Female anatomy

The varied spectrum of clinical syndromes produced by common STDs is determined not only by the etiologic pathogen(s) but also by differences in male and female anatomy and reprodnctive physiology. For a nnmber of STDs, the signs and symptoms overlap snfficiently to prevent accurate diagnosis withont microbiologic confirmation. Frequently, symptoms are minimal or absent despite the presence of infection. Table 115-2 lists common chiucal syndromes associated with STDs. " ... 

Most honnones are also steroids. Besides the already mentioned sexual hormones testosterone and progesterone, there is also estradiol, the female sexual hormone, which is responsible for the development of the secondary characteristics of the female anatomy. 

FIgure47-1. Thenormal urinary system, male and female. (Source Wynsbergke, D., Noback, C Carol a, R [1995]. Human anatomy physiology [3rd ed., p. 889]. New York McGraw-Hill.)... 

Females, single acute dose of 0.25-6.5 Gy, observed over a 17-year postexposure period At doses >2 Gy, 53% developed endometriosis (abnormal uterine growth) vs. 26% in controls irradiated monkeys weighed 43% less than controls, 35% were anorexic, 89% had abnormal uterine anatomy, and histopathology in most tissues exceed 50% frequency 21... 

Figure 26.5 Indirect toxicity of kraft pulpmill effluent to mosquito fish. Phytosterols in the mill effluent are converted to C19 steroidal androgens through the action of microorganisms in the environment. These androgens masculinize both anatomy and behavior of female mosquito fish. An arrow identifies the modified anal fln on the masculinized female.

The female mosquito s blood sampling ability has often been cited as an inspiration for development of microneedle-based systems. A few features of the mosquito anatomy and extraction ability are noteworthy. The mosquito s labium is about 3.5 mm long and narrows to an inner diameter of about 30 pm. The labium is applied to the skin with a hammer-like motion at the rate of 6-7 Hz for penetration. A muscle valve and mouth pump move in concert to create about 7 kPa of negative pressure that is sufficient to extract 1.9 pL of blood in 2 min.54 There is some indication that the mosquito can sense when a source of blood is reached and can change the direction of insertion while partway in the skin to achieve a greater rate of success. While the mosquito has served as inspiration for design and function parameters, man-made devices to date have relatively rudimentary functionality in comparison. 

Solinas M. and Isidore N. (1996) Functional anatomy of female sex pheromone gland of Mayetiola destructor Say (Diptera Cecidomyiidae). Entomologica Bari 30, 43-54. 

There were two kinds, females and males. The lady mushrooms had the familiar umbrella shape, but black, ominous, bitter-looking. The males anatomy was so phallic there was no reason to ask why they were called males. 

The macaque rhesus monkey has an ovarian cycle of approximately 28 days, as does the human female, and it also exhibits an estrus pattern very similar to the menstrual pattern of the human female. It is widely believed by researchers in the fertility field that rhesus monkeys and humans have comparable anatomy and physiology, as well as similar reproductive func-tions. Therefore, the female rhesus monkey is a superior animal model for studying the vaginal absorption of various drugs from a drug delivery system designed for use in human females. 

MoUusks have attracted the attention of humans since prehistoric times. People historically have associated certain powers with plants and animals that resembled parts of the human anatomy. MoUusks would be a classical example in that a certain type of power was associated with cowry (anatomical resemblance to female genitalia) and was thought to be transferred to the possessors of cowry. The first written report about mollusks appeared in Aristotle s History of animals , which contained a detail discussion of Mediterranean mollusks. During the late fourteen and fifteenth centuries the collecting and studying of sheUs of marine mollusks became hobbies of gentlemen from well-to-do families widi interests in natural history. 

Aiming to bring the benefits of advanced technology to the healthcare profession, other NLM programs, like the Visible Human Project, offer new opportunities to study human anatomy and options to further medical research. The Visible Human Project " is essentially a database of electronic transverse CT, MRI, and cross section images from an entire female and male human cadaver. 

Another myth derived from the ancient Greeks and Aristotle, a myth that lasted several centuries after the Middle Ages, was the idea that females were simply males whose fetal development had for some reason stopped too early. The female was considered a defective male, full development halted because the mother s womb could not overcome the heat of the male semen. This view was accepted by the European Church after Galen, then the supreme authority in anatomy and physiology, declared the following in the second century3 ... 

Epidemiologic studies reveal that the lifetime risk of appendicitis is 8.6% for males and 6.7% for females. The lifetime risk of appendectomy is 12.0% for males and 23.1% for females (Addiss et al. 1990). These data stress the social and economic impact of appendicitis and the need to improve the diagnosis. The pathogenesis of appendicitis is conditioned by the speciflc cul-de-sac anatomy of the appendix being prone to develop ectasia, fecalith formation, obstruction and/or infection followed by ischemia, necrosis and perforation (Gray and Ashley 1986). 

Pelage J, LeDref O, Soyer P et al. (1999) Arterial anatomy of the female genital tract variation and relevance to transcatheter embolization of the uterus. AJR Am J Roentgenol 172 989-994... 

Levi CS, Holt SC, Lyons EA, Lindsay DJ, Dashefsky SM (2000) Normal anatomy of the female pelvis. In Callen PW (ed) Ultrasonography in obstetrics and gynecology, 4th ed. Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 781-813... 

Sever, D. M., 1978b, Female cloacal anatomy of Plethodon cinereus... 

Connective Tissue Structures and Muscles in the Female 20 Reinterpreted Anatomy and Clinical Relevance 21... 

The pelvic floor constitutes the caudal border of the human s visceral cavity. It is characterized by a complex morphology because different functional systems join here. A clear understanding of the pelvic anatomy is crucial for the diagnosis of female pelvic diseases, for female pelvic surgery as well as for fundamental mechanisms of urogenital dysfunction and treatment... 

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