FEMALEREPRODUCTIVESYSTEM

Itsparts:
FemaleSexualAnatomy:InternalOrgans
Keyorgansforfemalereproductionareprotectivelylocateddeepwithinthebody.Theseinclude:
1. VAGINA
Anelasticmusculartubethatleadsfromthevulvatotheuterus,hasridgescalled
rugae that provide the vagina with increased surface for extension and
stretching.
2. UTERUS
isahollow,muscular,pearshapedorganlocatedinthe
lowerpelvis,posteriortothebladderandanteriortothe
rectum

In a nonpregnant state, it weighs approximately 60

grams

Itsfunctionistoreceivetheovumfromthefallopian
tube,provideaplaceforimplantationandnourishment
duringfetalgrowth,furnishprotectiontoa growing
fetusandatmaturityoffetus,expelitfromawomans
body.

regions:
Cervixatubularstructurethatconnectsthevaginaanduterus;hasciliated
epithelium lining. Its walls that produce mucus to protect uterus from
ascendinginfectiousagents.
o OUTEROSopensordipstothevagina.
o INNEROSopensintotheuterineisthmus/lowerportionoftheuterus
Corpusthemainbodyoftheuterus
Fundusthetopmostregionoftheuterus.
Uterineisthmusanarrowneckportionthatconnectsthecervixtothemain
bodyoftheuterus
layers:
Perimetriumthetoughconnectivesurroundingtissuethatsupportstheuterus
Myometriumthe muscular layer that is responsible for the contractions
duringlabor.Itwrapstheuterusobliquely,laterallyandlongitudinally
Endometriumthevascularmucosalinnerlayerthatchangesunderhormonal
influenceeverymonthformenstruationorConception.

ligaments:
Broadligamentasheetofperitoneumthatattachesthelowersidesofthe
uterustothesidewallsofthepelvis.
Rightandleftcardinalligamentsanchorthewallsofthecervixandvagina
tothelateralpelvicwalls
Roundligamentspairedfibromuscularbandsthattiptheuterusforwardand
holditinananteflexedposition;homologoustothespermaticcordinmale
Uterosacralligamentanchorsthelowerportionoftheuterustothesacrum

3.FALLOPIANTUBES

are tiny muscular corridors that arise from a lateral position on the superior
surfaceoftheuterusnearthefundusandextendoutoneithersidetowardthe
ovaries;814cminlength

It provides a site for fertilization, a passageway and a nourishing warm

environmentforthefertilizedeggortraveltotheuterus.

sections:
Ampullamiddle portion of the tube that connects the isthmus and the
infundibulum
Infundibulumtheouterportionthatopenstothelowerabdominalcavity;its
outeredgeshasfimbriaewhich
4. OVARIES
arepairedsexglandsthatarealmondsinsizeandshape;producestheovaandthe
hormonesestrogenandprogesterone
FemaleSexualAnatomy:ExternalParts
Theentrancetothevaginaissurroundedbyexternalpartsthatgenerallyservetoprotectthe
internalorgans;thisareaiscalledthevulva.Thevulvaconsistsofthefollowing:

1. MONSPUBIS
mountain on the pubis is a fatty rounded area
overlyingthepubicsymphisis.
2. LABIAMAJORA
arepairedtissuefoldsthatextendanteriorlyfromthe
monspubisandjoinsposteriorlytotheperineum

Itiscoveredwithpubichair,vascularandcontains
sweatglands.
3. CLITORIS
locatedanteriortothevestibule,asmallprotruding
structurethatcorrespondtothemalepenis

Anerectiletissuelocatedattheapexofthelabiaminora,itishighlysensitiveto
stimulation.
4. LABIAMINORA
arepairederectiletissuefoldsthatextendanteriorlyfromtheclitorisandjoin
posteriorlytothefourchette,arethinnerthanthelabiamajora,hairless,containoil
glandsandaresensitivetostimulation.
5. VESTIBULE
theareabetweenthelabiaminoraandtheseincludes:
Urethral meatusthe external opening of the urethra, usually assumes the
formofashort,sagittalcleftwithslightlyraisedmargin.
Introitusorthevaginalorifice.
Hymenis a vascular fold of connective tissue that surrounds or partially
coverstheexternalvaginalopening.
Skenes glandsare located onthe anterior wall of the vagins,around the
lowerendoftheurethra,homologouswiththeprostateglandinmales.
Bartholins glandslocated slightly below and to the left and right of the
openingofthevagina,theysecretemucusto lubricate thevaginaandare
homologoustothebulbourethralglandsinmales.
6. PERINEUM
abandoffibrous,musculartissuethatextendsfromtheposteriorportionofthe
labiamajoratotheanus.
MENSTRUALCYCLE
The menstrualcycle isacycleofphysiologicalchangesthatoccursinfertilefemales.
Overt menstruation (where there is blood flow from the uterus through the vagina) occurs

primarily in humans. The menstrual cycle, under the control of the endocrine system, is
necessaryforreproduction.Itmaybedividedintothreedistinctphases:

