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Fallopian tube

Image:Fem isa 2.gif

The Fallopian tubes, also known as oviducts and uterine tubes, are two very fine tubes leading from the ovariesof female mammalsinto the uterus. They are named after their discoverer, the 16th centuryItaliananatomist, Gabriele Falloppio.

There are two Fallopian tubes, attached to either side of the cranialend of the uterus, and each terminating at or near one ovary forming a structure called the fimbria.

When an ovumis developing in an ovary, it is encapsulated in a sac known as an ovarian follicle. On maturity of the ovum, the follicle and the ovary's wall rupture, allowing the ovum to escape and enter the Fallopian tube. There it travels toward the uterus, pushed along by movements of ciliaon the inner lining of the tubes. This trip takes hours or days. If the ovum is fertilizedwhile in the Fallopian tube, then it normally implants in the endometriumwhen it reaches the uterus, which signals the beginning of pregnancy. Occasionally the embryo implants into the Fallopian tube instead of the uterus, creating an ectopic pregnancy.

Image:Female anatomy frontal.png The Fallopian tubes are not homologousto the vas deferensor any other structure in males. Embryoshave two pairs of ducts to let gametesout of the body; one pair develops in females into the Fallopian tubes, uterus and vagina, while the other pair develops in males into the epididymisand vas deferens. Normally, only one of the pair of tubes will develop while the other regresses and disappears in utero.

The Fallopian tubes are not directly attached to the ovaries, but open into the peritonial cavity(essentially the inside of the abdomen); they thus form a direct communication between the peritoneal cavity and the outside via the vagina.

The surgical removal of a Fallopian tube is called a salpingectomy.

In humans, the Fallopian tubes are about 7–14 cm long.

Fallopian tube

See also