Review the key concepts, formulae, and examples before starting your quiz.
🔑Concepts
The female reproductive system consists of a pair of ovaries, a pair of oviducts, uterus, cervix, vagina, and external genitalia located in the pelvic region.
Ovaries are the primary female sex organs that produce the female gamete (ovum) and several steroid hormones like and .
The female accessory ducts include the Fallopian tubes (oviducts), uterus, and vagina. The fallopian tube is divided into the infundibulum (with fimbriae), ampulla, and isthmus. Fertilization occurs at the junction.
The wall of the uterus has three layers: the external thin , middle thick layer of smooth muscle , and inner glandular layer which undergoes cyclic changes during the menstrual cycle.
Oogenesis is the process of formation of a mature female gamete. Unlike spermatogenesis, it is initiated during the embryonic development stage where a couple of million gamete mother cells () are formed within each fetal ovary.
The menstrual cycle consists of the menstrual phase, follicular phase (proliferative phase), ovulatory phase (at day ), and luteal phase (secretory phase).
The 'LH surge' refers to the rapid secretion of leading to its maximum level during the mid-cycle, which induces the rupture of the Graafian follicle and thereby the release of the ovum ().
📐Formulae
💡Examples
Problem 1:
If a female has a regular menstrual cycle of days, on which day is ovulation most likely to occur?
Solution:
Explanation:
In a human menstrual cycle, the luteal phase (post-ovulatory phase) is generally constant at days. Therefore, ovulation occurs approximately days before the next expected menstruation.
Problem 2:
How many ova and polar bodies will be formed from primary oocytes?
Solution:
Explanation:
Each primary oocyte undergoes unequal meiotic division to produce one functional haploid ovum () and one or more polar bodies. Thus, primary oocytes result in ova.
Problem 3:
Identify the ploidy of the following cells: Oogonia, Primary Oocyte, Secondary Oocyte, and Ovum.
Solution:
Explanation:
Oogonia and Primary oocytes are formed by mitosis or are in the early stages of Meiosis I (not completed), keeping them diploid (). The completion of Meiosis I reduces the chromosome number by half, making the Secondary Oocyte and the Ovum haploid ().