Uterine tubes are also called oviducts or fallopian tubes. They exist basically to serve as the pathway through which oocytes from the ovaries travel to the uterus. They are sized 10 cm (in lenght) 0.7 cm (in diameter) and they are found between the membranous broad ligament’s folds. These tubes feature an open end called the infundibulum. Resembling a funnel, the infundibulum is in close proximity to the ovaries. The oocytes are helped along onto the fallopian tubes by small-fringed fingers which are found on the margins of the infundibulum called fimbriae. They cover the ovaries’ lateral surface. Through them, the oocytes can travel along the fallopian tubes to reach the uterus.
The biggest part of the fallopian tube is known as the ampulla. The wall that houses the uterus is covered with three layers of histological material. The lumen’s internal mucosa lines are created by multiple folds of cilia laden columnar epithelium. The muscularis is the middle layer that’s covered by smooh muscle tissue, and filled with a circular layer of the same types of tissue. The oocyte floats down the lumen due to the peristaltic contractions of the muscularis and the undulation of the cilia. The oocyte stays for four to five days on the fallopian tube. The tube’s outer layer is classified as a visceral peritoneum element.
Fertilization occurs when the oocyte meets with a spermatozoa. When the spermatozoa reaches the fallopian tube, fertilization occurs relatively fast. he zygote (which is now fertilized) will then move to be implanted to the uterus. A fertilized zygote or a developing embryo is also called a blastocyst. In the event that the blastocyst gets implanted in the fallopian tube and not in the uterus, an atopic pregnancy would occur which must be corrected by removing it so that the female will live.
Blood supply to the uterine tubes is supplied by the uterine and ovarian arteries which are found parallel to the broad ligament. They are innervated parasympathetically by the hypo-gastric plexus and the pelvic splanchnic nerves. The nerves that connect to the tubes oversee the actions that happen between the blood vessels and the smooth muscle tissues. Venous drainage is done by the uterine veins.