Vagina

The vaginal wall consists of three layers:

• Mucosa has numerous transverse folds called rugae. It is lined with stratified squamous nonkeratinized epithelium. Connective tissue papillae project into the epithelial layer. There are no glands, the surface is lubricated by mucus produced by the cervical glands. The epithelium undergoes cyclic changes during the menstrual cycle. In the follicular phase the cells synthesize and accumulate glycogen as they move towards the surface. In the menstrual phase the cells are continuously desquamated, but near or during the menstrual phase the superficial layer of the epithelium may be shed.
• Muscularis has two layers of smooth muscle. These are the inner circular and the outer longitudinal, the latter of which continues with the corresponding layer in the uterus. It is thicker than the inner layer.
• Adventitia has the inner dense connective tissue and the outer loose connective tissue.