Morphogenesis of the human genital tract.
The origin and development of the Wolf and Muller ducts are systematically studied in human embryos of 5 mm vertex-coccis (VC) to 39,5 weeks' post-fertilization human fetuses. The fusion of both Muller ducts is described, as well as embryonic and fetal uterus development. Basic elements, which constitute the genital tract, are equally formed in both sexes and it is from that common structure that at a specific time the sexual differentiation of the genital tract is transformed in one or another sex. This implies that, as it is happened with the gonad, genital tract passes through a common or indifferent stage in which morphologic differences between both sexes do not exist, and another phase of sexual differentiation in which several factors of multiple origin appears.
Puerta-Fonollá
A J
AJ
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University Complutense de Madrid, Spain. secanat1@eucmax.sim.ucm.es
D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005260:Female; D005835:Genitalia / Q000196:embryology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008650:Mesonephros / Q000196:embryology; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009095:Mullerian Ducts / Q000196:embryology; D012733:Sex Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D014928:Wolffian Ducts / Q000196:embryology