
underlying mesenchyme on the posterior
abdominal wall.
• Germ cells which originate in the epiblast do not
appear in the ridges until 6th week.
Indifferent Gonads
• Following gastrulation, the germ cells, by the 3rd
week, reside among the endoderm cells in the
wall of the yolk sack close to the allantois.
• By the 4th week the primordial germ cells migrate
along the dorsal mesentery of the hindgut.
• The germ cells arrive the gonadal ridges at the
beginning of the 5th week.
• They invade the ridges by the 6th week of
development.
Indifferent Gonads
• The gonads do not develop if the primordial
germ cells fail to reach the genital ridges.
• The epithelium of the genital ridge proliferates
and penetrates the underlying mesenchyme
to form irregularly shaped cords called the
primitive sex cords.
• In the indifferent gonad these primitive sex
cords are connected to the surface epithelium.
Indifferent Gonads
Clinical Application
• Two X-chromosomes are needed for complete ovarian
development. In embryos with abnormal sex
chromosomes such as XXX or XXY the following are the
outcomes:
• The number of X-chromosome appears to be
unimportant in sex determination.
• With a normal Y-chromosome the embryo develops as
a male.
• In absence of Y-chromosome, the embryo develops as
a female.
• Loss of SRY portion on short arm of the Y-chromosome
leads to female development.
Clinical Application
• Migration of germ cells to the gonadal ridge is not
affected by loss of an X-chromosome as in 45X0.
• Klinefelter syndrome 47, XXY or 48 XXXY – the most
common major abnormality of sexual differentiation
(1/1500 males). Characterized by infertility,
gynaecomastia, low androgen level and varying
degrees of impaired sexual maturation.
• Gonadal dysgenesis – streak ovaries, absence of
oocytes. Phenotypically female. Variety of
chromosome components may be present. X-Y
female gonadal dysgenesis ( Swyer syndrome) is due
to point mutations or deletion of the SRY gene.
Development of Ovary.
• This depends on the induction by the primordial germ
cells that invade the indifferent gonad by the 6th
week.
• It occurs in an embryo with XX sex chromosome
complement, absence of SRY gene and presence of
WNT4 gene.
• The primitive sex cords dissociate into irregular cell
clusters containing groups of primordial germ cells
and occupy the inner part of the ovary.
• Normally, they degenerate and disappear and are
replaced by a vascular stroma which forms the
ovarian medulla.
Development of Ovary

• Unlike in the male gonad, the surface


epithelium of the female gonad continues to
proliferate.
• By the 7th week, the surface epithelium gives
rise to a second generation of sex cords called
cortical cords.
• The cortical cords penetrate the underlying
mesenchyme but still close to the surface.
Development of Ovary
• By the 3rd month the cortical cords split into
isolated cell clusters, with the cell proliferation
still continuing.
• The cells begin to surround each oogonium with
a layer of epithelial cells now called follicular
cells.
• The follicular cells and the oogonium constitute a
primordial follicle.
• In the female gonad there is failure of the tunica
albuginea to develop.
Development of Ovary
Descent of the Ovary.
• Descent of the gonads is very much less in the
female.
• The ovaries descend to settle just below the rim of
the true pelvis.
• Gubernaculum, a fibromuscular band of tissue, is
attached to the inferior pole of each gonad.
• As the gubernaculum shortens the ovary is guided
toward the inguinal canal.
Descent of the Ovary.
• The expansion of the developing uterus traps the
gubernaculum in the wall of the uterus.
• The ovary is then arrested at the level just below
the pelvic brim.
• Ovarian ligament is formed by the part of the
gubernaculum between the ovary and the uterus.
• Round ligament of the ovary, the part of the
gubernaculum that extends from the uterus
through the inguinal canal to the labia majus.
Indifferent Genital ducts

