FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

Female Reproductive System

The female reproductive system consists of internal and external organs. It creates hormones and is responsible for
fertility, menstruation, and sexual activity.

Internal and external organs of the female reproductive system.

What is the female reproductive system?

The female reproductive system is the body parts that help women or people assigned female at birth (AFAB):

Have sexual intercourse.

Reproduce.

Menstruate.

What are the parts of the female reproductive system?

The female reproductive anatomy includes both external and internal parts.

External parts

The function of your external genitals are to protect the internal parts from infection and allow sperm to enter your
vagina.

Your vulva is the collective name for all your external genitals. A lot of people mistakenly use the term “vagina” to
describe all female reproductive parts. However, your vagina is its own structure located inside your body.

The main parts of your vulva or external genitals are:

Labia majora: Your labia majora (“large lips”) enclose and protect the other external reproductive organs. During
puberty, hair growth occurs on the skin of the labia majora, which also contain sweat and oil-secreting glands.

Labia minora: Your labia minora (“small lips”) can have a variety of sizes and shapes. They lie just inside your labia
majora, and surround the opening to your vagina (the canal that joins the lower part of your uterus to the outside of
your body) and urethra (the tube that carries pee from your bladder to the outside of your body). This skin is very
delicate and can become easily irritated and swollen.

Clitoris: Your two labia minora meet at your clitoris, a small, sensitive protrusion that’s comparable to a penis in
men or people assigned male at birth (AMAB). Your clitoris is covered by a fold of skin called the prepuce and is very
sensitive to stimulation.

Vaginal opening: Your vaginal opening allows menstrual blood and babies to exit your body. Tampons, fingers, sex
toys or penises can go inside your vagina through your vaginal opening.

Hymen: Your hymen is a piece of tissue covering or surrounding part of your vaginal opening. It’s formed during
development and present during birth.

Opening to your urethra: The opening to your urethra is the hole you pee from.

Internal parts

Vagina: Your vagina is a muscular canal that joins the cervix (the lower part of uterus) to the outside of the body. It
can widen to accommodate a baby during delivery and then shrink back to hold something narrow like a tampon. It’s
lined with mucous membranes that help keep it moist.

Cervix: Your cervix is the lowest part of your uterus. A hole in the middle allows sperm to enter and menstrual blood
to exit. Your cervix opens (dilates) to allow a baby to come out during a vaginal childbirth. Your cervix is what
prevents things like tampons from getting lost inside your body.
Uterus: Your uterus is a hollow, pear-shaped organ that holds a fetus during pregnancy. Your uterus is divided into
two parts: the cervix and the corpus. Your corpus is the larger part of your uterus that expands during pregnancy.

Ovaries: Ovaries are small, oval-shaped glands that are located on either side of your uterus. Your ovaries produce
eggs and hormones.

Fallopian tubes: These are narrow tubes that are attached to the upper part of your uterus and serve as pathways
for your egg (ovum) to travel from your ovaries to your uterus. Fertilization of an egg by sperm normally occurs in
the fallopian tubes. The fertilized egg then moves to the uterus, where it implants into your uterine lining.

What are the functions of the female reproductive system?

The female reproductive system provides several functions. In addition to allowing a person to have sexual
intercourse, it also helps a person reproduce.

Your ovaries produce eggs. These eggs are then transported to your fallopian tube during ovulation where
fertilization by a sperm may occur. The fertilized egg then moves to your uterus, where the uterine lining has
thickened in response to the normal hormones of your menstrual cycle (also called your reproductive cycle). Once in
your uterus, the fertilized egg can implant into the thickened uterine lining and continue to develop. If implantation
doesn’t take place, the uterine lining is shed as your menstrual period. In addition, the female reproductive system
produces sex hormones that maintain your menstrual cycle.

During menopause, the female reproductive system gradually stops making the female hormones necessary for the
menstrual cycle to work. At this point, menstrual cycles can become irregular and eventually stop. You’re considered
to be menopausal when you’ve gone an entire year without a menstrual period.

What happens during the menstrual cycle?

Women or people AFAB of reproductive age (beginning anywhere from 11 to 16 years of age) experience cycles of
hormonal activity that repeat at about one-month intervals. With every cycle, your body prepares for a potential
pregnancy, whether that’s your intention. The term menstruation refers to the periodic shedding of your uterine lining
when pregnancy doesn’t occur that cycle. Many people call the days that they notice vaginal bleeding their “period.”

The average menstrual cycle takes about 28 days and occurs in phases. These phases include:

The follicular phase (the egg develops).

The ovulatory phase (release of the egg).

The luteal phase (hormone levels decrease if the egg doesn’t implant).

There are four major hormones (chemicals that stimulate or regulate the activity of cells or organs) involved in the
menstrual cycle. These hormones include:

Follicle-stimulating hormone.

Luteinizing hormone.

Estrogen.

Progesterone.

Follicular phase

This phase starts on the first day of your period. During the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, the following
events occur:

Two hormones, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) are released from your brain and
travel in your blood to your ovaries.

