The Fallopian tube is a paired organ of the female reproductive system. It is a long duct which lies horizontally on each side of the fundus of uterus. It carries the ovum from the ovary to the cavity of body of uterus, where it is fertilized by the sperm. It is also called uterine tube. It is innervated by branches of the inferior hypogastric and the uterovaginal plexuses and it is supplied by the ovarian artery.
Anatomical Description
Each of the Fallopian tube is a cylindrical canal, which is internally lined with a mucous membrane. It measures between 10 and 12 cm in length, with an average of 0.5 cm in diameter. The left and right tube slightly differ in length. Its lateral end is open and it is known as the infundibulum, which bears the abdominal opening and is fringed by a great number of pointed processes called fimbriae. Each one of the fimbria has small notches on its ends, with the longest one being the ovarian fimbria.
For an anatomical description, the Fallopian tube is divided into three portions; the isthmus, the ampulla, and the infundibulum. The isthmus is the medial part, and it is the thinnest segment of the duct, with only 3 mm in diameter and its lumen being very narrow, continuing with the uterine opening, which measures only 1 mm in diameter. The ampulla is the longest portion, with a tortuous course, measuring 8 mm in diameter. The infundibulum, as mentioned above, is the lateral end of the uterine tube, which fans out into a funnel-like shape bordered by the fimbriae.
Structurally, the Fallopian tube is composed of three layers; the serous coat, which contains the tunica adventitia, containing loose connective tissue; the muscular coat, which is made up of an external longitudinal and an internal circular smooth muscle fibers; and the mucous membrane, which consists of a simple, ciliated epithelium.
Below, a schematic drawing of the female organs, showing the right Fallopian tube and the ovary.
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