This document provides a histological overview of the female reproductive system including the corpus luteum, placenta, mammary gland, and umbilical cord. It describes the microscopic structure of each tissue, including the cellular composition and organization. For example, it notes that the corpus luteum contains granulosa and theca lutein cells and that the placenta facilitates maternal-fetal exchange through chorionic villi in the decidua basalis.

1. Histology
of
Female Reproductive
System-2
Dr. Deepak N. Khedekar.
Assistant Professor.
Dept. of Anatomy; LTMMC &GH
Mumbai
2015

2. Female Reproductive Tract-2
Histology of…
• Corpus luteum.
• Placenta.
• Mammary Gland.
• Umbilical cord.

3. Corpus Luteum…
• Collapsed and folded mass of glandular tissue
• Consist of
Theca lutein cells
Granulosa lutein cells
• Connective tissue septa (rich in blood vessels)
covering theca lutein cells extends inside.
• Centre shows former follicular cavity.

4. Corpus luteum…

5. Corpus luteum…

6. Corpus luteum…
Follicular cavity contain …
• follicular fluid
• Blood cells
• Serum
• Loose connective tissue

7. Corpus luteum
Granulosa lutein cells-
• contain a large
spherical nucleus and
• large amount of
cytoplasm containing
yellow pigment, hence
the name, corpus
luteum.
• Stains lightly due to
lipid contents

8. Lutein cells…
Theca lutein cells -
• Lies peripheral to
granulosa LC
• cells are smaller than the
granulosa lutein cells.
• Cytoplasm stains darker
&contain a spherical
,dark nucleus

9. Placenta…
• Temporary organ for developing embryo.
• Formation by 2 components-
Fetal portion formed by Chorionic plate and
branching chorionic villi
Maternal portion formed by decidua basalis.
Maternal and fetal blood comes in proximity
in the villi of the placenta which receives fetal
blood from pair of umbilical arteries

10. Placenta…

11. Placenta…

12. Placenta…
A section extending from the amniotic surface into
the substance of the placenta. This includes …
Amnion
chorionic plate
chorionic villi .

13. Placenta…
amnion
Chorionic plate
Chorionic villi

14. Placenta…
Blood
vessel
Stratum
basale
Chorionic
villi

15. Placenta…

16. Amnion…
• consists of a layer of simple cuboidal
epithelium and an underlying layer of
connective tissue.
• The CT of the amnion is continuous with the
CT of the chorionic .
• The plane of fusion, however, is not evident in
H&E sections;

17. Chorionic plate…
• thick connective tissue mass
• contains the ramifications of the umbilical
arteries and vein.
• vessels do not have the distinct organizational
features characteristic of arteries and veins
• they resemble the vessels of the umbilical
cord.

18. Chorionic villi…
large stem villi
• forms main substance of the placenta
• consists of different sizes villi.
• emerge from the chorionic plate
• that branch into increasingly

19. Chorionic villi…
Anchoring villi
• villi extend from the chorionic plate to the
maternal side of the placenta and make
contact with the maternal tissue
free villi
• simply arborize within the substance of the
placenta without anchoring onto the maternal
side

20. Chorionic villi…

21. Chorionic villi…

22. Tertiary chorionic villi
Syncytiotrophoblast …
• outermost layer of each chorionic villus
• derives from the fusion of cytotrophoblast cells.
• has no intercellular boundaries
• nuclei are rather evenly distributed.
• In some areas, nuclei are gathered in clusters ; in
other regions the syncytiotrophoblast layer
appears relatively free of nuclei.
• Contain microvilli that project into the intervillous
space. In well-preserved specimens they may
appear as a striated border

23. Tertiary chorionic villi…
Cytotrophoblast
• consists of an irregular layer of mono-nucleated
cells that lies beneath the syncytiotrophoblast.
• In immature placentas, the cytotrophoblasts
form an almost complete layer of cells.
• cells within the core of the villus are fibroblasts
and endothelial cells.
• considered to be fetal placental antigen–
presenting cells or placental macrophages (PM)
historically known as the Hofbauer cells.

24. Secondary chorionic villi (3rd wk)
• mesenchymal core surrounded by two distinct
layers of the trophoblast.
• Have larger number of cytotrophoblast cells
than the mature tertiary villi and form
complete layer of cells immediately deep to the
syncytiotrophoblast .
• The syncytiotrophoblast covers the surface of
the chorionic villi &extends into chorionic plate.
• Maternal red blood cells are present in the
intervillous space.

27. Mammary gland( inactive stage)
Parenchyma
• is sparse and consists mainly of duct elements.
• Several ducts with a small lumen
• ducts are surrounded by a loose CT and together,
the ducts and surrounding connective tissue
constitute a lobule.
• Two terminal duct lobular units (TDLU) are. Beyond
the lobular unit, the connective tissue is more dense
• The two types of CT(loose and dense) can be
distinguished

28. Dense CT…
• Thicker collagenous fibers
• less cells per unit area
• less variety of cell types.
• Characteristically, the dense connective tissue
contains numerous aggregates of adipocytes.

29. Loose CT…
• thinner collagen fibers
• contains far more cells per unit area
• greater variety of cell types.
• cluster of lymphocytes and plasma cells and
individual lymphocytes . Both plasma cells and
lymphocytes are cells with a rounded shape, but
plasma cells are larger and show more cytoplasm.
• regions of plasma cell cytoplasm display basophilia.
• Elongate nuclei in spindle-shaped cells belong to
fibroblasts.

30. Lining epithelium…
• epithelial cells within the resting lobular units
• Epithelium is cuboidal; myoepithelial cells are present.
• thickening of the epithelium in one location,
presumably the precursor of an alveolus
• myoepithelial cells at the base of the epithelium. As
elsewhere, the myoepithelial cells are on the epithelial
side of the basement membrane.
• During pregnancy, the glands begin to proliferate.
• This can be thought of as a dual process in which ducts
• proliferate and alveoli grow from the ducts.

31. Inactive mammary gland…

32. Inactive mammary gland…

33. Duct…

34. Mammary gland ( late proliferative stage)
• Development of the duct elements -early proliferative
• Development of the alveolar elements- late
proliferative stage.
Terminal duct lobular units (TDLU) .
• Individual lobular units are separated by dense CT
septa
• The CT within the lobular unit is a typical loose
connective tissue
• The alveoli are well developed, and many exhibit
precipitated secretory product.

35. Terminal duct lobular units (TDLU) .

36. Mammary gland ( late proliferative stage)
• The alveoli as well as the intralobular ducts consist of
a single layer of cuboidal epithelial cells subtended by
myoepithelial cells. Both components are secretory.
• Several alveoli are seen merging with one another.
• Interlobular ducts are easy to identify as they are
surrounded by dense connective tissue. Note that it is
lined by a simple columnar epithelium. The nucleus of
a myoepithelial cell is seen at the base of the
epithelium.

37. Active mammary gland…

38. Umbilical cord…

39. Umbilical cord…
• 2 arteries
• 1 vein
• Whartons jelly-.
Gelatin like ground substance that occupies
large intercellular spaces located between the
spindle-shaped mesenchymal cells appear
much like fibroblasts in the near-term umbilical
cord

40. Wharton’s jelly from the umbilical
cord

41. Umbilical cord…

42. • 3 large vessels and
their walls.
• Mucoid CT fills the
space between the
vessels and the simple
squamous epithelium
lining the surface of
the umbilical cord.
• fine appearance of the
collagen fibres
• lack of apparent
specialisations in this
type of CT.