fallopian tube

Fallopian tube
Schematic frontal view of female anatomy
Vessels of the uterus and its appendages, rear view. (Fallopian tubes visible at top right and top left.)
Latin	tuba uterina
Gray's	subject #267 1257
Artery	tubal branches of ovarian artery, tubal branch of uterine artery
Lymph	lumbar lymph nodes
Precursor	Müllerian duct
MeSH	Fallopian+Tubes

The Fallopian tubes, named after Gabriel Fallopius (Gabriele Fallopio), also known as oviducts, uterine tubes, and salpinges (singular salpinx) are two very fine tubes lined with ciliated epithelia, leading from the ovaries of female mammals into the uterus, via the utero-tubal junction.

Fallopian Tube

The tube connects the ovary to the uterus as the egg passes through it in a woman's body.

The fallopian tubes are a path in which an egg will travel through in order to reach the male sperm which was released from the male.

Function in fertilization

When an ovum is 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 cilia on the inner lining of the tubes. This trip takes hours or days. If the ovum is fertilized while in the Fallopian tube, then it normally implants in the endometrium when 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, commonly known as a "tubal pregnancy".

Embryology and homology

The Fallopian tubes are not homologous to the vas deferens or any other structure in males.

Embryos have two pairs of ducts to let gametes out of the body; one pair (the Müllerian ducts) develops in females into the Fallopian tubes, uterus and vagina, while the other pair (the Wolffian ducts) develops in males into the epididymis and vas deferens.

Normally, only one of the pairs of tubes will develop while the other regresses and disappears in the utero.

Pathology

Pelvic inflammatory disease can strike the fallopian tubes. This might cause a Fallopian tube obstruction. Fallopian tube cancer is a rare neoplasm that can arise from the epithelial lining of the Fallopian tube. This cancer is sometimes misdiagnosed as ovarian cancer ^[1]. However, treatment of both ovarian and Fallopian tube cancer is similar.

Surgery

The surgical removal of a Fallopian tube is called a salpingectomy. To remove both sides is a bilateral salpingectomy. An operation that combines the removal of a Fallopian tube with removal of at least one ovary is a salpingo-oophorectomy. An operation to restore a fallopian tube obstruction is called a tuboplasty.

Etymology and nomenclature

They are named after their discoverer, the 16th century Italian anatomist, Gabriele Falloppio.

Though the name 'Fallopian tube' is eponymous, some texts spell it with a lower case 'f' from the assumption that the adjective 'fallopian' has been absorbed into modern English as the de facto name for the structure.

The Greek word salpinx (σαλπιγξ) means "trumpet".

Additional images

Sectional plan of the gravid uterus in the third and fourth month.	Broad ligament of adult, showing epoöphoron.	Uterus and right broad ligament,, seen from behind.	pelvis and its contents, seen from above and in front.
Posterior half of uterus and upper part of vagina.	The arteries of the internal organs of generation of the female, seen from behind.	Uterus and uterine tubes.	Female internal reproductive anatomy.
Histology

See also

• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Menstrual cycle

References

External links

• uterine+tube at eMedicine Dictionary
• Histology at BU 18501loa