The Female Reproductive System

Uterus A pear-shaped muscular organ in the upper female reproductive tract. The fundus is the upper portion of the uterus where pregnancy occurs. The cervix is the lower portion of the uterus that connects with the vagina and serves as a sphincter to keep the uterus closed during pregnancy until it is time to deliver a baby. The uterus expands during the reproductive process. Grows to from 10 to 20 times its normal size during pregnancy.

Uterus The main body consists of a firm outer coat of muscle (myometrium) and an inner lining of vascular, glandular material (endometrium). The endometrium thickens during the menstrual cycle to allow implantation of a fertilized egg. Pregnancy occurs when the fertilized egg implants successfully into the endometrial lining. If fertilization does not occur, the endometrium sloughs off and is expelled as menstrual flow.

The Vagina vagina = sheath a muscular, ridged sheath connecting the external genitals to the uterus. has more than one function, accepts the penis and sperm during intercourse and serves as the avenue of birth through which the new baby enters the world

Female Internal Reproductive Organs

The Cervix the lower portion or neck of the uterus. The cervix is lined with mucus, the quality and quantity of which is governed by monthly fluctuations in the levels of the estrogen and progesterone. When estrogen levels are low, the mucus tends to be thick and sparse, hindering sperm from reaching the fallopian tubes. But when an egg is ready for fertilization, estrogen levels are high, the mucus then becomes thin and slippery, offering a “friendly environment” to sperm at the end of pregnancy, the cervix acts as the passage through which the baby exits the uterus into the vagina. The cervical canal expands to roughly 50 times its normal width in order to accommodate the passage of the baby during birth

Ovaries Almond shaped glands located in the pelvic cavity Produce the ovum (egg) and the hormones estrogen and progesterone Estrogen and Progesterone are responsible for: Menstrual Cycle Menopause Preparing uterus for egg implantation Maintaining pregnancy Promoting growth of the placenta during pregnancy

Fallopian Tubes Extend laterally from each side of uterus Not actually connected to ovaries, instead fimbriae (fingerlike projections) on the end of each tube create wavelike currents to pull eggs in from the ovaries If fertilization of an egg is going to occur, it occurs here

Female External Genitalia

Common Issues Menstrual Distrubances: dysmennorhea (painful), metrorrhagia (irregular bleeding), menorrhagia (profuse bleeding) Yeast Infections: fungal infection Sexually Transmitted Diseases: viral (herpes, HPV), bacterial (gonorrhea, chlamydia), protozoan (trichomoniasis) Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID): Inflammation of all internal reproductive organs; usually result of long standing STD infection; can cause infertility

Common Issues Endometriosis: endometrial tissue outside the uterus; often causes pain, irregular bleeding and problems conceiving Ectopic Pregnancy: implantation of the fertilized egg in a place other than the uterus; most occur in the fallopian tube but can occur other places such as intestinal wall; serious medical condition that can cause death; many need emergency surgery for removal