BIO 314 Female Reproductive System Final Exam 2025

Why is the female reproductive system more complex? - Correct Answer-Because it serves more purposes than the males. It produces and delivers gametes, provides nutrition and safe harbor for fetal development, Gives birth, and nourishes the infant. What is the female reproductive system compared to the males? - Correct Answer-More cyclic, hormones are secreted in a more complex sequence. What are the internal and external genitalia? - Correct Answer-Internal genitalia includes ovaries, uterine tubes, uterus, and vagina. External genitalia includes the clitoris, labia minora, labia majora, and they occupy the perineum. What are the female primary sex organs and what are the secondary sex organs? - Correct Answer-Primary sex organs are the ovaries, secondary sex organs are other internal and external genitalia. What are the ovaries? What are their structure and shape? - Correct Answer-The female gonads that produce egg cells (ova) and sex hormones. They are almond shaped and nestled in the ovarian fossa against the posterior pelvic wall. They have a capsule of tunica albuginea, like the testis. The outer cortex of the ovaries is where germ cells develop, the inner medulla is occupied by major arteries and veins. Each egg develops its own fluid-filled follicle. What is ovulation? - Correct Answer-The bursting of the follicle and releasing of the egg. What are the uterine tubes? (oviduct, fallopian tube) - Correct Answer-canals about 10 cm long from ovary to uterus, it is a muscular tube lined with ciliated cells, and it is highly folded into longitudinal ridges. Describe the different regions of the uterine tubes. - Correct Answer-infundibulum: flared, trumpet-shaped distal (ovarian) end Fimbriae: feathery projections on infundibulum Ampulla: middle and longest part Isthmus: narrower and toward uterus What is the uterus? - Correct Answer-the thick muscular chamber that opens into roof of vagina, usually tilts forward over urinary bladder. Harbors fetus, provides a source of nutrition, and expels the fetus at the end of its development. It is a pear-shaped organ with a Fundus (broad superior curvature), Body (middle portion), and Cervix (cylindrical inferior end) Describe the lumen of the uterus. - Correct Answer-Roughly triangular, upper corners are openings to uterine tubes, lower apex is the internal os. It is not a hollow cavity but a potential space in nonpregnant uterus. What does the cervical canal connect? What are the internal and external os? What do the cervical glands do? - Correct Answer-Cervical canal connects lumen of uterus to vagina. The internal os is the superior opening of canal into vagina. The external os is the inferior opening of canal into vagina. Cervical glands secrete mucus that prevents spread of microorganisms from vagina to uterus. What does the Uterine wall consist of? Describe the 2 outermost. - Correct Answer-Perimetrium, Myometrium, and Endometrium. Perimetrium is the external serosa layer. Myometrium is the middle muscular layer, that constitutes most of the uterine wall. It is composed mainly of smooth muscle. This layer produces labor contractions and expels the fetus. What is the Endometrium? - Correct Answer-The inner mucosa layer of the uterine wall. It consists of simple columnar epithelium, compound tubular glands, and a stroma populated with leukocytes, macrophages, other cells. Functional layer: the superficial half, that is shed each menstrual period. Basal layer (stratum basalis): the deep layer, stays behind and regenerates a new functional layer with each menstrual cycle. During pregnancy, the endometrium is the site of attachment of the embryo and forms the maternal part of the placenta that nourishes the fetus. What is the vagina (birth canal)? What does it allow for and what is its structure? - Correct Answer-This is a 8 to 10 cm distensible muscular tube that allows for discharge of menstrual fluid, receipt of penis and semen, and birth of the baby. It has outer adventitia, middle muscularis, and inner mucosa. It is tilted posteriorly between the rectum and urethra. The vagina has no glands, transduction lubricates the vagina, kind of like sweating. (serous fluid through its walls and mucus from the cervical glands above it) What are the fornices? What are the transverse friction ridges (vaginal rugae)? What do the mucosal folds form? - Correct Answer-the blind-ended spaces at top of vagina that extend slightly beyond the cervix. The transverse friction ridges are at the lower end of the vagina Mucosal folds form the hymen across the vaginal opening. Describe the vaginal epithelium. - Correct Answer-This undergoes metaplasia transformation from one tissue type to another. In childhood it is simple cuboidal, and in puberty it changes into stratified squamous epithelium. Bacteria ferment glycogen, producing an acidic pH in vagina to inhibit the growth of pathogens. What are the external genitalia collectively called? Briefly describe some of the structures. - Correct Answer-the vulva or the pudendum. Mons pubis: fat over vagina. bears most pubic hair, cushion Labia majora: pair of thick folds of skin and adipose tissue inferior to the mons Labia minora: thin, hairless folds medial to labia majora *space between folds makes vestibule that contains urethral an