Uterine Tubes

The uterine or fallopian tubes are 10 to 13-cm long passageways on either side of the uterus.

Each tube is divided into the infundibulum, ampulla, and isthmus.

The infundibulum is a funnel-shaped opening adorned with finger-like projections called fimbriae extending into the peritoneal cavity.

Next is the ampulla, the widest region that makes up more than half the length of the uterine tube.

The isthmus is the narrowest part connecting the uterine tube to the uterus.

Around ovulation, the fimbriae of the uterine tubes cover the ovaries and sweep their surface.

Inside the tube, cilia from the mucosal epithelium generate currents in the peritoneal fluid, aiding in oocyte capture.

Nonciliated secretory and peg cells in the epithelium release a fluid that nourishes the oocyte.

Smooth muscle layers around the mucosa contract peristaltically, complementing the cilia's work by moving the oocyte through the ampulla.

Typically, sperm fertilizes the oocyte in the ampulla before it travels via the isthmus to the uterus.