1. MENSTRUALPHASE(DAYS15)

During this interval, the superficial functional

layer of the thick endometrial lining of the uterus is
off (detaching) from the uterine wall. This is
accompanied by bleeding for 35 days. The detached
tissuesandbloodpassthroughthevaginaasthemenstrual
flow.Theaveragebloodduringthisperiodis50150ml.
By day 5, growing ovarian follicles are beginning to
producemoreestrogen.

sloughing

2. PROLIFERATIVEPHASE(DAYS614)

Stimulated by rising estrogen levels produced by the growing follicles of the

ovaries, the basal layer of the endometrium regenerates the functional layer,
glandsforminit,andtheendometrialbloodsupplyincreases.Theendometrium
onceagainbecomesvelvety,thick,andwellvascularized.Ovulationoccursinthe
ovaryattheendofthisstageinresponsetothesuddensurgeofLHintheblood.

3. SECRETORYPHASE(DAYS1528)

Risinglevelsofprogesteroneproductionbythecorpusluteumoftheovaryacton
the estrogen primed endometrium and increases its blood supply even more.
Progesteronealsocausestheendometrialglandstoincreaseinsizeandtobegin
secreting nutrients into the uterine cavity. If fertilization occurs, the embryo
producesahormoneverysimilartoLHthatcausesthecorpusluteumtocontinue
producingitshormones.Iffertilizationdoesnotoccur,thecorpusluteumbegins
todegeneratetowardtheendofthisperiodsasLHbloodlevelsdecline.Lackof
ovarianhormonesinthebloodcausesthebloodvesselssupplyingthefunctional
layeroftheendometriumtogointospasmsandkink.Whendeprivedoxygenand

nutrients,thoseendometrialcellsbeginstodie,whichsetsthestageformensesto
beginagainonday28.

Inthemenstrualcycle,changesoccurinthefemalereproductivesystemaswellas
othersystems(whichleadtobreasttendernessormoodchanges,forexample).A
woman'sfirstmenstruationistermedmenarche,andoccurstypicallyaroundage
12.Theendofawoman'sreproductivephaseiscalledthemenopause,which
commonlyoccurs

HORMONESTHATARECLOSELYINVOLVEDWITHTHERENEWAL/GROWTH
OFCELLSINTHEINTERNALSTRUCTURESOFTHEFEMALEREPRODUCTIVE
SYSTEM
1. ESTROGEN
In female reproduction estradiol acts as a growth hormone for tissue of the
reproductiveorgans,supportingtheliningofthevagina,thecervicalglands,the
endometriumandtheliningofthefallopiantubes.

Itenhancesgrowthofthemyometrium.Itappearsnecessarilytomaintainoocytes
intheovary.Duringthemenstrualcycle,estradiolthatisproducedbythegrowing
follicletriggersviaapositivefeedbacksystem,thehypothalamicpituitaryevents
thatleadtotheluteinizinghormonesurge,inducingovulation.

In the luteal phase estradiol, in conjunction with progesterone prepares the

endometrium for implantation. During pregnancy, estradiol increases due to
placentalproduction.Inbaboons,blockingofestrogensintheprocessofinitiation
oflabor.

otherfunctionsofestradiol:
Sexual developmentthe development of secondary sex characteristics in
womenisdrivenbyestrogens,tobespecific,estradiol.Thesechangesare
initiatedatthetimeofpuberty;mostenhancedduringreproductiveyears,and
becomelesspronouncedwithdecliningestradiolsupportafterthemenopause.
Thus,estradiolenhancesbreastdevelopment,andisresponsibleforchangesin
the body shape, affecting bones fat disposition. Fat structure and skin
compositionaremodifiedbyestradiol.
Bonethereisampleevidencethatestradiolhasaprofoundeffectonbone
.Individuals without estradiol (or other estrogens)will become tall and
enuchoidasepiphysealclosureisdelayedortheymaynottakeplace.Bone

structure is affected resulting in early osteopenia and osteoporosis. Also,

womenpastmenopauseexperienceanacceleratedlossofbonemassduetoa
relativeestrogendeficiency.
LiverEstradiolhascomplexeffectsontheliver.Itcanleadtocholestasis.It
affects the production of multiple proteins including lipoproteins, binding
proteins,andproteinsresponsibleforbloodclotting.
Brain Estrogenscanbeproducedinthebrainfromsteroidprecursors.As
antioxidants, they have been found to have neuroprotective function. The
positiveandnegativefeedbackloopofthemenstrualcycleinvolveovarian
estradiol as the link to the hypothalamic pituitary system to regulate
gonadotropins.
OncogeneEstrogen is to activate certain oncogenes, as it supports certain
cancers,notablybreastcancerandcanceroftheuterinelining.Inaddition,
there are several benign gynecologic conditions that are dependent on
estrogen,suchasendometriosis,leiomyomatauteri,anduterinebleeding.
PregnancyThe effect of estradiol, together with estrone and estriol, in
pregnancyislessclear.Theymaypromoteuterinebloodflow,myometrial
growth,sitmulatebreastgrowthandatterm,promotecervicalsofteningand
expressionofmyometrialoxytocinreceptors.

