Activity of female reproductive system is controlled by sex glands: ovaries produced the female sex hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone. Influence of sex hormones is evident in the development of so-called secondary sexual character: constitution, breast, typical female hair pattern.

1. FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM DIAGRAM
Activityof female reproductive systemiscontrolledbysex glands:ovariesproducedthe female sex
hormones,suchas estrogenandprogesterone.Influence of sex hormonesisevidentinthe development
of so-calledsecondarysexual character:constitution,breast,typical female hairpattern.
Hypothalamusanda hypophysisinthe central nervoussystemof the brainserve asthe centre
regulatingovariesfunction.Ovariesare the mainsource of sex hormonesinthe woman’sbody.
Anatomically,inovariestwolayerscanbe defined:external withthe follicles,andinternal.Follicles
containovocyte.A quantityof female sex cellsstartingfromthe teenage age of the girl isgradually
decreased.Maturingof ovocyte isaccompaniedbysignificantgrowthof the sex hormonesproduced
mainlyinthe active follicle.Suchchangescharacterizingthe processof preparationforpregnancycanbe
observedmonthly.If the pregnancydoesnothappen,the menstruationstarts,meaningthe beginningof
a newmonthlycycle.
Everymenstrual cycle beginsfromthe developmentof 20-50 folliclescontainingovocyteinthe ovary.
The largest,or dominantfollicle canbe definedamonggrowingfolliclesby8-9thday fromthe beginning
of menstruation. A dominantfollicle continuesgrowingandthusdepressesotherfolliclesdevelopment.
The ovocyte growsin a dominantfollicle.Ina growingfollicle,estrogens,femalesex hormones,suchas
estradiol (mostactive),estroneandestriol are produced.This stage of the cycle iscalledasfollicular.
Estradiol contentisquicklyincreasedatthisstage,reachingthe maximumaday before ovulation.Inthe
middle of the menstrual cycle,the dominantfollicle releasesanovocyte,thisprocessiscalledovulation.
Ovulationcausespassingtothe followingstage of the menstrual cycle,lutein,orthe yellowbodyphase.
The yellowbodyproducesotherfemale sex hormone,progesterone.
The yellowbodylife is12-14 daysand if pregnancydoesnothappen,bythe endof luteinstage,the
yellowbodystopstofunction.
Hormonesof ovaries(estrogenandprogesterone),penetratingintoblood,affectthe whole organism,
providingcorrectdevelopmentof genitals,increaseinbreast,female constitution,voicetimbre,and
otherthings.
Whenthe most of folliclesisspent,awomanlosesabilitytoconceptionandmenstruationstops.
Accordingly,the cyclicfluctuationsof sex hormonesare stoppedand,consequently,level isdecreased.
A womanhas beenmenstruatingfor30-35 yearsduringherlife.The lastmenstruation,asa rule,is
observedat50-52 years of age.However,thisstage maybe experiencedat45 or even35 yearsof age.
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The female reproductivesystemisdesignedtocarryout several functions.Itproducesthe female egg
cellsnecessaryforreproduction,calledthe ovaoroocytes.The systemisdesignedtotransportthe ova
to the site of fertilization.Conception,the fertilizationof aneggby a sperm, normallyoccursinthe
fallopiantubes.The nextstepforthe fertilizedeggistoimplantintothe wallsof the uterus,beginning

2. the initial stagesof pregnancy.If fertilizationand/orimplantationdoesnottake place,the systemis
designedtomenstruate (themonthlysheddingof the uterine lining).Inaddition,the female
reproductive systemproducesfemale sexhormonesthatmaintainthe reproductive cycle.
What Parts Make up the Female Anatomy?
The female reproductiveanatomyincludespartsinside andoutside the body.
The functionof the external femalereproductivestructures(the genitals) istwofold:Toenable spermto
enterthe bodyand to protectthe internal genital organsfrominfectiousorganisms.The mainexternal
structuresof the female reproductivesysteminclude:
Labia majora:The labiamajora enclose andprotectthe otherexternal reproductiveorgans.Literally
translatedas“large lips,”the labiamajoraare relativelylarge andfleshy,andare comparable to the
scrotumin males.The labiamajoracontainsweatandoil-secretingglands.Afterpuberty,the labia
majoraare coveredwithhair.
