The document provides a comprehensive overview of the anatomy, embryology, and histology of the ovary, detailing its location, structure, blood supply, and nerve supply. It explains how the ovary develops from the coelomic epithelium and forms primordial follicles through a series of cellular interactions. Additionally, histological features such as the cortex and medulla of the ovary are described, including the different phases of ovarian follicles.

1. ANATOMY, EMBRYOLOGY AND HISTOLOGY OF
OVARY
RAMAGOPALAN S

2. OVERVIEW:
Anatomy
• Location
• Peritoneal relation
• External features
• Blood supply
• Lymphatics drainage
• Nerve supply
Embryology
histology

3. ANATOMY

4. Anatomy
• The ovary is ovoid or almond
in shape.
• It is about 3 cm long, 2 cm wide and
1 cm thick
• Ovaries lie on each side of the uterus, almost
vertically.
• Suspended in the pelvic cavity by a double fold
of peritoneum.
Location:

5. Peritoneal relation:
Anatomy
Each ovary is attached to the
posterior surface of the broad
ligament by a short peritoneal
fold called mesovarium.
Each ovary is almost entirely
covered by the peritoneum
except along the mesovarian.
The mesovarium acts as a
hilum of the ovary and
conveys blood vessels and
nerves to the ovary.

6. External features:
Anatomy
The ovary presents the following external
features.
• Two extremities or poles.
• Two surfaces.
• Two borders.

7. Poles:
Anatomy
Upper pole:
• It is broader than the lower pole
• Suspensory ligament of ovary
Lower pole:
• Connected to the lateral angle of
the uterus by ligament of ovary.
Surfaces:
Later surface:
• lies in the angle between the internal
and external iliac vessels.
Medial surface:
• mainly related to the uterine tube.

8. Anatomy
Anterior border:
• Attached to the posterior leaf of the
broad ligament by a double fold of
peritoneum, the mesovarium.
Posterior border:
• Free border, related ureter.
Borders:

9. Anatomy
Blood supply:
• Arterial supply: mainly, ovarian artery which arises from the
aorta at the level of L1 vertebra.
• Venous drainage:The right ovarian vein drains into the inferior
vena cava while the left ovarian vein drains into the left renal
vein.
Lymphatics drainage:
• Pre-aortic and para-aortic lymph nodes
Nerve supply:
• Postganglionic sympathetic (T10, T11) and parasympathetic (S2,
S3, S4) fibres, derived from abdominal autonomic plexuses.
• The visceral afferent fibres from the ovary run along the
sympathetic pathways to the spinal segments T10, T11.

10. Embryology

11. Embryology
The coelomic epithelium on the medial side of the mesonephros
becomes thickened to form genital ridges.
Primordial germs cells, that are formed in relation to yolk sac, migrate
to the region of developing ovary, and give rise to oocytes.

12. Embryology
Primordial germ
cells associate
with sex cords
Cords of cells proliferate from this germinal epithelium, and grow into
the underlying mesoderm

13. Embryology
The sex cords become broken up into small masses. The cells of each mass
surround one primordial germ cell, or oocyte, to form a primordial follicle.

14. Embryology
Mesenchymal cells, surrounding the developing ovaries, form tunica
albuginea.
Genital ridge, becomes germinal epithelium and covering tunica albuginea

15. HISTOLOGY

16. Histology
• Coverings:Extension
of mesovarium forming
germinal epithelium,
overlying tunica
albuginea
• Parts:Cortex & Medulla

17. Histology
Cortex: consists of
a.Stroma: connective
tissue & stromal
cells
b.Paranchyma:
different phases of
ovarian follicles

18. Histology
Different phases of ovarian follicles:
Primordial follicles Primary follicles Secondary follicles
Graafian follicles Corpus luteum Corpus albicans

19. Histology
Medulla: Most
internal part of the
ovary, consists of loose
connective tissue and
blood vessels entering
through hilum from
mesenteries.
Cortex
medulla

20. Reference:
• Human Anatomy, Fourth Edition - Saladin, Kenneth. S
• JUNQUEIRA's Basic Histology 13th Edition
• Last’s Anatomy Regional and Applied 12th edition
• Gray's Anatomy The Anatomical Basis of Clinical
Practice, 40th Edition