Skip to content
EasyAnatomyLab
Menu

Fimbriae of uterine tube: anatomy, location and function

The fimbriae are finger-like projections around the edge of the infundibulum. At ovulation they move over the ovary and their cilia sweep the oocyte into the tube.

Loading 3D model…
Skin0%
Muscles100%

Structures

Loading… Click the model or search.

Highlighted in the model: Fimbriae 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.

Fimbriae of uterine tube at a glance

What it is
The fimbriae are finger-like projections around the edge of the infundibulum.
Location
They hang over the ovary; one longer ovarian fimbria is attached to it.
Function
At ovulation they move over the ovary and their cilia sweep the oocyte into the tube.
Body system
Reproductive · paired (left and right) · female body
FMA ID
FMA18498 (Foundational Model of Anatomy)

Key facts

  • They are lined by ciliated and secretory columnar cells.
  • Many high-grade serous 'ovarian' cancers are now thought to start in the fimbriae.

Clinical relevance

Removing the tubes (salpingectomy) during other pelvic surgery is offered to lower the risk of ovarian cancer.

Structures next to the fimbriae of uterine tube

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

References

  1. Foundational Model of Anatomy: Fimbriae of uterine tube (FMA18498). 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.

Explore the whole body in the interactive 3D human anatomy model, or browse the A–Z list of human structures.