2. PROGESTERONE

Is a steroid hormone involved in the female menstrual cycle, pregnancy and

embryogenesisofhumansandotherspecies.Progesteronebelongstoaclassof
hormonescalledprogestins,andisthemajornaturallyoccurringhumanprogestin.

Progesteroneissometimescalledthe"hormoneofpregnancy",andithasmany
roles relating to the development of the fetus: Progesterone converts the
endometriumtoitssecretorystagetopreparetheuterusforimplantation.Atthe
same time progesterone affects the vaginal epithelium and cervical mucus,
makingthemucusthickandimpermeabletosperm.Ifpregnancydoesnotoccur,
progesteronelevelswilldecrease,leading,inthehuman,tomenstruation.

Normal menstrual bleeding is progesterone withdrawal bleeding. During

implantation and gestation, progesterone appears to decrease the maternal
immune response to allow for the acceptance of the pregnancy. Progesterone

decreases contractility of the uterine smooth muscle. In addition progesterone

inhibits lactation during pregnancy. The fall in progesterone levels following
deliveryisoneofthetriggersformilkproduction.Adropinprogesteronelevels
ispossiblyonestepthatfacilitatestheonsetoflabor.

3. FOLLICLESTIMULATINGHORMONE
Isahormonesecretedbythepituitaryglandinthebrain. FSHstimulates the
follicles in the ovaries to ripen several eggs. A follicle is a balloon shaped
structurewhichisfilledwithfluidandcontainsanegg,FSHalsostimulatesthe
ovariestoproduceestrogen.

ThePreOvulatoryPhaseisthephasebetweenbleedingandovulationandtends
tobemorevariablethanthesecondhalfofthemenstualcycle.Althoughabout20
follicles begin developing each menstrual cycle due to FSH release only one
folliclereachesfullmaturity.Asthefolliclesdeveloptheyreleaseestrogen,which
in turn feedbacks to the brain and causes the pituitary gland to cease the
production of FSH. The follicle that has matured the most survives and
continuestogrowuntilitisreadyforovulation.Theotherlessmaturefollicles
stopgrowing(andsomeevendie).

Inmen,theFollicleStimulatingHormonesinitiatesspermproduction.FSHalso
readiesthemammaryglandsformilkproduction.

4. LUTEINIZINGHORMONE
Issecretedbythepituitaryglandtostimulateovulationthatis,thereleaseofthe
eggorovumfromthefollicles.LHsecretionsignalstheremnantsofthefollicleto
change into the corpus luteum. The corpus luteum then begins producing
progesteroneandestrogens.
5. HumanChorionicGonadotropin(HCG)

HCGisthekeyhormonethat'spresentduringpregnancy.It'sproducedbywhat
ultimatelybecomestheplacenta.

Itsbasicjobistotellawoman'sbodythatthereisalifeformgrowinginher
wombandthatherbodyneedstobuildanestforit.

HCGalsotellstheovariestoshutofftheproductionlineofmaturinganeggevery
month.Levelsriseeightdaysafterovulation,peakat60to90daysandthen
lowerslightly,levelingofffortheremainderofthepregnancy.Typically,during
thefirst10weeksofyourpregnancyHCGlevelsdoubleeverytwodays.HCG
circulatesthroughthebodyandiseliminatedintheurine(whichiswhatoverthe
counterpregnancytestsarelookingforahighconcentrationofbetaHCGinthe
urinethatindicatesyouare,indeed,pregnant).

Nooneisentirelysurewhatcausesmorningsickness,butmanydoctorsbelieveit
ismostlikelyconnectedtoyourrisingHCGlevels.Womenwithhigherlevelsof
HCGoftenexperiencemorenauseaandvomiting.

OtherImportantPregnancyHormones
1. Oxytocin

Manywomenbelieveoxytocinisthehormonethattriggerslabor.(Pitocin,the
drugusuallygiventoinducelabor,isthesyntheticformofoxytocin.)Intruth,
oxytocinlevelsdon'triseaslaborbegins,it'sjustthattheuterusbecomesvery
sensitive and responsive to oxytocin as you progress towards the end of
pregnancy.

Oxytocinisalsothehormonethatstretchesthecervixandstimulatesthenipples
toproducemilk.

2. Prolactin

This milkproducing hormone which increases 10 to 20 times during

pregnancyhasatranquilizingeffect.

Prolactinpreparesbreasttissuesforlactationandthereleaseofmilk.

3. Relaxin

Relaxinisbelievedtoberesponsibleforlooseninguptheligamentsthatholdthe
pelvicbonestogetherandforrelaxingtheuterinemuscle,bothinpreparationfor
deliveringyourbabythroughthebirthcanal.Duringpregnancywomenhave10
timesthenormalamountofthispregnancyhormoneintheirbodies.