• Both male and female embryos have two pairs


of indifferent genital ducts: mesonephric
(wolffian ) ducts and paramesonephric
(mullerian) ducts.
• Paramesonephric Duct:
• Arises as a longitudinal invagination of the
epithelium in the anterolateral surface of the
urogenital ridge.
• Opens cranially as a funnel-like structure into
the abdominal cavity.
Indifferent Genital ducts
• Runs lateral to the mesonepheric duct, then
crosses it ventrally to grow caudo-medially.
• Comes into close contact in the midline with
the duct from the opposite side.
• Caudal tip of the fused ducts projects into the
posterior wall of the urogenital sinus.
• A small swelling, the sinus tubercle results.
Indifferent Genital Ducts
Female Internal Genitalia
• The recognized parts in each paramesonephric
duct are :
• A cranial vertical part that opens into the
abdominal cavity.
• A horizontal part that crosses the mesonephric
duct.
• A caudal vertical part that fuses with its partner
from the opposite side.
• With the descent of ovary the main female
internal genitalia are formed by the
paramesonephric duct as follows:
Female Internal Genitalia.
• Uterine tube, from the first two parts above.
• Uterine canal – the epithelium of the corpus & cervix
of the uterus and the upper part of the vagina –
formed by the fused caudal vertical part of the
paramesonephric ducts.
• Myometrium & perimetrium(peritoneal cover) –
formed by the mesenchyme surrounding the uterine
canal.
• The broad ligament is formed by a broad transverse
pelvic fold extending from the lateral sides of the
fused paramesonephric ducts.
Female Internal Genitalia
Development of the Vagina.
• Dual origin; the uterine canal and urogenital sinus.
• The upper portion, from the uterine canal.

• Sinovaginal bulbs, two solid evaginations, grow out


from the pelvic part of the urogenital sinus shortly
after contact with the fused paramesonephric ducts.
• Solid vaginal plate is formed by the sinovaginal bulbs
as they proliferate.
• The cranial end of the vaginal plate continues to
proliferate thereby increasing the distance between
the uterus and the urogenital sinus.
Development of the Vagina
• The vaginal plate is fully canalized by the 5th month
of development.
• The vaginal fornices are formed by the wing-like
expansions of the vagina around the end of the
uterus.
• Hymen – a thin tissue plate consisting of the
epithelial lining of the urogenital sinus and a thin
layer of vaginal cells separates the vaginal lumen
from that of the urogenital sinus.
Genital Ducts in the Female++CHECK

• In the female sexual development does not


depend on the presence of ovaries or
hormones.
• The paramesonephric ducts develop because
of the absence of mullerian inhibitory
substance even in a genetic male. The
paramesonephric ducts form most of the
female genital tract.
Uterine and Vaginal Defects

• Lack of fusion of the paramesonephric ducts


results in a number of uterine defects.
• Uterus didelphys – double uterus, no fusion
of the ducts; associated with double vagina.
• Uterus bicornis- uterus with two horns with
one vagina.
• Uterus bicornis unicollis – a rudimentary horn
with one cervix.
Uterine and Vaginal Defects
• Uterus arcuate- uterus with slight projection
into the cavity.
• Double vagina –a rise from failure of fusion of
the sinvoaginal bulbs.
• Vaginal atresia –due to failure of development
of sinovaginal bulbs.
• Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster –Hauser syndrome:
absence of the vagina and uterus
Vestigial Structures from Embryonic
Genital Ducts
Female
• Epoophoron – remnants of the cranial
mesonephric (excretory) tubules in mesovarian.
• Paroophoron – remnants of the caudal excretory
(mesonephric) tubules in the meso-ovarian.
• Gartners duct/cyst – remnants of caudal portion of
the mesonephric duct found in the wall of the
uterus or vagina (the portion corresponds to vas
deferens and ejaculatory duct).
External Genitalia - Indifferent Stage

• The hindgut terminates temporarily at an ectodermal-


endodermal membrane called the cloacal membrane.
• By 3rd week, mesenchyme cells from the region of the
primitive streak form a pair of slightly elevated swellings
around the cloacal membrane – the cloacal folds.
• Cranially, cloacal folds unite to form the genital tubercle.
• Fusion of urorectal septum divides the caudal part of the
cloacal folds into urethral folds (urogenital) and anal
folds.
External Genitalia - Indifferent Stage
• Genital swellings, another pair of elevations,
form on each side of the urethral folds.
• The external genitalia are sexually
undifferentiated (indifferent stage) up to early
7th week of development.
• They are fully differentiated by the 12th week.
External Genitalia – Indifferent Stage
External Genitalia in the Female.

• It is unclear what the controlling factors are in


the development of female external genitalia.
• Oestrogens are, however, known to have a role.
• The genital tubercle elongates slightly to form
the clitoris.
• The genital tubercle in female is larger than in
male during the early stages of development.
• The urethral folds develop into the labia minora
External Genitalia in the Female
• The genital swellings enlarge to form the labia
majora.
• The urogenital groove bounded by the urethral folds
remain open and forms the vestibule
• The frenulum of the labia minora is formed by fusion
of the urethral folds posteriorly.
• The genital swellings fuse anteriorly to form the
mons pubis and anterior labial commissure.
• They fuse posteriorly to form posterior labial
commissure.
External Genitalia in the Female

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