The document discusses the intricacies of the female reproductive system, detailing the processes of gametogenesis, sexual differentiation, and the overall functions of the reproductive organs in both males and females. It outlines the menstrual cycle, including the ovarian and uterine phases, and the hormonal regulation of these cycles, explaining the roles of key hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. The importance of the reproductive system in human development and continuation of the species is emphasized, as well as the biological processes of sperm and egg production, fertilization, and pregnancy.

1. FEMALE
REPRODUCTIVE AXIS
Dr. Revi Gama Hatta, SST.,Bdn.,M.Kes
Midwifery Department, Faculty of Medicine
Master of Public Health, Postgraduate School
Universitas Sebelas Maret

2. Introduction

3. introduction

4. Introduction

5. Reproduction
Reproduction is process to maintain
continuation of species by which
- new individuals of a species are produced
- genetic material is passed from generation
to generation
Cell division in a multicellular organism is
necessary for growth and it involves
passing of genetic material from parent
cells to daughter cells
Performed by reproductive system

10. The Reproductive System
Reproductive capability depends on
intricate relationship among
hypothalamus, anterior pituitary,
reproductive organs, and target cells of
sex hormones
These relationship employ many of
regulatory mechanisms used by other
body systems for maintaining
homeostasis, such as negative-feedback
control

11. …..The Reproductive System
The organ of male and female
grouped by function
Testes and ovaries (called gonads),
function in production of gametes:
sperm cells and ova
Gonads also secrete hormones
The ducts of reproductive systems
transport, receive, and store gametes

12. …..The Reproductive System
Accessory sex glands produce
materials that support gametes
In females, the breasts are also
considered accessory reproductive
organs
The externally visible portions of
reproductive system are known as
external genitalia

13. …..The Reproductive System
The production of gametes and
fluid, and their discharge into
ducts classify the gonads as
exocrine glands
Whereas the production of
hormones classify the gonads as
endocrine glands

14. Secondary Sexual Characteristic
SSC are many external characteristics
not directly involved in reproduction
That distinguish male and female
Development and maintenance governed
by testosterone in males and estrogen in
females
Progesterone has no influence on SSC
Axillary and pubic hair growth is not SSC

15. ……Secondary Sexual Characteristic
In some species, SSC are great
importance in courting and mating
behavior (e.g. to attract female’s
attention)
In humans, attraction the opposite
sex not only influenced by SSC but
also strongly affected by the
complexities of human society and
cultural behavior

16. Sex Determination and Differentiation
Reproductive cells each contain a half
set of chromosomes
Gametogenesis is accomplished by
meiosis
The sex of and individual is determined
by combination of sex chromosomes
Sexual differentiation along male or
female lines depends on the presence /
absence of masculinizing determinant

17. Parents with diploid (46 chr) somatic cells
Mother Father
Meiotic division
of germ cells
Meiotic division
of germ cells
Haploid Ovum Haploid Sperm
Fertilization
Diploid fertilized Ovum
Mitosis
Offspring of diploid somatic cells

18. Ovum with X sex chromosome
Fertilized by
Sperm with Y sc Sperm with X sc
Embryo with XY sc Embryo with XX sc
Genetic sex
Sex-determining region
of Y chr (SRY) stimulates
Production of H-Y antigen
In plasma membrane of
undifferentiated gonad
H-Y antigen directs
differentiation
of gonads into testes
No Y chr, so no SRY
and no H-Y antigen
With no H-Y antigen,
undifferentiated gonads
develop into ovaries
Gonadal
sex

19. Testosterone
Promotes development of
undifferentiated external
genitalia along male lines
(e.g. penis, scrotum)
Testes secrete hormone and factor
Phenotype
sex
Mullerian-inhibiting factor
Dihydrotestosterone
Converted to
Degeneration of
Mullerian ducts
Transforms Wolfian ducts
into male reproductive tract
(e.g. epididymis, ductus
deferens, ejaculatory duct,
seminal vesicle)

20. Absence of testosterone
Undifferentiated external
genitalia along female lines
(e.g. clitoris. labia)
Ovaries does not secrete hormone and factor
Phenotype
sex
Absence of Mullerian-
inhibiting factor
Degeneration of
Wolfian ducts
Mullerian ducts develop
Into female reproductive
tract (e.g. oviducts, uterus)

21. Overview of Functions and Organs
of Male Reproductive System
The essential reproductive functions of male:
1. Production of sperm (spermatogenesis) by
testes (in skin-covered sac: scrotum)
2. Delivery of sperm to female – semen by
- male reproductive tract: epididymis, vas
deferens, ejaculatory duct
- urethra (in penis)
3. Male accessory sex glands: providing bulk
of semen: seminal vesicle, prostate,
bulbourethral gland