Labia minora:Literallytranslatedas“small lips,”the labiaminoracanbe verysmall or upto 2 inches
wide.Theylie justinside the labiamajora,andsurroundthe openingstothe vagina(the canal thatjoins
the lowerpart of the uterusto the outside of the body) andurethra (the tube thatcarriesurine fromthe
bladdertothe outside of the body).
Bartholin’sglands:These glandsare locatedbesidethe vaginal openingandproduce afluid(mucus)
secretion.
Clitoris:The twolabiaminorameetatthe clitoris,a small,sensitiveprotrusionthatiscomparable tothe
penisinmales.The clitorisiscoveredbyafoldof skin,calledthe prepuce,whichissimilartothe foreskin
at the endof the penis.Like the penis,the clitorisisverysensitivetostimulationandcanbecome erect.
The internal reproductive organs in the female include:
Vagina:The vaginais a canal thatjoinsthe cervix(the lowerpartof uterus) tothe outside of the body.It
alsois knownasthe birthcanal.
Uterus (womb):The uterusisahollow,pear-shapedorganthatisthe home to a developingfetus.The
uterusisdividedintotwoparts:the cervix,whichisthe lowerpartthat opensintothe vagina,andthe
mainbodyof the uterus,calledthe corpus.The corpuscan easilyexpandtoholda developingbaby.A
channel throughthe cervix allowsspermtoenterandmenstrual bloodtoexit.
Ovaries:The ovariesare small,oval-shapedglandsthatare locatedoneitherside of the uterus.The
ovariesproduce eggsandhormones.
Fallopiantubes:These are narrowtubesthatare attachedto the upperpart of the uterusand serve as
tunnelsforthe ova(eggcells) to travel fromthe ovariestothe uterus.Conception,the fertilizationof an
eggby a sperm,normallyoccursinthe fallopiantubes.The fertilizedeggthenmovestothe uterus,
where itimplantsintothe liningof the uterinewall.

3. What Happens During the Menstrual Cycle?
Femalesof reproductiveage experience cyclesof hormonal activitythatrepeatataboutone-month
intervals.Witheverycycle,awoman’sbodypreparesforapotential pregnancy,whetherornotthat is
the woman’sintention.The termmenstruationreferstothe periodicsheddingof the uterine lining.
(Menstrumeans“monthly.”)
The average menstrual cycle takesabout28 daysand occurs inphases:the follicularphase,the
ovulatoryphase (ovulation),andthe luteal phase.
There are fourmajorhormones(chemicalsthatstimulateorregulate the activityof cellsororgans)
involvedinthe menstrualcycle:follicle-stimulatinghormone,luteinizinghormone,estrogen,and
progesterone.
Follicular Phase of the Menstrual Cycle
Thisphase starts on the firstdayof your period.Duringthe follicularphase of the menstrualcycle,the
followingeventsoccur:
 Two hormones,follicle stimulatinghormone(FSH) andluteinizinghormone(LH),are released
fromthe brainand travel inthe bloodtothe ovaries.
 The hormonesstimulate the growthof about15 to 20 eggsinthe ovaries,eachinitsown
“shell,”calledafollicle.
 These hormones(FSHandLH) alsotriggeran increase inthe productionof the female hormone
estrogen.
 As estrogenlevelsrise,likeaswitch,itturnsoff the productionof follicle-stimulatinghormone.
Thiscareful balance of hormonesallowsthe bodytolimitthe numberof folliclesthatmature.
 As the follicularphase progresses,one follicle inone ovarybecomesdominantandcontinuesto
mature.Thisdominantfollicle suppressesall of the otherfolliclesinthe group.Asa result,they
stopgrowingand die.The dominantfolliclecontinuestoproduce estrogen.
Ovulatory Phase of the Menstrual Cycle
The ovulatoryphase,orovulation,startsabout14 daysafterthe follicularphase started.The ovulatory
phase isthe midpointof the menstrual cycle,withthe nextmenstrual periodstartingabouttwoweeks
later.Duringthisphase,the followingeventsoccur.
 The rise in estrogenfromthe dominantfollicle triggersasurge inthe amountof luteinizing
hormone thatis producedbythe brain.
 Thiscausesthe dominantfollicletorelease itseggfromthe ovary.
 As the eggis released(aprocesscalledovulation),itiscapturedbyfinger-like projectionsonthe
endof the fallopiantubes(fimbriae).The fimbriae sweepthe eggintothe tube.
