Your Guide to the Female Reproductive System
The female reproductive system is designed to carry out several functions. It
produces the female egg cells necessary for reproduction, called the ova or
oocytes. The system is designed to transport the ova to the site of
fertilization. Conception, the fertilization of an egg by a sperm, normally
occurs in the fallopian tubes. The next step for the fertilized egg is to
implant into the walls of the uterus, beginning the intitial stages of
pregnancy. If fertilization and/or implantation does not take place, the system
is designed to menstruate (the monthly shedding of the uterine lining). In
addition, the female reproductive system produces female sex hormones that
maintain the reproductive cycle.
During menopause the female reproductive system gradually stops making the
female hormones necessary for the reproductive cycle to work. When the body no
longer produces these hormones a woman is considered to be menopausal.
What Parts Make-up the Female Anatomy?
The female reproductive anatomy includes internal and external structures.
The function of the external female reproductive structures (the genital) is
twofold: To enable sperm to enter the body and to protect the internal genital
organs from infectious organisms. The main external structures of the female
reproductive system include:
- Labia majora: The labia majora enclose and protect the other external
reproductive organs. Literally translated as "large lips," the labia majora are
relatively large and fleshy, and are comparable to the scrotum in males. The
labia majora contain sweat and oil-secreting glands. After puberty, the labia
majora are covered with hair.
- Labia minora: Literally translated as "small lips," the labia minora
can be very small or up to 2 inches wide. They lie just inside the labia majora,
and surround the openings to the vagina (the canal that joins the lower part of
the uterus to the outside of the body) and urethra (the tube that carries urine
from the bladder to the outside of the body).
- Bartholin's glands:
These glands are located next to the vaginal opening and produce a fluid (mucus)
secretion.
- Clitoris: The two labia minora meet at the clitoris, a
small, sensitive protrusion that is comparable to the penis in males. The
clitoris is covered by a fold of skin, called the prepuce, which is similar to
the foreskin at the end of the penis. Like the penis, the clitoris is very
sensitive to stimulation and can become erect.
The internal reproductive organs in the female include:
- Vagina: The vagina is a canal that joins the cervix (the lower part
of uterus) to the outside of the body. It also is known as the birth canal.
- Uterus (womb):
The uterus is a hollow, pear-shaped organ that is the home to a developing
fetus. The uterus is divided into two parts: the cervix, which is the lower part
that opens into the vagina, and the main body of the uterus, called the corpus.
The corpus can easily expand to hold a developing baby. A channel through the
cervix allows sperm to enter and menstrual blood to exit.
- Ovaries: The
ovaries are small, oval-shaped glands that are located on either side of the
uterus. The ovaries produce eggs and hormones.
- Fallopian tubes: These
are narrow tubes that are attached to the upper part of the uterus and serve as
tunnels for the ova (egg cells) to travel from the ovaries to the uterus.
Conception, the fertilization of an egg by a sperm, normally occurs in the
fallopian tubes. The fertilized egg then moves to the uterus, where it implants
to the uterine wall.
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