The hormones stimulate the growth of about 15 to 20 eggs in your ovaries, each in its own “shell,” called a follicle.
These hormones (FSH and LH) also trigger an increase in the production of the hormone estrogen.

As estrogen levels rise, like a switch, it turns off the production of follicle-stimulating hormone. This careful balance
of hormones allows the body to limit the number of follicles that will prepare eggs to be released.

As the follicular phase progresses, one follicle in one ovary becomes dominant and continues to mature. This
dominant follicle suppresses all of the other follicles in the group. As a result, they stop growing and die. The
dominant follicle continues to produce estrogen.

Ovulatory phase

The ovulatory phase (ovulation) usually starts about 14 days after the follicular phase started (the exact timing
varies). The ovulatory phase is the second phase of your menstrual cycle. Most people will have a menstrual period
10 to 16 days after ovulation. During this phase, the following events occur:

The rise in estrogen from the dominant follicle triggers a surge in the amount of luteinizing hormone (LH) that your
brain produces.

This causes the dominant follicle to release its egg from the ovary.

As the egg is released (a process called ovulation) it’s captured by finger-like projections on the end of the fallopian
tubes (fimbriae). The fimbriae sweep the egg into the fallopian tube.

For one to five days prior to ovulation, many women or people AFAB will notice an increase in egg white cervical
mucus. This mucus is the vaginal discharge that helps to capture and nourish a sperm on its way to meet the egg for
fertilization.

Luteal phase

The luteal phase begins right after ovulation and involves the following processes:

Once it releases its egg, the empty ovarian follicle develops into a new structure called the corpus luteum.

The corpus luteum secretes the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Progesterone prepares your uterus for a
fertilized egg to implant.

If intercourse has taken place and sperm has fertilized the egg (conception), the fertilized egg (embryo) will travel
through your fallopian tube to implant in your uterus. This is how pregnancy begins.

If the egg isn’t fertilized, it dissolves in your uterus. Not needed to support a pregnancy, the lining of your uterus
breaks down and sheds. This is when your period begins.

How many eggs does a woman have?

You’re born with all the eggs you’ll ever produce. During fetal development, you have about 6 million eggs. At birth,
there are approximately 1 million eggs left. By the time you reach puberty, only about 300,000 remain. The number
of eggs you have continues to decline as you age and menstruate each cycle. Fertility also declines with age due to
the decreasing number and quality of your remaining eggs.

How does reproduction work?

In humans, female and male reproductive systems work together to reproduce. There are two kinds of sex cells —
sperm and eggs. When a sperm meets an egg, it can fertilize it and create a zygote. This zygote eventually becomes
a fetus. Both a sperm and an egg are needed for human reproduction.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

The female reproductive organs are involved in sexual activity, fertility, menstruation and reproduction. Every person’s
reproductive organs look slightly different. Some people are born with missing or irregularly-shaped reproductive
organs. This can affect the functions of your reproductive system and lead to irregular bleeding, difficulty conceiving
or painful sex. Contact your healthcare provider if you have concerns about your genitals or have symptoms that
concern you.

The female reproductive organs consist of the: ovaries, uterine tubes (or fallopian tubes) uterus, vagina, external
genitalia.

The internal reproduc_x0002_tive organs are held in place within the pelvis by a group of ligaments. The most
conspicuous is the broad ligament, which spreads out on both sides of the uterus and attaches to the ovaries and
uterine tubes,

The external organs are called the ‘vulva’. Most people tend to say vagina rather than vulva though. The vagina is the
muscular tube which leads from the cervix (the opening of the womb) to the vulva.

Part of the vulva has two sets of labia – the labia majora (outer) and the labia minora (inner). The outer labia are
covered in pubic hair, and they can be very fleshy. The inner labia are inside your outer labia, and don’t have any
pubic hair on them.

Women have all different sizes of labia. It is very normal to sometimes have your inner labia hang lower than the
outer labia. Your inner labia can also be different lengths from each other (and so can the outer labia). One thing is
for sure – there is nothing abnormal about having large inner lips that hang down. Lots of women have this and it’s
perfectly normal.

The area where you have pubic hair below your belly button is known as the ‘mons pubis’. Below this at the top you
will find the clitoris (also called ‘clit’ for short) which looks like a small pea-shaped bump, with a hood of skin covering
it.

The job of the clitoris is purely for pleasure. It’s packed with lots of nerves, which make it really sensitive.
Underneath your clitoris is the urethra. This is where your urine (wee) comes from. You should be able to make out a
very small ‘slit’. And below the urethra, you will find the opening of the vagina.

OOGENESIS AND FERTILIZATION

-Even before a woman is born, oocyte formation in the ovaries begins.

-By the fourth month of development, the ovaries contain 5 million oogonia, the cells from which oocytes develop.

- By the time a female infant is born, many of her oogonia have degenerated, while those remaining have begun
meiosis.

>Ovulation: - release of an oocyte from an ovary

>Fertilization -union of sperm cell and egg cell >Zygote -23 pairs

PUBERTY IN FEMALES

-The initial change that results in puberty is most likely maturation of the hypothalamus. -In girls, puberty, which
typically begins between ages 11 and 13 and is largely completed by age 16, is marked by the first episode of
menstrual bleeding, which is called menarche

. -During puberty, the vagina, uterus, uterine tubes, and external genitalia begin to enlarge. Adipose tissue is
deposited in the breasts and around the hips, causing them to enlarge and assume an adult form.