 Alsoduringthisphase,there isanincrease inthe amountand thicknessof mucusproducedby
the cervix (lowerpartof the uterus).If a womanwere tohave intercourse duringthistime,the

4. thickmucus capturesthe man’ssperm, nourishesit,andhelpsittomove towardsthe eggfor
fertilization.
Luteal Phase of the Menstrual Cycle
The luteal phase of the menstrual cycle beginsrightafterovulationandinvolvesthe followingprocesses:
 Once it releasesitsegg,the emptyfollicle developsintoanew structure calledthe corpus
luteum.
 The corpus luteumsecretesthe hormone progesterone.Progesterone preparesthe uterusfora
fertilizedeggtoimplant.
 If intercourse hastakenplace anda man’sspermhas fertilizedthe egg(aprocesscalled
conception),the fertilizedegg(embryo) will travel throughthe fallopiantube toimplantinthe
uterus.The womanisnow consideredpregnant.
 If the eggis notfertilized,itpassesthroughthe uterus.Notneededtosupportapregnancy,the
liningof the uterusbreaksdownandsheds,andthe nextmenstrual periodbegins.
How Many Eggs Does a Woman Have?
The vast majorityof the eggswithinthe ovariessteadilydie,until theyare depletedatmenopause.At
birth,there are approximately1millionto2 millioneggs;bythe time of puberty,onlyabout300,000
remain.Of these,onlyabout500 will be ovulatedduringawoman’sreproductivelifetime.Any
remainingeggsgraduallydie out atmenopause.
Ovaries
The ovariesare a pairof small glandsaboutthe size andshape of almonds,locatedonthe leftandright
sidesof the pelvicbodycavitylateral tothe superiorportionof the uterus.Ovariesproduce femalesex
hormonessuchas estrogenandprogesterone aswell asova(commonlycalled“eggs”),the female
gametes.Ovaare producedfromoocyte cellsthatslowlydevelopthroughoutawoman’searlylife and
reach maturityafterpuberty.Eachmonthduringovulation,amature ovumisreleased.The ovum
travelsfromthe ovaryto the fallopiantube,where itmaybe fertilizedbeforereachingthe uterus.
Fallopian Tubes
The fallopiantubesare apair of musculartubesthat extendfromthe leftandrightsuperiorcornersof
the uterusto the edge of the ovaries.The fallopiantubesendinafunnel-shapedstructure calledthe
infundibulum,whichiscoveredwithsmall finger-like projectionscalledfimbriae.The fimbriaeswipe
overthe outside of the ovariestopickup releasedovaandcarry themintothe infundibulumfor
transportto the uterus.The inside of eachfallopiantube iscoveredinciliathatworkwiththe smooth
muscle of the tube to carry the ovumto the uterus.
Uterus

5. The uterusis a hollow,muscular,pear-shapedorganlocatedposteriorandsuperiortothe urinary
bladder.Connectedtothe twofallopiantubesonitssuperiorendandtothe vagina(viathe cervix) onits
inferiorend,the uterusisalsoknownasthe womb,as itsurroundsand supportsthe developingfetus
duringpregnancy.The innerliningof the uterus,knownasthe endometrium,providessupporttothe
embryoduringearlydevelopment.The visceral musclesof the uteruscontractduringchildbirthtopush
the fetusthroughthe birthcanal.
Vagina
The vaginais an elastic, musculartube thatconnectsthe cervix of the uterusto the exteriorof the body.
It islocatedinferiortothe uterusandposteriortothe urinarybladder.The vaginafunctionsasthe
receptacle forthe penisduringsexualintercourse andcarriesspermto the uterusand fallopiantubes.It
alsoservesasthe birthcanal by stretchingtoallow deliveryof the fetusduringchildbirth.During
menstruation,the menstrual flow exitsthe bodyviathe vagina.
Vulva
The vulvais the collective name forthe external femalegenitalialocatedinthe pubicregionof the body.
