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Ampulla of uterine tube: anatomy, location and function

The ampulla is the widest and longest part of the uterine tube. It is the usual site of fertilisation.

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Highlighted in the model: Ampulla of uterine tube. Click any part to read about it, or switch off “Highlight topic” to see the whole body. Use Male / Female to switch bodies. 3D data: BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science; knee ligaments, menisci, tonsils, palate and parotid glands from the Human Reference Atlas Visible Human Male model and female parts from its Visible Human Female model (HuBMAP / NIH); lung lobes built from the BodyParts3D chest; all CC BY 4.0; meshes simplified and recoloured. The female body shares the male skeleton, muscles and organs except its pelvis, reproductive organs, breasts, bladder, urethra and skin.

Ampulla of uterine tube at a glance

What it is
The ampulla is the widest and longest part of the uterine tube.
Location
It lies between the infundibulum and the isthmus, curving around the ovary, and makes up about half the tube's length.
Function
It is the usual site of fertilisation.
Body system
Reproductive · paired (left and right) · female body
FMA ID
FMA18492 (Foundational Model of Anatomy)

Key facts

  • Its lining is thrown into many folds with ciliated cells.
  • The early embryo spends about 3–4 days in the tube before reaching the uterus.

Clinical relevance

It is the most common site of ectopic pregnancy.

Structures next to the ampulla of uterine tube

The nearest named structures in the 3D model, measured from the centre of each part:

References

  1. Foundational Model of Anatomy: Ampulla of uterine tube (FMA18492). EMBL-EBI Ontology Lookup Service.
  2. OpenStax. Anatomy and Physiology 2e, §27.2 Anatomy and Physiology of the Ovarian Reproductive System. Rice University, 2022.
  3. Mitsuhashi N. et al. (2009). BodyParts3D: 3D structure database for anatomical concepts. Nucleic Acids Research 37, D782–D785. Data © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0.
  4. Browne K., Schlehlein H. 3D Reference Organ Set for United, Female (Visible Human Female). Human Reference Atlas 3D Reference Object Library, HuBMAP / NIH. Data from the NLM Visible Human Project. CC BY 4.0.

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