Female Reproductive System - Ovaries MCQ - Practice Questions with Answers

• The female reproductive organs include:
  • a pair of ovaries, 
  • a pair of oviducts (Fallopian tubes), 
  • the uterus 
  • the vagina

Ovaries:

• Each ovary is of the shape of unshelled almond and the size is 3.5 cm long, 2 cm wide and 1 cm thick. 
• It is placed in the abdominal cavity. 
• The ovary is attached to the uterus by an ovarian ligament. 
• The ovary is suspended from the abdominal wall by a mesentery called mesovarium.

The lining of the Ovaries:

• Each ovary is covered by cuboidal germinal epithelium and is solid. 
• Underneath the germinal epithelium lies a layer of connective tissue called tunica albuginea. 
• Underlying this layer is the stroma. 
• Stroma is further divided into a dense outer cortex and a less dense inner medulla.

Follicles of Ovaries:

• Many Graafian follicles/ovarian follicles are present in the cortex and show different stages of development. 
• The initial stage of development is a primary oocyte. 
• As the primary oocyte develops it changes to the secondary oocyte. 
• The secondary oocyte is released from the ovary by the rupturing of the ovarian wall. 
• This process is known as ovulation.
• There are around four lakh follicles in both ovaries of an adult woman. 
• Most of the follicles disappear by phagocytosis during reproductive years. This process is called follicular atresia. 
• Due to this, a female produces only around 450 ova in her entire reproductive life which ends between 40 and 50 years of age.
• Secondary oocyte surrounded by layers of follicular cells (discus proliferous or cumulus oophorus) is called the Graafian follicle. 
• It is suspended in the antrum which is filled with a semi-viscous fluid called liquor folliculi, secreted by follicular cells and is held by a stalk of follicular cells called germ hill. 
• This stalk arises from membrane granulosa which is a multicellular layer. 
• The outermost layer is called theca externa and the inner layer is called theca interna.
• Follicular cells act as endocrine cells and secrete hormone estrogen in the blood. 
• The cortex of ovary also consists of conical, yellowish cells known as corpus luteum which on degeneration is called corpus albicans. 
• Corpus luteum also functions as endocrine cells and secretes progesterone, estradiol and relaxin.