Chapter 16, Lesson 3

The Female Reproductive System

Female Reproductive Organs

The system has several functions:
Producing female sex hormones
Storing eggs
Female gametes or ova (singular: ovum)

Ovaries
The female sex glands that store the ova and produce
female sex hormones
Located on each side of the uterus
The hollow, muscular, pear-shaped organ that nourishes and
protects a fertilized ovum until birth
At birth a female has over 400,000 immature ova
At puberty, the pituitary gland produces hormones that cause
these ova to mature
Ovulation
The process of releasing a mature ovum into the fallopian
tube each month

Female Reproductive Organs

Figure 16.8
Cervix
Opening of the uterus

Uterus
Protects and nourishes a developing fetus

Urinary bladder
Uretha
Labia minora
Labia majora
Ovaries
Contain ova and produce hormones

Fallopian tubes
Ova travel from the ovaries to the uterus

Endometrium
Tissue that lines the uterus

Vagina
Passageway from the uterus to the outside of the body, aka the birth
canal

Female Reproductive Organs cont.,

Ovum is released from an ovary and moves into one of
the two fallopian tubes
A pair of tubes with fingerlike projections that draw in the
ovum
Cilia helps to move the ovum in the fallopian tubes
Sperm enters through the vagina
Muscular, elastic passageway that extends from the
uterus to the outside of the body
If the sperm is present in the fallopian tubes, the sperm
and ovum might unite, resulting in fertilization
Produce a zygote, which moves through the fallopian tubes,
enters the uterus, where it attaches itself to the uterine wall,
blood thickens to nourish the zygote, fetus remains in the uterus
until birth
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Menstruation
If pregnancy does not occur, the thickened lining
of the uterus, called the endometrium, breaks
down into blood, tissue, and fluids
Cycle of Menstruation
The shedding of the uterine lining
The endometrium tissue pass through the cervix, the
opening to the uterus, and into the vagina
Most females begin their menstrual cycles between
the ages of 10-15
At first the period might be irregular but then should
become more predictable
Endocrine hormones control the cycle
Stress, poor nutrition, excessive exercise, low body weight,
and illness can influence your period
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The Menstrual Cycle

Figure 16.9

Maintaining Reproductive Health

Bathe regularly
Have regular medical exams
Practice abstinence

Breast Self-Exam

One week after your menstrual cycle

Look in the mirror using different views
Tips of three fingers as memory pads
Vertical patterns
Light, medium, hard pressure

Female Reproductive System

Problems
Menstrual Cramps
Sometimes occur in the beginning of a menstrual
period
Light exercise and heat help to relieve them

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

Caused by a hormonal change
Symptoms include: anxiety, irritability, bloating, weight
gain, depression, mood swings, fatigue

Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS)

Rare, but serious bacterial infection caused by use of
tampons
Use low absorbency and change them often
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Infertility and Other Disorders

Endometriosis
Uterine tissue grows in the ovaries, fallopian tubes, or the lining
of the pelvic cavity

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
Untreated STDs

Vaginitis
Discharge, odor, pain, itching, or burning
Yeast infections

Ovarian cysts
Fluid filled sac on the ovary
Some may disappear on their own, larger ones tend to be removed
surgically

Cervical, Uterine, and Ovarian Cancers

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