22. Overview of Functions and Organs
of Female Reproductive System
Female’s role in reproduction is more
complicated, :
1. Production of ova (oogenesis) by
ovaries
2. Reception of sperm: vagina-cervix
3. Reception of sperm and ovum to a
common site for union (fertilization or
conception): Fallopian tube

23. Overview of Functions and Organs
……of Female Reproductive System
4. Maintenance of the developing fetus
until it can survive in outside world
(gestation or pregnancy), including
formation of placenta (organ
exchange between mother and fetus):
uterus
5. Giving birth to the baby (parturition)
6. Nourishing the infant after birth by
milk production (lactation): mammae

24. Overview of Functions and Organs
……of Female Reproductive System
Product of fertilization: embryo
During first 2 months of intrauterine
development when tissue differentiation is
taking place
Developing living being is
recognizable as human: fetus
- no further tissue differentiation
- tremendous tissue growth and
maturation

25. Overview of Functions and Organs
……of Female Reproductive System
Female reproductive tract consists of:
Ovaries
Oviduct s (Fallopian tubes)
- in close association with ovaries,
- pick up ova on ovulation and serve as
fertilization site
Uterus, thick-walled hollow: responsible for
- maintaining fetus during development
- expelling it at the end of pregnancy

26. Overview of Functions and Organs
……of Female Reproductive System
Vagina
- expandable tube
- connects uterus to external environment
Cervix
- lowest portion of uterus
- projects into vagina
Cervical canal
- small opening of cervix
- pathway for sperm to uterus then to oviduct
- passageway for delivery of baby from uterus

27. Overview of Functions and Organs
……of Female Reproductive System
Vaginal opening
- located in perineal region
- between urethral opening and anal opening
Hymen
- thin mucus membrane partially covering
vaginal opening
Labia minora and labia majora
- skin folds surrounding vaginal and urethral
openings
Clitoris
Female external genitalia collectively: vulva

31. Spermatogenesis
Tubuli seminiferi
During active sexual life
As the result of stimulation by
anterior pituitary gonadotropic
hormones
Beginning at age of ± 13 ys
Continuing throughout the remainder
of life

32. ……………..Spermatogenesis
Steps of Spermatogenesis
1. Mitosis: spermatogonia A  spermatogonia B
2. Enlargement:  primary spermatocyte
3. Meiosis:
I. Primary spermatocyte  secondary
spermatocyte
II. Secondary spermatocyte  early
spermatid
4. Physically reshaping: spermiogenesis
Early spermatid  late spermatid 
spermatozoon  23 pairs of chromosomes

34. I. Hormone: a). The brain – testicular axis

37. Sperms
(Normal and Mature)
Motile
Fertile
Movement: 1 – 4 mm/min.
Travel in a straight line
Activity: enhanced in neutral and slightly
alkaline, depressed in mildly acidic media
Rapid death in strong acidic media
Temperature   activity   metabolism
rate   shortened life
Live: - many weeks in genital ducts of testes
- 1 - 2 days in female genital tract

39. Semen
Fluid: - vas deferens (10 %)
- vesicula seminalis (60 %)
- prostat (30 %)
- mucous glands (bulbourethral)
pH: ± 7.5
Mucoid and milky
Weak coagulum  dissolve in 15 – 30
minutes
May be stored for years in - 100°C

42. Ovaries
Primary female reproductive organs
Perform dual function:
- producing ova (oogenesis)
- secreting female sex hormones:
estrogen and progesterone which act
together to:
> promote fertilization of ovum
> prepare female reproductive system
for pregnancy

43. Oogenesis
In the ovary they produce oogonia by
mitotic division until 20-24 weeks  7
million (maximum)
Almost from the start  attrition process 
by birth only 2 million primary oocytes
remain
By puberty  300.000 - 400.000
During active sexual life: 400 expelled ova
At or soon after menopause  few (if any)

44. Oogonia
Undergo numerous mitotic divisions
± 7 month after conception, fetal
oogonia cease dividing
From this point on no new germ cells
are generated
Still in the fetus, all oogonia develop
into primary oocytes

45. Primary Oocyte
Begin a first meiotic division by replicating
their DNA
However, they do not complete the division
in the fetus
Accordingly, all the eggs present at birth
are primary oocytes containing 46
chromosomes, each with two sister
chromatids
Cells are said to be in a state meiotic arrest

