Tunica albuginea: connective tissue cortex of the ovary (and testis)
Cumulus oophorus: granulosa cells on which the ovum is projected into the follicular antrum
Atresia: follicular degeneration; fate of most ovarian follicles
Zona pellucida: glycoprotein coat of the ovum
Ovulation stigma: protrusion along the ovarian wall indicative of impending rupture
Fossa: ovarian depression from which ovulation occurs in some species (eg., mare)
Common epithelial ovarian cancer: > 90% of all ovarian cancers arise from ovarian surface epithelium that is traumatized (DNA damage) at ovulation; very lethal because it usually goes undiagnosed until advanced metastasis
Mesovarium: supportive ligament of the ovary
Mesosalpinx: supportive ligament of the oviduct
Mesometrium: supportive ligament of the uterus
Diapedesis: passage of cells through the essentially intact wall of blood vessels; stimulated by estradiol in the uterus of the proestrous bitch and metestrous cow
Spiral artery: deep endometrial blood vessels of some primates
(humans, apes,
Dysmenorrhea: uterine cramping associated with menses
Endometriosis: ectopic growth of uterine tissue - usually displaced to the oviducts and pelvic cavity during menstruation; can cause adhesions, pain, and infertility
PMS: premenstrual syndrome; associated with the luteal phase; symptoms include moodiness, weight gain, breast tenderness; etiology uncertain
Premature ovarian failure: autoimmune follicular exhaustion (menopause) at an early age (< 40 years)
Polar body: nuclear fragment of oogenesis (meiotic maturation)
Luteinization: transformation of follicular (theca, granulosa) cells into luteal (small, large) cells
Angiogenesis: neovascularization; characteristic of luteinization
Luteinized unruptured follicle syndrome: luteinization without ovulation; a subtle cause of infertility; produced experimentally by NSAIDs
Folliculogenesis: primordial > primary (fully grown oocyte with a single layer of granulosa cells) > secondary (granulosa proliferation into multiple layers) > tertiary (antral formation, thecal differentiation) > preovulatory (Graafian) � corpus hemorrhagicum (ruptured follicle, luteinization) > corpus luteum > corpus albicans (regressed CL)
Theca externa: outer connective tissue/smooth muscular layer of the follicle; contractile activity contributes to the ovulatory process
Theca interna: loose connective tissue matrix between the theca externa and membrana granulosa; contains capillary beds and steroidogenic cells
Granulosa: steroidogenic epithelial cells that line the follicular cavity; interact with the ovum
Oviduct: infundibulum (expanded funnel-end; ovum pick-up); ampulla (body; fertilization); isthmus (utero-tubal junction; controls sperm and ovum transit)
Uterus: endometrium (mucosa/submucosa; implantation/gestation)
Stratum functionalis: luminal component of the endometrium that is sloughed after steroid withdrawal
Stratum basalis: (intact) basal component of the endometrium that proliferates to rebuild the functionalis
Myometrium: muscularis of the uterus (sperm transport, parturition)
Cervix: neck of the uterus; sphincter that controls uterine access (sperm entry, parturition) or not (pregnancy)
Vagina: copulatory organ
Didelphic: no uterine body, two uterine horns, two cervices, two vagina (marsupials, platypus)
Duplex: no body, two horns, two cervices, one vagina (rodents, rabbit)
Bicornuate: small body, two horns, one cervix, one vagina (pig, marine mammals)
Bipartite: large body, two horns, one cervix, one vagina (ruminants, horse, cat, dog)
Simplex: dominant body, no horns, one cervix, one vagina (primates)
Reflex ovulation: occurs in response to neural (mating) stimulation of the POA (rabbit, cat)
Steroid feedback: low progesterone/low estradiol (early follicular phase) > ARC activated; low progesterone/high estradiol (late follicular phase) > increased pituitary sensitivity to GnRH/POA activated (positive feedback); high progesterone (luteal phase) > negative feedback
