2020

1- Two ovaries

• ( produce both female gametes and hormones )

2-The female duct system.

• ( transportation and storage of the gametes )

The duct system includes:

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• the oviducts
• Uterus & cervix
• Vagina
• Vulva

The female reproductive system consists of :

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• The cortex that contains those cell and tissue layers associated with ovum and hormone production.
• beneath the surface epithelium is a thin, dense layer of the connective tissue, the tunica albuginea.

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• The medulla in the center that is composed primary of blood vessel, nerves, corpora lutea and connective tissue.

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• The Cortex with its follicles form the center of the organ, which is enclosed within a dense, richly vascularized connective tissue layer that corresponds to the medulla of the other domestic mammals.
• The Cortex reaches the surface of the ovary at the ovulation fossa, a deep indentation at the free margin of the organ, where all mature follicles rupture

** In the mare, the structure of the ovary is reversed.

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• In the dog and cat, remaining in the dorsal part of the abdomen caudal to the kidneys.
• In the other domestic species the ovaries undergo some degree of migration.
• The greatest migration occurring in ruminants, in which the ovaries come to lie close to the ventral abdominal wall, cranial to the pelvic inlet
• In the mare: they are descend 8-10 cm ventral to the dorsal wall of the abdomen

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• In all domestic species other than the horse, the ovaries are basically ellipsoidal in shape, whiIe their surface is characterized by large follicles and corpora lutea.

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• The ovaries of the mare have the shape of a kidney and their surface is relatively regular

• a pair of convoluted tubes extending from near the ovaries to and becoming continuous with the tips of the uterine horns.
• receive and transport the oocytes to the uterus.
• convey the sperm in their ascent
• Fertilization normally occurs within the tubes.
• Each tube is suspended by the mesosalpinx

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• An oviduct, which is from 20 to 30 cm long for most farm species, is divided into three segments :

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1-The Infundibulum: The funnel-shaped opening near the ovaries and forms a bursa around it.

• In the cow, doe, ewe, sow, and mare the infundibulum is separate from the ovary.
• The free edges of the infundibulum are bordered by numerous diverging processes, called fimbria .

2-The Ampuula: the middle segment, accounts for about half of the total length of the oviduct.

• has from 20 to 40 longitudinal folds, which greatly increase the surface area of the lumen
• ( site of fertilization ).

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3-The Isthmus

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• is smaller than the ampulla, It is further distinguished by having a thicker smooth muscle layer than the ampulla and from 4 to 8 mucosal folds.

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• The isthmus opens into of the uterine horn through the uterine ostium and marks the uterotubal junction.

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• The ovaries and uterine tubes are suspended within the mesovarium and mesosalpinx, respectively.

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• The broad ligament , the common suspension of the female genital tract
• (Blood vessels and nerves reach the organs within this ligament).

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The uterus of the domestic mammals includes:

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• Paired uterine horns.
• Single median uterine body.
• Single median cervix.

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In carnivores :

• the uterus lies mainly dorsal to the small intestines.
• It consists of a short cervix and body from which two long slender horns diverge to reach the ovaries just caudal to the kidneys.

Uterine Position:

In Ruminants

• Each horn is coiled ventrally on itself with the first convexity facing dorsocranially.
• The tips of the horns reach beyond the pecten of the pubis into the abdominal cavity.

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• The intercornual ligaments is the superficial tissues bridge the space between the horns which can be conveniently used to fix the uterus during rectal examination.

Uterine Position:

• In the mare

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• a large body and two divergent horns, which are usually raised towards the roof of the abdomen above the mass of intestines

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• The cervix is comparatively small and can be easily palpated rectally

Uterine Position:

1-The bicornuate uterus

• is found in the sow, cow, doe, and ewe.
• It is characterized by a small uterine body just anterior to the cervical canal and two long uterine horns.

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2-bipartite uterus

• is found in the mare
• a prominent uterine body anterior to the cervical canal and two uterine horns that are not as long and distinct as in the bicornuate type.
• During pregnancy in mares, the fetal body extends into both horns, whereas the fetuses do not occupy the uterine body in the bicornuate types.

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3-The duplex uterus

• is found in the rat, rabbit, guinea pig, and other small animals.
• it is consists of two uterine horns each with a separate cervical canal which opens into the vagina.

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4-The simple uterus

• is found in humans and other primates.
• a pear-shaped body with no uterine horns.

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• It is thick-walled and elastic, the anterior end being continuous with the body of the uterus while the posterior end protrudes into the vagina.
• The lumen of the cervix is the cervical canal, which is formed by and often almost occluded by mucosal folds.
• These folds are arranged longitudinally in the mare, cat and dog.
• In the cow the lumen is obstructed by circular folds (plicae circulares).

