1. From Girl to Woman: Female Reproduction

2. Reproductive System

3. Ovaries
The ovaries are two oval-shaped organs that lie on either side of the uterus and contain hundreds of thousands of eggs. Each one is about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in a grown woman. The ovaries also produce female sex hormones such as estrogen and progesterone.

4. Ovum and Ovulation
Each month the ovaries mature an egg, or ovum, and release it into the fallopian tubes in the process called ovulation.

5. Knowledge Check Q: What is produced in the ovaries?
A: mature eggs and hormones
Q: What is a matured egg cell called?
A: ovum
Q: What term describes the release of the mature egg form the ovary?
A: ovulation

6. Fallopian Tubes
The fallopian tubes connect the ovaries to the uterus. Once the egg is in the fallopian tube, tiny hairs in the tube's lining help push the egg down the narrow passageway toward the uterus.
If sperm are present at the same time as the egg, then the egg would get fertilized while in the fallopian tube.

7. Fimbria
At the other end of each fallopian tube is a fringed area that looks like a funnel and is called fimbria. When an egg pops out of an ovary during ovulation, the fimbria help sweep the egg into the fallopian tube.

8. Uterus
The uterus, also called the womb, has a thick lining and muscular walls - some of the strongest muscles in the female body. These muscles are able to expand and contract to accommodate a growing fetus and then help push the baby out during labor.

9. Knowledge Check
Q: In what part of the system will the egg get fertilized by the sperm cell?
A: the fallopian tube
Q: What is the function of the fimbria?
A: to sweep the ovum into the fallopian tube
Q: In what part of the system does the baby grow?
A: in the uterus

10. Uterine Lining
Each month, the uterus will develop a uterine lining, which is thick and rich with blood. A fertilized egg can attach to the uterine lining and absorb its nutrients.

11. Menstruation
If the egg does not get fertilized, the blood supply to the uterus is cut off and the lining breaks away from the wall and flows out of the body in the form of blood and tissue which is called menstruation, or period.

12. Knowledge Check
Q: Why does the fertilized egg attach to the uterine lining?
A: to absorb its nutrients
Q: What happens to an egg that does not get fertilized?
A: It leaves the body with the uterine lining during menstruation, or the period

13. Cervix
The cervix connects the uterus with the vagina. It has strong, thick walls with a very thin opening, which is why a tampon can never get lost inside a girl's body. During childbirth, the cervix can expand to allow a baby to pass.

14. Vagina
The vagina, also called the birth canal, is a hollow muscular structure that extends from the vaginal opening to the uterus. It can expand and contract to accommodate something as slim as a tampon and as wide as a baby.
Functions of vagina:
sexual intercourse
pathway for baby during childbirth
route for menstrual blood to leave the body.

15. Knowledge Check Q: What role does the cervix play in childbirth?
A: it expands (dilates) to allow the baby to pass from the uterus and into the vagina
Q: What is another term used for the vagina?
A: birth canal

16. External Genitalia (Vulva)
Labia- liplike fatty tissue that surrounds the opening of the vagina and urethra
Clitoris- small knob of erectile tissue located above the urethra
Hymen- thin layer of tissue that partially or wholly covers the entrance to the vagina (not always present)
Urethra- tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body

17. Label the Diagram

18. __labia___ liplike fatty tissue that surrounds the opening of the vagina
and urethra
2.____clitoris__ small knob of erectile tissue located above the urethra
3.__ovary ____ produces egg cells and estrogen
4.__estrogen___ female sex hormone
5.___ovum____ mature egg cell
6. ____ovulation__ the release of the mature egg from the ovary
7. _fimbria_ sweeps egg from ovary
8. ___hymen____ a thin layer of tissue that partially or wholly cover the entrance of the vagina (not always present)
9. __Fallopian tubes___ where fertilization occurs; transports egg to the uterus
10. __uterus__ supports egg during pregnancy; also called the womb
11. _uterine lining_ prepares each month to receive a fertilized egg
12. __urethra__ tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body
13. ___cervix_ dilates during labor to let the baby out of the womb; common site of cancer
14. ___vagina_ organ for sexual intercourse; also called the birth canal
15._vulva_ term that collectively describes all of the external genitalia
16. _menstrual cycle__a 28 day cycle that prepares the female’s body for pregnancy
Terms