Hormonal interrelationships of spontaneous (estrous) cycles: increased PGF2a > decreased luteal progesterone > increased tonic GnRH production > increased FSH/LH > increased follicular estradiol production > increased pituitary GnRH receptors/surge GnRH release > preovulatory gonadotropin surge > ovulation/luteinization > decreased (granulosa) inhibin > secondary FSH surge > follicular growth (ovulation at next estrus)� increased progesterone (negative feedback)
Two-cell/two-gonadotropin mechanism of follicular steroidogenesis: LH > theca interna cell > androgen; FSH > granulosa cell > estradiol
Proestrus: luteolysis > preovulatory follicular growth
Estrus: sexual receptivity; ovulation; oviduct/uterine contractility; endometrial proliferation; cervical dilation/mucus secretion; vaginal cornification
Metestrus: CL formation
Diestrus: CL function; uterine quiescence; secretory endometrium; cervical constriction/plug formation
[proestrus + estrus = follicular phase; metestrus + diestrus = luteal phase]
Durations (days) of estrus and estrous cycles: rat/mouse (0.5, 4); sheep (2, 17); pig (2, 21); cattle (0.5, 21); horse (5, 21); dog (7, 60)
Advantages of estrous synchronization: efficient use of AI; uniform calf crop
Disadvantages of estrous synchronization: cost; labor; skill; facilities; lower conception than natural breeding
Progestin: mimic the luteal phase - follicular growth, estrus, and ovulation follow removal of feedback inhibition; advantages - good synchronization (timed breeding is an option) and anestrous animals can respond; disadvantages - expense and labor intensive
Prostaglandin: causes luteal regression (removal of negative feedback); advantage - economical (one-injection system); disadvantages - animals must be cycling and in the responsive luteal phase, more variable return to estrus than progestin (estrous detection recommended); can cause abortion
Menstrual cycle: menses (d 1-5); follicular phase (d 6-13); ovulatory phase (d 14); luteal phase (d 15-28)
Comparison to estrous cycle: menstruation; sexual receptivity outside the ovulatory phase; luteal estradiol production; long follicular phase (no secondary FSH surge)
Contraceptive mechanisms of oral steroids: ovulation blockade; alterations of cervical mucus (plug), endometrial development, and tubal motility
Noncontraceptive medical benefits: decreased incidences of ovarian and endometrial neoplasia, dysmenorrhea, PMS, pelvic inflammatory disease, cystic ovarian disease, endometriosis, benign breast disease, break-through bleeding, iron deficiency anemia, androgen-dependent acne
Menopausal etiology: estrogen depletion due to chronic atretic oocyte/follicular loss
Symptoms: emotional upset; hot flashes; osteoporosis (estrogens aid in bone calcification); hypersecretion of gonadotropins (hMG) - removal of ovarian steroid negative feedback
Follicular rescue/superovulation: FSH, PMSG, hMG
Role of prostaglandins in ovulation: granulosa dispersion and oocyte maturation (PGE2); collagenolysis, ischemia, contractility (PGF2a)
Role of PGF2a in luteolysis: vasoconstriction; decreased membrane fluidity; stress response/apoptosis; immune/inflammatory reaction
Oogenesis: mitosis oogonia (fetal) > meiotic (prophase) I arrest (dictyate) > growth (cytoplasm accumulation) - primary oocyte > preovulatory gonadotropin surge > resumption of meiosis I > unequal cytokinesis (first polar body extrusion) - secondary oocyte > start of meiosis II > ovulation > meiotic arrest (metaphase II) > sperm penetration > completion of meiosis II (second polar body) > ootid
Role of the uterus in luteal regression: hysterectomy in farm animals causes a prolongation of luteal function (ie., the uterus is the source of PGF2a - which reaches the ovaries either by local veno-arterial transfer [ruminants] or the systemic circulation [horse]; hysterectomy does not alter ovarian cyclicity in primates (ie., the source of luteolysin is the ovaries)