Fallopian tube
The Fallopian tubes, also known as oviducts, uterine tubes, and salpinges , are two very fine tubes leading from the
ovaries of female mammals into the uterus. 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' owing to the theory that the adjective 'fallopian' has been absorbed into modern English as the de facto name for the structure. The Greek word salpinx means "trumpeter".
There are two Fallopian tubes, attached to either side of the
cranial end of the uterus, and each terminating at or near one ovary forming a structure called the fimbria.
Encyclopedia
The
Fallopian tubes, also known as
oviducts,
uterine tubes, and
salpinges , are two very fine tubes leading from the
ovaries of female mammals into the uterus. 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' owing to the theory that the adjective 'fallopian' has been absorbed into modern English as the de facto name for the structure. The Greek word salpinx means "trumpeter".
There are two Fallopian tubes, attached to either side of the
cranial end of the uterus, and each terminating at or near one ovary forming a structure called the fimbria.
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".
The Fallopian tubes are mobile, and have been observed on time-lapse videography moving about the pelvis. Although anatomical illustrations have them proceeding from the uterine horns to the ovary, this is not the case for most of the menstrual cycle, and a tube may cross to the other side or lie on top of the uterus.
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 develops in females into the Fallopian tubes, uterus and
vagina, while the other pair develops in males into the epididymis and 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 peritoneal cavity ; 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. 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.
In
humans, the Fallopian tubes are about 7–14 cm long.
See also
