The Fallopian Tubes - Hunter, Ronald H. F.

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Résumé :
This monograph has been written in the hope that it will prove of value to medical students and clinicians, to Honours undergradu? ates in appropriate branches of the natural sciences, and to repro? ductive biologists in general. It would be pleasing if the text also caught the attention of veterinary undergraduates, since there is much information bearing on reproduction in domestic animals. First and foremost, however, the intended audience is a medical one, for scientific studies of human reproduction have been cata? lyzed by the intense interest in procedures of fertilization in vitro. Some would judge that this very activity has narrowed our view of physiological events occurring within the Fallopian tubes. The pre? sent work may therefore serve as a useful counterbalance to the overwhelming series of publications on procedures of in vitro fer? tilization, and offer opportunities to those in the clinical field for extending their knowledge of the scientific background to much of the current work.

Sommaire:
I Discovery of the Fallopian Tubes and Subsequent Historical Landmarks.- Ancient Interpretations.- Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century Views.- Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Advances.- Twentieth Century Studies: Experimental Trends.- References.- II Development of the Fallopian Tubes and Their Functional Anatomy.- Embryonic Derivation of the Fallopian Tube.- Vascular Anatomy of the Tube.- The Lymphatic System.- Musculature and Innervation.- Mucosa: Cilia and Secretory Cells.- References.- III Fallopian Tube Fluid: The Physiological Medium for Fertilization and Early Embryonic Development.- Dynamics of Tubal Fluid Accumulation.- Direction of Fluid Flow.- Composition of Tubal Fluids.- Regional and Microenvironments.- Hormones Detected in Tubal Fluids.- References.- IV Transport of Gametes, Selection of Spermatozoa, and Gamete Lifespans in the Female Tract.- Shedding and Initial Transport of Eggs.- Deposition and Transport of Spermatozoa.- Pre- and Peri-Ovulatory Sperm Distribution Within the Isthmus.- Intra-Peritoneal Insemination.- Sperm Selection in the Female Tract.- Gamete Lifespans in the Female Tract.- References.- V Denudation of Eggs, Capacitation of Spermatozoa, and Fertilization - Normal and Abnormal.- and Chemotaxis.- Denudation and Final Maturation of Eggs.- Fertilizin-Antifertilizin Reactions at the Egg Surface.- Binding Sites for Spermatozoa on the Zona Pellucida.- Capacitation of Spermatozoa, the Acrosome Reaction and Hyperactivation.- Penetration of the Zona and Fusion of Gametes.- Activation of the Egg and Block to Polyspermy.- Synchrony of Penetration and Cleavage.- Abnormalities of Fertilization.- Fate of Redundant Gametes.- References.- VI Development of the Embryo and Influences on the Maternal System.- Developmental Stages in the Fallopian Tube.- Nutritional Aspects of Embryonic Development.- Early Pregnancy Factors.- Experimental Modification of Tubal Development.- Organization of the Embryo: Some First Steps.- References.- VII Transport of Embryos to the Uterus: Normal and Abnormal Timing.- Progression of Embryos Within the Fallopian Tube.- Mechanisms Regulating Passage of Embryos.- Pharmacological Disturbance of Egg Transport.- Delayed Transport in the Aetiology of Tubal Pregnancy.- References.- VIII Malfunction of the Fallopian Tubes: Spontaneous Conditions and Surgical Studies.- Anomalies of the Fallopian Tubes.- Ectopic (Tubal) Pregnancy.- Intra-Uterine Fertilization and Estes' Operation.- Tubal Resection and Reconstructive Surgery.- Microsurgery and Subsequent Pregnancy.- References.- IX In Vitro Fertilization, Manipulation of Eggs and Embryos, and Subsequent Transplantation.- Historical Aspects.- Experimental Conditions for In Vitro Fertilization.- Clinical Approach to In Vitro Fertilization.- Embryo Culture and Transplantation into the Uterus.- Alternative Approaches to Infertility.- Sperm-Penetration of Zona-Free Oocytes.- Other Cellular and Nuclear Manipulations.- References.- X Are the Fallopian Tubes Essential? A Biological Perspective.