The Female Reproductive System
External Female Reproductive
Organs
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Collectively know as the vulva
Mons pubis
Labia majora
Libia minora
Vaginal opening
Clitoris
External Female Reproductive
Organs
• Mons Pubis and Labia
- Rounded mound of fatty tissue located over
pubic bone
- Oil and sweat glands provide moisture and
lubrication
• Labia minora and majora
- Contain many nerved endings and are highly
sensitive
- Serve as line of protection against pathogens
External Female Reproductive
Organs
• Vaginal opening
- May be partially blocked by thin membrane
called hymen
- May tear during a variety of physical activities
• Clitoris
- Small knob of tissue
- Contains many nerve ending and blood vessels
Internal Female Reproductive
Organs
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Vagina
Uterus
Fallopian tubes
Ovaries
Internal Female Reproductive
Organs
• Vagina
- Elastic, muscle-lined tube 3-4 inches long
- Also known as birth canal
- Repository for semen when male ejaculates
- Possible for sperm to enter if male
ejaculates NEAR the vagina
- Menstrual flow exits the female body
Internal Female Reproductive
Organs
• Vagina leads to the cervix, or the neck of
the uterus
– Normally very small
– Opens up during childbirth
Internal Female Reproductive
Organs
• Uterus
- Hollow, muscular organ that receives and
holds the fertilized ovum during pregnancy
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- Shaped like up-side down pear an is
about the size of your fist
Internal Female Reproductive
Organs
• Fallopian Tubes
- Each side of uterus that connect uterus to the
ovaries
- Where fertilization occurs
• Ovaries
- female sex glands that produce mature ova and
female hormones
- At birth, women has hundreds of thousands of
immature ova
- Ovulation: releasing on mature ovum each
month into the fallopian tube
Female Reproductive System
Female Reproductive System
The Menstrual Cycle
• Process of shedding the uterine lining when there
isn’t a pregnancy
• Days 1 – 13: New egg is maturing inside the
ovary
• Day 14: Mature egg is released into fallopian tube
• Days 15 – 20: Egg travels through fallopian tube
into uterus
• Days 21 – 28: After seven days, if the egg isn’t
fertilized, menstruation begins
Concerns About Female
Reproductive System
• Menstrual Problems:
- PMS: anxiety, depression, irritability,
bloating, mood swings, fatigue
- Dysmenorrhea: Severe cramps
- Amenorrhea: Lack of menstruation by
age 16 or starting and stopping
Concerns About Female
Reproductive System
• Infertility and STD’s:
- Inability to bear children
- Blocked fallopian tubes, no ovulation,
endometriosis
- STD’s: Untreated gonorrhea, chlamydia,
HPV
Concerns About Female
Reproductive System
• Cancer
1. Breast cancer
- Early detection is best way to prevent
2. Cervical cancer
- Detected by Pap test
Concerns About Female
Reproductive System