ABSTRACT
The uterus is derived from the paramesonephric ducts that were first described in 1825 by Johannes Miiller and are also known as the Mullerian ducts. The mesodermally derived Mullerian ducts form the luminal and glandular epithelia of the uterus as well as the epithelial lining of the oviduct, cervix and upper vagina. Each Mullerian duct is surrounded by the urogenital ridge mesenchyme that gives rise to the fibromuscular wall of the uterus (endometrial stroma and myometrium) and to comparable connective tissue and muscle layers of the oviduct, cervix and upper vagina. Development and growth of the uterus are regulated via reciprocal interactions between epithelium and the surrounding mesenchymal cells as is also the case for the gastrointestinal, respiratory, integumental and urinary systems. In this review, we will describe the critical interrelationships between the development of the urinary and reproductive tracts, the organogenesis of the uterus and the critical roles of sex steroid receptors and epithelialmesenchymal interactions in uterine growth and development. Finally, the molecular pathways critical for establishing normal development of the uterus and other regions of the reproductive tract will be described.