-In addition, pubic and axillary hair grows. The development of sexual drive is also associated with puberty.
 -The changes associated with puberty primarily result from the increasing rate of estrogen and progesterone
secretion by the ovaries.

MENSTRUAL CYCLE:

-the series of changes that occur in sexually mature, nonpregnant females and that result in menses. >Menses -
period of mild hemorrhage, during which part of the endometrium is sloughed and expelled from the uterus.

-Typically, the menstrual cycle is about 28 days long, although it can be as short as 18 days or as long as 40 days.

-The menstrual cycle results from the cyclical changes that occur in the endometrium of the uterus.

-These changes, in turn, result from the cyclical changes that occur in the ovary and are controlled by the secretions
of FSH and LH from the anterior pituitary gland

WAYS ON HOW TO TAKE CARE FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGAN:

A woman’s internal reproductive organs include the uterus, the ovaries, the vagina, and the fallopian tubes. Overall, the female reproductive system is
made from external and internal organs, and it is responsible for sexual activity, menstruation, and fertility.

The main parts of the external genitals or the vulva include:

Labia minora

Labia majora

Vaginal opening

Clitoris

Urethra opening

Hymen

On the other hand, the internal parts include:

Cervix

Vagina

Uterus

Fallopian tubes

Ovaries

A woman’s reproductive system provides a number of functions. Besides allowing the woman to engage in sexual intercourse, the reproductive system
will help an individual reproduce. As you may know, eggs are produced by the ovaries. During ovulation, the eggs get transported to the fallopian
tube, where the fertilization process may happen. When the egg is fertilized, it moves to the uterus. This is where the uterine lining thickens in
response to normal menstrual cycle hormones. Once it is in the uterus, the fertilized egg may implant into the uterine lining and develop. Without
implantation, the uterine lining sheds during a menstrual period. Additionally, a woman’s reproductive system will produce sex hormones to keep a
healthy menstrual cycle.

Women who enter menopause will gradually stop creating female hormones needed for regular menstrual cycles. During this life stage, the cycles can
be irregular, eventually stopping. Menopausal women do not have menstrual periods anymore.

How to Take Good Care of Your Reproductive System: Follow These Steps
Taking care of your reproductive system should not feel like a burden. By implementing some (or all) of the steps outlined below, you will ensure that
your health is in check and that you do not run into infertility complications. Unfortunately, more recently, an increasing number of individuals have led
an unhealthy lifestyle that can wreak havoc on reproductive health. For instance, engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse can boost your chances
of contracting different sexually transmitted diseases or STDs. As a result, a person with an STD (that is left untreated) can encounter problems,
ultimately leading to infertility.

Consult with a healthcare professional to receive an expert diagnosis and the best possible treatment for you. Staying on track with regular doctor’s
appointments is vital to ensure that your reproductive system remains healthy and strong.
With that in mind, here are some of the best ways to boost reproductive health and wellness.

Quit Smoking and Alcohol Use

Smoking and alcohol consumption is linked to many reproductive health issues. For example, most smokers and alcohol users also face infertility and
other complications. Not only will quitting tobacco and alcohol use help increase fertility levels, but it will bring about plenty of positive health changes.
In men, smoking can affect semen volume and lower sperm count. As for women, smoking up to 20 cigarettes daily can affect regular menstrual
cycles and lower egg count.

Keep Your Weight Under Control

If you are overweight or underweight, you can experience fertility problems. Controlling weight is also important for men. Namely, when a man is
overweight and has increased body fat, the sperm count can be affected. On the other hand, underweight or overweight women can deal with
ovulation complications and possible miscarriages. Hence, we recommend managing your weight and reaching a healthy balance to avoid reproductive
health issues.

Take Supplements to Boost Your Health

If you are trying to have a baby and you want to increase your chances of conception, experts recommend staying away from smoking, drinking, and
getting tested regularly. First, focus on implementing these changes into your daily life. If your doctor approves, you can also consider supplementing
with prenatal DHA and Omega-3 fatty acids. Your doctor may also suggest taking 800mg of folic acid regularly. As for men, Coenzyme Q10 and
multivitamins yield the best results.

Eat a Nourishing and Balanced Diet

What you eat matters. To improve your reproductive health and increase fertility levels, experts recommend consuming a healthy and wholesome diet
full of vitamins, minerals, and high-quality protein. Make sure to eat a lot of fiber-rich foods and whole grains. Unfortunately, many people rely on
processed foods full of sugar, refined flour, and unhealthy fats. While many of these foods tend to taste delicious and addictive, they can contribute to
weight gain and infertility.

Instead, incorporate many fresh vegetables, fruits, Omega-3 fatty acids (such as seafood, chia seeds, flax seeds, nuts, and salmon), and quality
sources of protein (like tofu, chicken breast, fat-free yogurt, and grass-fed beef). On the flip side, minimize processed foods and avoid caffeine.