The Ovaries
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Female internal
genitalia | Main Anatomy Index | Female external genitalia
Last updated 30 March 2006
The Ovaries
- In nulliparae (women who have not borne children), the
ovaries are oval, almond-shaped,
pinkish-white glands about 3 cm
long, 1.5 cm wide, and 1
cm thick.
- Before puberty the surface of the ovaries
is smooth.
- Thereafter it becomes progressively scarred and distorted owing to repeated ovulations.
- The ovaries are located close to the lateral wall of
the pelvis minor, in a recess called the ovarian fossa.
- This fossa is bounded anteriorly by the medial umbilical ligament and posteriorly
by the ureter and internal iliac artery.
- The superior (tubal) end
of the ovary is connected to the lateral wall of the pelvis by the suspensory ligament of the ovary.
- This ligament is a fold of the posterior layer of the broad ligament.
- The suspensory ligament contains the ovarian
vessels and nerves.
- These pass into the mesovarium and the hilum of the ovary.
- Each ovary is also attached to the uterus by a band of fibrous
tissue, the ligament of the ovary, which runs
in the mesovarium of the broad ligament.
- It connects the inferior (uterine) end
of the ovary to the lateral angle of the uterus.
- The surface of the ovary is not covered by peritoneum.
Arterial Supply of
the Ovaries
- At the level of the ovary, the ovarian artery sends branches
through the mesovarium to the ovary and continues medially in the broad ligament to supply
the uterine tube.
- It anastomoses with the uterine artery.
Venous Drainage of
the Ovaries
- The ovarian veins leave
the hilum of the ovary and form a vine-like
network of vessels, called the pampiniform plexus
(L. pampinus, tendril + forma, form), in the broad ligament near the ovary and
uterine tube.
- This plexus of veins communicates with the uterine plexus of veins.
- The right ovarian vein ascends to the IVC, whereas the left ovarian vein
drains into the left renal vein.
Lymphatic Drainage
of the Ovaries
- The lymph vessels follow the ovarian blood vessels and
join those from the uterine tubes and the fundus of the uterus as they ascend
to the aortic lymph nodes in the lumbar
region.
Innervation of the
Ovaries
- The nerves of the ovary descend along the ovarian vessels
from the ovarian plexus.
- It is formed from the aortic, renal,
and superior and inferior
hypogastric plexuses.
- These nerves supply the ovaries, broad ligaments, and uterine tubes.
- The parasympathetic fibres in the ovarian plexus are
derived from the vagus nerves.