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• The cervical canal opens cranially into the body of the uterus at the internal uterine ostium and caudally into the vagina at the external uterine ostium.

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• The most caudal part of the cervix usually projects into the vaginal lumen in the cow and mare, where it is surrounded by an annular space (fornix).

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• The cervical mucosa produces a mucous secretion, which forms a mucous plug that helps close the cervical canal and which is easily expelled during oestrus and parturition.

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• The cervical canal of the mare is more open than in other farm species, but mucosal folds in the canal which project into the vagina help prevent contamination.

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Cow

Mare

the wall of the uterus shows it to consist of three layers. These are, from the inside to the outside:

• mucosal layer (endometrium).
• muscular layer (myometrium).
• Serosal layer (perimetrium).

The Endometrium :

• lines the lumen of the uterus.
• numerous tubular glands open on the surface
• In ruminants the surface is marked by numerous permanent elevations (80 -120 in the cow), the uterine caruncles.

- The attachment sites of the embryonic membranes (cotyledons) during pregnancy

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• The vagina constitutes the cranial part of the female copulatory organ. It extends from the external ostium of the uterus to the entrance of the urethra .

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• The relatively long and thin-walled vagina is located in a median position within the pelvic cavity between the rectum dorsally and the bladder ventrally.
• It is mostly retroperitoneal, although its cranial part covered by peritoneum

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• The vestibule constitutes the caudal part of the copulatory organ. It extends from the external urethral opening to the external vulva and combines reproductive and urinary functions .

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• In the cow and sow, the urethra forms a ventral evagination, the suburethral diverticulum, which opens together with the urethra into the vagina (catheterisation)** .

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• The vestibule is shorter than the vagina and lies mostly behind the ischial arch
• which permits it to slope ventrally to its opening at the vulva.

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• The wall of the vestibule contains vestibular glands
• the secretion of which keeps the mucosa of the vestibule moist and facilitates coitus and parturition.

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• In the cow and ewe a large glandular mass, which drains by a single duct, is present on each side of the vestibule.
• Darker patches of the lateral walls betray the position of the vestibular bulbs.

VULVA

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• The vulva is formed by two labia that meet at dorsal and ventral commissures surrounding the vertical vulvar opening.
• The dorsal commissure is rounded and the ventral one pointed except in the mare, in which this pattern is reversed
• The clitoris, the female homologue of the penis, lies within the ventral commissure.
• Analogous with the penis, the clitoris can be divided into two parts:
• a body (corpus)
• a glans (glans clitoridis).
• The clitoris lies within a fossa largely covered by mucosal fold, the female equivalent of the prepuce.

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• The broad ligaments are bilateral sheets that suspend the ovaries, uterine tubes and the uterus from the abdominal roof and the pelvic walls.
• can be divided into three parts:
• the mesovarium
• the mesosalpinx
• the mesometrium.
• Unlike most peritoneal folds, the serosal membranes the broad ligament are separated by considerable amounts of tissue, mainly smooth muscle.

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• The mesovarium is the cranial part of the broad ligament that attaches the ovary to the dorsolateral region of the abodominal wall.
• The mesovarium contains the ovarian artery and vein

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• The mesosalpinx extends laterally from the mesovarium, thus dividing the mesovarium in a proximal and a distal part.
• The proximal mesovarium extends from the body wall to the mesosalpinx
• While the distal mesovarium extends from the mesosalpinx to the ovary.

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• The mesosalpinx and mesovarium enclose a pouch, the ovarian bursa.

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The largest part of the broad ligament is the Mesometrium, which attaches to the uterus and the cranial part of the vagina.

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• At the base of the uterine horns, the serous membrane passes from one horn to the other, thus bridging the space between them and forming the intercornual ligament.

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• Blood supply to the female genital organs is provided by four paired arteries:

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1-Ovarian artery

2-Uterine artery

3-Vaginal artery

4-Internal Pudendal artery

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The ovarian artery follows a convoluted course to the ovary.

• It supplies the ovary and detaches branches to the uterine tube and to the tip of the uterine horn.

The uterine artery passes to the uterus within the broad ligament.

-It detaches a series of branches to the body and horn of the uterus.

• In the cow the uterine artery can be palpated rectally against the shaft of the ilium, a characteristic vibration (fremitus or thrill) may be felt from the fifth month of gestation onwards

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The veins

• are generally satellites to the arteries.
• but do not correspond to each other in relative importance.

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• The ovarian vein is much larger and the uterine vein much smaller than their accompanying arteries

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• Innervation of the female genital organs is provided by the autonomic nervous system.

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• The ovaries receive sympathetic fibers from the intermesenreric and the caudal mesenteric plexus and parasympathetic fibers from the Vagus.

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• The rest of the female genital tract receives parasympathetic and sympathetic innervation via the pelvic plexus.