Fallopian tube

Fallopian tube

The upper part of the female oviduct present in humans and other higher vertebrates. The Fallopian tube extends from the ovary to the uterus and transports ova from the ovary to the cavity of the uterus. Each tube is about 5 in. (12.5 cm) long; one lies on either side of the uterus and is attached at the upper portion. Each curves outward to end in a hoodlike opening, the infundibulum, with many fingerlike projections; the cavity of the Fallopian tube is continuous with the cavity of the coelom. The ovaries lie below and inside the tubal curve.

The ovum remains viable in the oviduct for about 1–3 days only. If fertilization occurs, the ovum moves into the cavity of the uterus and then implants on its wall. If fertilization fails to occur, the ovum degenerates in the uterus. Occasionally, a fertilized ovum fails to enter the uterus, or may be freed into the abdominal cavity, so that an ectopic pregnancy results if the ovum finds a site for implantation. See Reproductive system

McGraw-Hill Concise Encyclopedia of Bioscience. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Fallopian tube

[fə′lō·pē·ən ′tüb]

(anatomy)

Either of the paired oviducts that extend from the ovary to the uterus for conduction of the ovum in mammals.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.