46. Secondary oocyte
The second meiotic division occurs in a
fallopian tube after ovulation, but only if
the secondary oocyte is fertilized
Daughter cells each receive 23
chromosomes
One of the two daughter cells, termed an
ovum retains nearly all cytoplasm (other is
second polar body)
Each primary oocyte can produce only one
ovum

48. Functioning of Ovaries
During fetal life:
- stimulated by chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)
A few weeks after birth until puberty
(prepubertal period / childhood):
- dormant
Productive period:
- stimulated by gonadotropic hormone (GnH)
and ovarian hormone
Menopause

49. Female Monthly Rhythm
Cycle: 28 days (20 – 45 days)
- Ovarian cycle
- Endometrial cycle
- Regulation of female monthly
rhythm

56. Menstrual cycle
The menarche (first episode of menstruation)
marks the onset of puberty in females; the current
average age of the menarche worldwide is
around 12 years (Canelón and Boland, 2020).
Most women’s menstrual cycle lasts around 28
days – the term ‘menstrual’ is derived from the
Latin mensis, meaning ‘monthly’. In reality, the
menstrual cycle is comprised of two cycles – the
ovarian cycle and the uterine cycle – which are
closely interelated.

57. Ovarian cycle
The ovarian cycle is the series of cyclical monthly
events of follicle development and degeneration
occurring in the ovaries. This consists of three
distinct phases:
• Follicular phase;
• Ovulation (typically around day 14);
• Luteal phase.

58. Follicular phase
In this phase, gonadotrophin-releasing hormone
(GnRH) is released from the hypothalamus,
initiating the release of follicle-stimulating
hormone (FSH) from the anterior pituitary gland.
FSH is a small peptide hormone that circulates in
the blood and acts on the immature follicles in the
ovaries. As its name implies, FSH stimulates the
follicle to develop and enlarge (Orlowski and
Sarao, 2021).

59. Follicular phase
As the follicle grows and expands, it begins to
release oestrogens (predominantly oestradiol)
into the blood, with expanding follicular size
correlating to increased oestrogen secretion.
Gradually a fluid-filled space called the antrum
develops in the follicle, increasing the pressure
inside – this is known as a Graafian follicle, which
is a mature follicle containing a haploid ovum

60. Ovulation
GnRH from the hypothalamus initiates the release
of luteinising hormone (LH) from the anterior
pituitary gland. It is LH that initiates ovulation, with
a further increase in pressure causing the ovarian
follicle to rupture, propelling the ovum into the
adjacent fallopian tube.
Following ovulation, the remnants of the follicular
walls collapse to form the corpus luteum (yellow
body), which is where LH gets its name – by
triggering ovulation it indirectly leads to the
formation of the corpus luteum

61. Luteal phase
Here the corpus luteum is active, with the
collapsed follicular walls beginning to secrete the
female sex hormone, progesterone.
Progesterone’s name indicates its function in
helping maintain pregnancy (pro-gestational
hormone), primarily through maintaining the
integrity of the endometrial (womb) lining.
If fertilisation and implantation occurs,
progesterone secreted by the corpus luteum
helps maintain the endometrial lining for around
the first 10 weeks’ gestation until the placenta
takes over, secreting progesterone for the

62. Luteal phase
In most months, a pregnancy will not occur and
the corpus luteum degenerates and shrinks into a
small piece of scar tissue called the corpus
albicans, reducing progesterone secretion and
depriving the endometrium of its hormonal
support.
As a result, the blood vessels supplying the
endometrial lining go into spasm, reducing blood
flow to the endometrium.
Gradually the cells of the endometrium die off,
releasing internal enzymes that cause
autodigestion of the functional layer, which is

63. Uterine cycle
The series of changes the endometrium
undergoes during each 28-day cycle :
• Menstrual phase (day 1-5) – the endometrium
is deprived of progesterone, causing
breakdown and shedding of the endometrial
lining;
• Proliferative phase (day 6-14) – the
endometrial lining is rebuilt and begins to
thicken and mature. This is primarily driven by
the oestrogens secreted by the developing
ovarian follicles (Orlowski and Sarao, 2021);

64. Uterine cycle
Secretory phase (day 14-28) – as the new
endometrial lining matures, progesterone
secreted by the corpus luteum stimulates the
endometrium to secrete a sticky mucoid material
called uterine milk (Burton et al, 2007).
This coats the surface of the endometrium,
ensuring it is adherent, which encourages a
fertilised ovum (zygote) to stick to it, helping
implantation. The term ‘uterine milk’ is
appropriate, as it can provide nutrition before
implantation (Jones et al, 2015).