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The Müllerian ducts (or paramesonephric ducts) are paired ducts of the embryo
Embryo

An embryo is a multicellular organism ploidy eukaryote in its earliest stage of development, from the time of first cell division until birth, Egg , or germination....
 which run down the lateral sides of the urogenital ridge and terminate at the mullerian eminence in the primitive urogenital sinus. In the female, they will develop to form the fallopian tubes, uterus, and the upper portion of the vagina; in the male, they are lost. These ducts are comprised of tissue of mesodermal
Mesoderm

One of the three germ layers found in the embryos of animals more complex than cnidarians, making them triploblastic. Mesoderm forms in the embryo during gastrulation when some of the cells migrating inward to form the endoderm, produce an additional layer that lies between the endoderm and the ectoderm....
 origin.

Müllerian ducts are present on the embryo of both sexes.






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The Müllerian ducts (or paramesonephric ducts) are paired ducts of the embryo
Embryo

An embryo is a multicellular organism ploidy eukaryote in its earliest stage of development, from the time of first cell division until birth, Egg , or germination....
 which run down the lateral sides of the urogenital ridge and terminate at the mullerian eminence in the primitive urogenital sinus. In the female, they will develop to form the fallopian tubes, uterus, and the upper portion of the vagina; in the male, they are lost. These ducts are comprised of tissue of mesodermal
Mesoderm

One of the three germ layers found in the embryos of animals more complex than cnidarians, making them triploblastic. Mesoderm forms in the embryo during gastrulation when some of the cells migrating inward to form the endoderm, produce an additional layer that lies between the endoderm and the ectoderm....
 origin.

Development

Gray1110
The Müllerian ducts are present on the embryo of both sexes. Only in females do they grow and develop into reproductive organs. They degenerate in males, but the adjoining Wolffian ducts develop into male reproductive organs.

Regulation of development

The development of the Müllerian ducts is controlled by the presence or absence of "AMH", or Anti-müllerian hormone
Anti-müllerian hormone

Anti-M?llerian hormone also known as AMH is a protein which in humans is encoded by the AMH gene. It has also been called M?llerian inhibiting factor , M?llerian inhibiting hormone , and M?llerian inhibiting substance ....
 (also known as "MIF" for "Müllerian inhibiting factor", or "MIH" for "Müllerian inhibiting hormone").

male embryogenesis The testes produce AMH and as a result the development of the Müllerian ducts is inhibited. Disturbances can lead to persistent müllerian duct syndrome
Persistent müllerian duct syndrome

Persistent M?llerian duct syndrome refers to the presence of a uterus and sometimes other M?llerian duct derivatives in a male animal. In humans, PMDS typically is due to an autosomal recessive congenital disorder....
. 		The ducts disappear except for the vestigial vagina masculina and the appendix testis
Appendix testis

The appendix testis is a vestigial remnant of the M?llerian duct, present on the upper pole of the testis and attached to the tunica vaginalis....
. |- | female embryogenesis 		The absence of AMH results in the development of female reproductive organs, as noted above. Disturbance in the development may result in uterine absence (Mullerian agenesis
Mullerian agenesis

M?llerian agenesis is a congenital malformation in women characterised by a failure of the M?llerian ducts to develop, resulting in a missing uterus and variable malformations of the vagina....
) or uterine malformation
Uterine malformation

A uterine malformation is the result of an abnormal development of the Mullerian duct during embryogenesis. Symptoms range from amenorrhea, infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, and pain, to normal functioning depending on the nature of the defect....
s. 		The ducts develop into the upper vagina
Vagina

The vagina is a fibromuscular cylinder tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles....
, cervix
Cervix

The cervix is the lower, narrow portion of the uterus where it joins with the top end of the vagina. It is cylindrical or conical in shape and protrudes through the upper anterior vaginal wall....
, uterus
Uterus

The uterus is a major female hormone-responsive reproductive sex organ of most mammals, including humans. It is within the uterus that the fetus develops during gestation....
 and oviducts.


Eponym

They are named after Johannes Peter Müller
Johannes Peter Müller

Johannes Peter M?ller , was a Germany physiologist, comparative anatomy, and ichthyology not only known for his discoveries but also for his ability to synthesize knowledge....
, a physiologist who described these ducts in his text "Bildungsgeschichte der Genitalien" in 1830.

Additional images


See also

  • Defeminization
    Defeminization

    Defeminization is a term in developmental biology, especially zoology, referring to an aspect of the process of sexual differentiation by which a potential female-specific structure, function, or behavior is prevented from developing by one of the processes of male development....
  • prostatic utricle
    Prostatic utricle

    The prostatic utricle is a small indentation located in the prostatic urethra, at the apex of the urethral crest, on the seminal colliculus, laterally flanked by openings of the ejaculatory ducts....
  • List of homologues of the human reproductive system
    List of homologues of the human reproductive system

    The List of Homology of the human reproductive system shows how indifferent embryonic organ s differentiate into the respective sex organs in males and females....
  • Sexual differentiation
    Sexual differentiation

    Sexual differentiation is the process of development of the differences between males and females from an undifferentiated zygote . As male and female individuals develop from zygotes into fetuses, into infants, children, adolescents, and eventually into adults, sex and gender differences at many levels develop: genes, chromosomes, gonads, ho...
  • Wolffian duct
    Wolffian duct

    The Wolffian duct is a paired Organ found in mammals including humans during embryogenesis.It connects the primitive kidney Wolffian body to the cloaca and serves as the anlage for certain male reproductive organs....


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