Name: Male Reproductive Anatomy
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 17 min 6 s
Description: Watch this video to learn about the anatomy of the male reproductive system and the components of the ejaculatory pathway and glands that generate semen.

Question

Describe the histological structure of ovary with a diagram. Name ovarian hormones.

Accepted Answer

Each ovary is approximately 3.5 cm in length, 2.0 cm in width, and 1.0 cm in thick. Each adult ovary weighs about 8-10 gms. The outermost covering of the mature ovary is made up of a single layer of cuboidal epithelial cells, called the germinal epithelium. Just beneath the germinal epithelium, there is a weakly developed thin collagenous connective tissue layer, called tunica albuginea. Inside the tunica albuginea ovary contains a connective tissue network called matrix or stroma. In stroma various elements, such as blood vessels, lymphatics, smooth muscles, spindle-shaped cells, polyhedral cells, nerves, several oval or rounded ovarian follicles of different stages, corpus luteum, etc. are present. Different stages of ovarian follicles mainly remain scattered in the cortical region of the stroma.

The ovary is the only organ in the female Matured follicle body that shows so many structural (Graafian follicle) variations at different phases of life. Before puberty or in the childhood stage, the ovary is made up of spindle-shaped stoma cells, cubical, epithelialized germinal epithelium, and a huge number of primordial follicles. There is no Graafian follicle and no corpus luteum in the immature ovaries. At puberty and onward, the ovary becomes matured and contains many maturing Graafian follicles at different stages of development and corpora lutea of small size. In pregnancy, the ovary contains a remarkably larger corpus luteum and the other mature ovary elements. At menopause, the ovary becomes atrophied, all follicles disappeared and, are replaced by fibrous tissue, and the interstitial cells degenerate.

Ovarian Hormones:
Ovaries synthesize and secrete two sex steroid hormones, estrogens and, progestins. Besides these, ovaries are also capable of producing a few other peptide hormones i.e. relaxin, inhibin, etc. Amongst estrogens, the hormone estradiol is the most important and the most important progestin is progesterone. Estrogens and inhibin are secreted by the follicular cells of the ovaries. But progesterone and relaxin are secreted by the corpus luteum.

Describe the histological structure of ovary with a diagram. Name ovarian hormones.

Important Questions on Human Reproduction

Learn and Prepare for any exam you want !