Ovulation Fertilization and

conception

Dr. Hind Al-janaby

— At puberty, the female begins to undergo regular
monthly cycles.
— These sexual cycles are controlled by the
hypothalamus.
— Gonadotropin- releasing hormone (GnRH), produced by
the hypothalamus, acts on cells of the anterior lobe
(adenohypophysis) of the pituitary gland, which in turn
secrete gonadotropins.
— These (gonadotropins) hormones, follicle-stimulating
hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), stimulate
and control cyclic changes in the ovary.
— At the beginning of each ovarian cycle, 15 to 20 antral
follicles are stimulated to grow under the influence of
FSH.
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— Under normal conditions, only one of these follicles reaches
full maturity, and only one oocyte is discharged; the others
de generate and become atretic.
— When a follicle becomes atretic, the oocyte and surrounding
follicular cells degenerate and are replaced by connective
tissue, forming a corpus atreticum.
— FSH also stimulates maturation of follicular (granulosa) cells
surrounding the oocyte.
— In cooperation, theca interna and granulosa cells produce
estrogens: Theca interna cells produce androstenedione and
testoster- one, and granular cells convert these hormones to
estrone and 17 P-estradiol.
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Actions of Oestrogen

Fallopian tube: increase in motility, cilliary

movement and fluid secreation.
Thickening of endometrium glandular
invagination secreate watery fluid conductive to
sperm. (Enter proliferative phase)
Growth and motility of myometrium
Thin alkaline cervical mucus receptive to sperm
Vaginal changes
— The uterine endometrium enters the follicular or
proliferative phase.
— ■ Thinning of the cervical mucus occurs to allow
passage of sperm.
— ■ The anterior lobe of the pituitary gland is
stimulated to secrete LH.
— At midcycle, there is an LH surge that:
— ■ Flevates concentrations of maturation- promoting
factor, causing oocytes to complete meiosis I and
initiate meiosis II
— ■ Stimulates production of progesterone by follicular
stromal cells (luteinization)
— ■ Causes follicular rupture and ovulation
Elevated estrogen stimulate the anterior lobe of the pituitary
gland to secrete LH. At midcycle, there is an LH surge that:
— ■ Flevates concentrations of maturation- promoting factor,
causing oocytes to complete meiosis I and initiate meiosis II
— ■ Stimulates production of progesterone by follicular stromal
cells (luteinization)
— ■ Causes follicular rupture and ovulation

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Ovulation

In the days immediately preceding ovulation, under the influence

of FSH and LH, the vesicular follicle grows rapidly to a diameter
of 25 mm to become a mature vesicular (graafian) follicle.

Coincident with final development of the vesicular follicle, there

is an abrupt increase in LH that causes the primary oocyte to
complete meiosis I and the follicle to enter the preovulatory
mature vesicular stage.

Meiosis II is also initiated, but the oocyte is arrested in

metaphase approximately 3 hours before ovulation.
In the meantime, the surface of the ovary begins to bulge locally,
and at the apex, an avascular spot, the stigma, appears.
The high concentration of LH increases collagenase activity,
resulting in digestión of collagen fibers surrounding the follicle.

Prostaglandin levels also increase in response to the LH surge and

cause local muscular contractions in the ovarian wall. Those
contractions extrude the oocyte (ovulation ) and floats out of the
ovary .
Oocyte Transport
— Shortly before ovulation, fimbriae of the uterine tube
sweep over the surface of the ovary, and the tube itself
begins to contract rhythmically.
— It is thought that the oocyte, surrounded by some
granulosa cells is carried into the tube by these
sweeping movements of the fimbriae and by motion of
cilia on the epi- thelial lining.
— Once the oocyte is in the uterine tube, it is propelled by
peristaltic muscular contractions of the tube and by cilia
in the tubal mucosa with the rate of transport regulated
by the endocrine status during and after ovulation. In
humans, the fertilized oocyte reaches the uterine lumen
in approximately 3 to 4 days.
 Formation of the Corpus Luteum
o The remains of the follicle (granulosa cells and theca interna) re-
organise themselves into a corpus luteum cells, which secretes
progesterone and oestrogen under the influence of LH.
o In humans the corpus luteum lives for 14 days before regressing
spontaneously, in the absence of a fertilization, where it called
corpus albicans.
o If the oocyte is fertilized, degeneration of the corpus luteum is
prevented by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone
secreted by the syncytiotrophoblast of the developing embryo.
o The corpus luteum continues to grow and forms the corpus
luteum of pregnancy (corpus luteum graviditatis).