The vulvasurroundsthe external endsof the urethral openingandthe vaginaandincludesthe mons
pubis,labiamajora,labiaminora,andclitoris.The monspubis,orpubicmound,isa raisedlayerof
adipose tissue betweenthe skinandthe pubicbone thatprovidescushioningtothe vulva.The inferior
portionof the mons pubissplitsintoleftandrighthalvescalledthe labiamajora.The monspubisand
labiamajoraare coveredwithpubichairs.Inside of the labiamajoraare smaller,hairlessfoldsof skin
calledthe labiaminorathatsurroundthe vaginal andurethral openings.Onthe superiorendof the labia
minoraisa small massof erectile tissue knownasthe clitoristhatcontainsmanynerve endingsfor
sensingsexual pleasure.
Breasts and Mammary Glands
The breastsare specializedorgansof the female bodythatcontainmammaryglands,milkducts,and
adipose tissue.The twobreastsare locatedonthe leftandrightsidesof the thoracic regionof the body.
In the centerof each breastisa highlypigmentednipplethatreleasesmilkwhenstimulated.The areola,
a thickened,highlypigmentedbandof skinthatsurroundsthe nipple,protectsthe underlyingtissues
duringbreastfeeding.The mammaryglandsare a special type of sudoriferousglandsthathave been
modifiedtoproduce milktofeedinfants.Withineachbreast,15 to 20 clustersof mammaryglands
become active duringpregnancyandremainactive until milkisnolongerneeded.The milkpasses
throughmilkductson itsway to the nipple,whereitexitsthe body.
The Reproductive Cycle
The female reproductivecycle isthe processof producinganovumand readyingthe uterustoreceive a
fertilizedovumtobeginpregnancy.If anovumisproducedbutnot fertilizedandimplantedinthe
uterine wall,the reproductivecycle resetsitselfthroughmenstruation.The entire reproductive cycle
takesabout28 dayson average,butmaybe as shortas 24 daysor as longas 36 daysfor some women.

6. Oogenesis and Ovulation
Under the influence of folliclestimulatinghormone (FSH),andluteinizinghormone(LH),the ovaries
produce a mature ovumin a processknownas ovulation.Byabout14 days intothe reproductive cycle,
an oocyte reachesmaturityandis releasedasanovum.Althoughthe ovariesbegintomature many
oocyteseachmonth,usuallyonlyone ovumpercycle isreleased.
Fertilization
Once the mature ovumisreleasedfromthe ovary,the fimbriae catchthe eggand directitdownthe
fallopiantube tothe uterus.Ittakesabouta weekforthe ovum to travel tothe uterus.If spermare able
to reach andpenetrate the ovum,the ovumbecomesafertilizedzygotecontainingafull complementof
DNA.Aftera two-weekperiodof rapidcell divisionknownasthe germinal periodof development,the
zygote formsan embryo.The embryowill thenimplantitself intothe uterine wall anddevelopthere
duringpregnancy.
Menstruation
While the ovummaturesandtravelsthroughthe fallopiantube,the endometriumgrowsand develops
inpreparationforthe embryo.If the ovumis not fertilizedintime orif itfailstoimplantintothe
endometrium,the arteriesof the uterusconstricttocut off bloodflow tothe endometrium.The lackof
bloodflowcausescell deathinthe endometriumandthe eventual sheddingof tissue inaprocessknown
as menstruation.Inanormal menstrual cycle,thissheddingbeginsaroundday28 andcontinuesintothe
firstfewdaysof the newreproductive cycle.
Pregnancy
If the ovumisfertilizedbyaspermcell,the fertilizedembryowillimplantitself intothe endometrium
and begintoforman amnioticcavity,umbilical cord,andplacenta.Forthe first8 weeks,the embryowill
developalmostall of the tissuesandorganspresentinthe adultbefore enteringthe fetal periodof
developmentduringweeks9through38. Duringthe fetal period,the fetusgrowslargerandmore
complex until itisreadytobe born.
Lactation
Lactationis the productionandrelease of milktofeedaninfant.The productionof milkbeginspriorto
birthunderthe control of the hormone prolactin.Prolactinisproducedinresponse tothe sucklingof an
infantonthe nipple,somilkisproducedaslongasactive breastfeedingoccurs.Assoonasan infantis
weaned,prolactinandmilkproductionendsoonafter.The release of milkbythe nipplesisknownasthe
“milk-letdownreflex”andiscontrolledbythe hormone oxytocin.Oxytocinisalsoproducedinresponse
to infantsucklingsothatmilkisonlyreleasedwhenaninfantisactivelyfeeding.
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