Abstract
The female reproductive tract develops from the mullerian ducts. Mullerian duct development will not proceed in the absence of the mesonephric duct (Freedman and Shapiro, 1997; Gruenwald, 1943). The mullerian ducts adhere to each other just before they project into the dorsal wall of the urogenital sinus (UGS) causing an elevation termed the sinus tubercle. When the fused tips contact the sinus tubercle, the ducts fuse cranially, forming a tube with a single lumen called the uterovaginal primordium or canal (O’Rahilly, 1977). This tube will ultimately become the superior aspect of the vagina and uterus (Larsen, 1993). The cranial portion of the mullerian ducts which are unfused, develop into the fallopian tubes (George and Wilson, 1988). The original coelomic epithelial ostium remains as the abdominal opening of the fallopian tube. A septum initially divides the uterus into two cavities. This septum between the fused ducts disappears after 9 weeks, forming a single uterine cavity. The mesonephric ducts regress one week later, leaving a remnant in the female which is termed Gartner’s duct (Arey, 1974). Muscularization of the uterus is completed by 17 weeks gestation and forms from the mesenchyme surrounding the mullerian ducts.
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Shapiro, E., Huang, H., Wu, XR. (2004). New Concepts on the Development of the Vagina. In: Baskin, L.S. (eds) Hypospadias and Genital Development. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 545. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8995-6_11
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