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• By the end of the third month, this structure may
be 1/3 to 1/2 of the total size of the ovary.
• Luteal cells continue to secrete progesterone
until the end of the fourth month; thereafter, they
regress slowly as secretion of progesterone by the
trophoblastic component of the placenta
becomes adequate for maintenance of pregnancy.
• Removal of the corpus luteum of pregnancy
before the fourth month usually leads to
abortion.
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Actions of Progesterone on Oestrogen Primed
Cells

Further thickening of endometrium into

secretory form
Thickening of myometrium, but reduction of
motility
Thick, acid, cervical mucus
Changes in mammary tissue
Increased body temperature
Metabolic (mild Catabolic) changes
Electrolyte changes
conception
— Conception: it is formation of a zygote
resulting from the union of a sperm and
egg cell (oocyte) by the process of
fertilisation that take place in ampullary
region of fallopian tube.
Sperm transport through the cervix and uterus
– Immediately after ejaculation in the vagina, the
semen first coagulates due to the action of clotting
factors (fibrinogen). This is to prevent sperm being
physically lost from the vagina. 10 – 20 minutes
later the semen re-liquefies by the action of
enzymes found in prostatic secretions.
• The vast majority of sperm do not enter the cervix
of the uterus and are lost by leakage from the
vagina. Those that do enter the uterus have to travel
15 – 20cm to reach the uterine tube, a journey that
may last a few hours.
— Transport of sperm is as a result of their
own propulsive capacity and the fluid
currents caused by the action of ciliated
cells in the uterine tract.
— Capacitation of sperm and the acrosome
reaction
— During their passage through the uterus to the
uterine tube, sperm undergo a series of
maturational changes, Capacitation and the
Acrosomal Reaction. Both capacitation and
the acrosomal reaction are induced by an influx
of calcium and a rise in cAMP in spermatozoa.
Capacitation
— Further maturation of sperm in female
reproductive tract .
— Sperm cell membrane changes to allow fusion
with oocyte cell surface
◦ Removal of glycoprotein coat
— Tail movement changes
◦ Beat à Whip-like action
— Sperm become responsive to signals from the
oocyte
— Acrosomal Reaction
— Capacitated sperm comes into contact with the
oocyte zona pellucida
— Membranes fuseß Start of reaction
— Acrosome swells and liberates its contents by
exocytosis
— Proteolytic enzymes and further binding
facilitate penetration of the zonapellucida by
the sperm (takes about 15 minutes)
Mechanisms involved in fertilisation of the ovum

— By the time of ovulation, the ovum (primary

oocyte) in the ovulatory follicle has completed
its first meiotic division to form a secondary
oocyte.
— Secondary Oocyte
◦ Haploid number of chromosomes and bulk of
cytoplasm
— First Polar Body
◦ Remaining haploid number of chromosomes
— The secondary oocyte, surrounded by follicular
cells (cumulus) embedded in a gelatinous
matrix, is released from an ovulatory follicle and
picked up by the fimbria of the uterine tube and
guided into its lumen by the ciliary movements
of epithelial cells towards the ampulla, the site
of fertilisation, where the oocyte and sperms
come together.
— Only one sperm penetrates the cytoplasm of the
ovum and its nucleus fuses with the nucleus of the
ovum. This forms the zygote. Sperm entry to oocyte
will cause:
1.Cortical and zona reaction so oocyte become imper
meable to further sperm preventing polyspermia.
2. Resumption of second meiotic division.
3. Metabolic activation of oocyte.
So the main results of fertilization are:
1.Restoration of the diploid number of
chromosome.
2.Determination of sex of new individual.
3. Intiation of cleavage.
— Within a few hours the zygote begins to
divide by a series of mitotic cell divisions
known as cleavage to form a ball of cells
called the morula and then a hollow
structure, the blastocyst. During this
transformation process it is gradually
transported along the uterine tube towards
the uterus.
Zygot
— By the time the blastocyst enters the uterine
cavity (4 – 5 days after fertilisation), the
endometrium is ready to receive it for pregnancy
to be established. After a day or so in the uterine
cavity the blastocyst attaches itself to the uterine
endometrium – implantation.
Cleaved embryo
blastocyst