Around 1544, an Italian priest named Gabriele Falloppio (1523–1562) decided to switch careers and become a surgeon, with somewhat disastrous—and a few fatal—results. That experience spurred him to step away from patients and concentrate his efforts on the study of medicine, which was a profession, as opposed to surgery, then considered a trade. It was a fortuitous choice: Falloppio went on to become one of the most renowned anatomists in history by shedding light on the female reproductive system. Most notably, he discovered the two ducts that transmit eggs from the ovaries to the uterus; these ducts were later named fallopian tubes in his honor.

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These soft, flexible, 2- to 3-inch-long wands of pink tissue play a crucial role in the fertilization process. Extending from the upper edges of the uterus, they stretch toward the ovaries but aren’t attached to them. Instead, each tube fans out in short, fingerlike tentacles called fimbriae. When an egg is released, these fimbriae sweep over the ovary to capture the egg. Once the egg is inside, the fallopian tube’s muscles and tiny hairlike projections, or cilia, guide it slowly downward toward the uterus; in total, the journey takes about 6 days. Fertilization by sperm, which travel to the fallopian tubes through the uterus, typically takes place within the first 2 days.

Because the fallopian tubes are essential for reproduction, one method of permanent birth control is to cut and seal them so that the eggs can’t enter the uterus. This method, called tubal ligation (also known as having one’s tubes tied), is virtually foolproof; each year, more than 750,000 women opt for the surgery. There is a procedure to reverse it, but success rates for reversal are low.

ADDITIONAL FACTS

  1. Fallopian tubes are also called oviducts.
  2. To reduce the transmission of syphilis, Gabriele Falloppio invented a rudimentary condom. It was a medicated sheath that was placed over the foreskin of the penis and tied with a pink ribbon to make it more appealing to women.