The Fallopian Tube

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also calledOviduct, or Uterine Tube,

Each fallopian tube is 10–13 cm (4–5 inches) long and 0.5–1.2 cm (0.2–0.6 inch) in diameter. The channel of the tube is lined with a layer of mucous membrane that has many folds and papillae—small cone-shaped projections of tissue. Over the mucous membrane are three layers of muscle tissue; the innermost layer has spirally arranged fibres, the middle layer has circular fibres, and the outermost sheath has longitudinal fibres that end in many fingerlike branches (fimbriae) near the ovaries, forming a funnel-shaped depository called theinfundibulum.

The infundibulum catches and channels the released eggs; it is the wide distal (outermost) portion of each fallopian tube. The endings of the fimbriae extend over the ovary; they contract close to the ovary's surface during ovulation in order to guide the free egg. Leading from the infundibulum is the long central portion of the fallopian tube called the ampulla.

Theisthmusis a small region, only about 2 cm (0.8 inch) long, that connects the ampulla and infundibulum to the uterus. The final region of the fallopian tube, known as the intramural, or uterine, part, is located in the top portion (fundus) of the uterus; it is a narrow tube continuous with the isthmus, and it leads through the thick uterine wall to the uterine cavity, where fertilized eggs normally attach and develop. The channel of the intramural duct is the narrowest part of the fallopian tube.

The mucous membrane lining the fallopian tube gives off secretions that help to transport the sperm and the egg and to keep them alive. The major constituents of the fluid are calcium, sodium, chloride, glucose (a sugar), proteins, bicarbonates, and lactic acid. The bicarbonates and lactic acid are vital to the sperm's use of oxygen, and they also help the egg to develop once it is fertilized. Glucose is a nutrient for the egg and sperm, whereas the rest of the chemicals provide an appropriate environment for fertilization to occur.

Besides the cells that secrete fluids, the mucous membrane contains cells that have fine hairlike structures called cilia; the cilia help to move the egg and sperm through the fallopian tubes. Sperm deposited in the female reproductive tract usually reach the infundibulum within a few hours. The egg, whether fertilized or not, takes three to four days to reach the uterine cavity. The swaying motions of the cilia and the rhythmic muscular contractions (peristaltic waves) of the fallopian tube's wall work together while moving the egg or sperm.

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