This monograph has been written in the hope that it will prove of value to medical students and clinicians, to Honours undergradu ates in appropriate branches of the natural sciences, and to repro ductive biologists in general. It would be pleasing if the text also caught the attention of veterinary undergraduates, since there is much information bearing on reproduction in domestic animals. First and foremost, however, the intended audience is a medical one, for scientific studies of human reproduction have been cata lyzed by the intense interest in procedures of fertilization in vitro. Some would judge that this very activity has narrowed our view of physiological events occurring within the Fallopian tubes. The pre sent work may therefore serve as a useful counterbalance to the overwhelming series of publications on procedures of in vitro fer tilization, and offer opportunities to those in the clinical field for extending their knowledge of the scientific background to much of the current work.

I Discovery of the Fallopian Tubes and Subsequent Historical Landmarks

Ancient Interpretations
Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century Views
Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Advances
Twentieth Century Studies: Experimental Trends
References
II Development of the Fallopian Tubes and Their Functional Anatomy
Embryonic Derivation of the Fallopian Tube
Vascular Anatomy of the Tube
The Lymphatic System
Musculature and Innervation
Mucosa: Cilia and Secretory Cells
References
III Fallopian Tube Fluid: The Physiological Medium for Fertilization and Early Embryonic Development
Dynamics of Tubal Fluid Accumulation
Direction of Fluid Flow
Composition of Tubal Fluids
Regional and Microenvironments
Hormones Detected in Tubal Fluids
References
IV Transport of Gametes, Selection of Spermatozoa, and Gamete Lifespans in the Female Tract
Shedding and Initial Transport of Eggs
Deposition and Transport of Spermatozoa
Pre- and Peri-Ovulatory Sperm Distribution Within the Isthmus
Intra-Peritoneal Insemination
Sperm Selection in the Female Tract
Gamete Lifespans in the Female Tract
References
V Denudation of Eggs, Capacitation of Spermatozoa, and Fertilization - Normal and Abnormal
and Chemotaxis
Denudation and Final Maturation of Eggs
Fertilizin-Antifertilizin Reactions at the Egg Surface
Binding Sites for Spermatozoa on the Zona Pellucida
Capacitation of Spermatozoa, the Acrosome Reaction and Hyperactivation
Penetration of the Zona and Fusion of Gametes
Activation of the Egg and Block to Polyspermy
Synchrony of Penetration and Cleavage
Abnormalities of Fertilization
Fate of Redundant Gametes
References
VI Development of the Embryo and Influences on the Maternal System
Developmental Stages in the Fallopian Tube.-Nutritional Aspects of Embryonic Development
Early Pregnancy Factors
Experimental Modification of Tubal Development
Organization of the Embryo: Some First Steps
References
VII Transport of Embryos to the Uterus: Normal and Abnormal Timing
Progression of Embryos Within the Fallopian Tube
Mechanisms Regulating Passage of Embryos
Pharmacological Disturbance of Egg Transport
Delayed Transport in the Aetiology of Tubal Pregnancy
References
VIII Malfunction of the Fallopian Tubes: Spontaneous Conditions and Surgical Studies
Anomalies of the Fallopian Tubes
Ectopic (Tubal) Pregnancy
Intra-Uterine Fertilization and Estes' Operation
Tubal Resection and Reconstructive Surgery
Microsurgery and Subsequent Pregnancy
References
IX In Vitro Fertilization, Manipulation of Eggs and Embryos, and Subsequent Transplantation
Historical Aspects
Experimental Conditions for In Vitro Fertilization
Clinical Approach to In Vitro Fertilization
Embryo Culture and Transplantation into the Uterus
Alternative Approaches to Infertility
Sperm-Penetration of Zona-Free Oocytes
Other Cellular and Nuclear Manipulations
References
X Are the Fallopian Tubes Essential? A Biological Perspective.