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Infundibulum of uterine tube: anatomy, location and function

The infundibulum is the funnel-shaped lateral end of the uterine tube. It collects the oocyte released at ovulation.

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Highlighted in the model: Infundibulum 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.

Infundibulum of uterine tube at a glance

What it is
The infundibulum is the funnel-shaped lateral end of the uterine tube.
Location
It lies next to the ovary and opens into the peritoneal cavity through the abdominal ostium.
Function
It collects the oocyte released at ovulation.
Body system
Reproductive · paired (left and right) · female body
FMA ID
FMA18490 (Foundational Model of Anatomy)

Key facts

  • Its edge is fringed by the fimbriae.
  • Its abdominal ostium is the opening of the tube into the peritoneal cavity.

Clinical relevance

Infection can seal the infundibulum, leaving the tube blocked and swollen with fluid (hydrosalpinx), a cause of infertility.

Structures next to the infundibulum of uterine tube

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

References

  1. Foundational Model of Anatomy: Infundibulum of uterine tube (FMA18490). 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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