How does the female reproductive system work?

The female reproductive system provides several

functions. The ovaries produce the egg cells, called
the ova or oocytes. The oocytes are then transported to
the fallopian tube where fertilization by a sperm may
occur. The fertilized egg then moves to the uterus,
where the uterine lining has thickened in response to
the normal hormones of the reproductive cycle. Once
in the uterus, the fertilized egg can implant into
thickened uterine lining and continue to develop. If
implantation does not take place, the uterine lining is
shed as menstrual flow. In addition, the female
reproductive system produces female sex hormones
that maintain the reproductive cycle.
During menopause, the female reproductive system gradually
stops making the female hormones necessary for the
reproductive cycle to work. At this point, menstrual cycles can
become irregular and eventually stop. One year after menstrual
cycles stop, the woman is considered to be menopausal.
What parts make-up the female anatomy?
The female reproductive anatomy includes both external and
internal structures.

The function of the external female reproductive structures

(the genital) is twofold: To enable sperm to enter the body and
to protect the internal genital organs from infectious
organisms.
The main external structures of the female
reproductive system include:
LABIA MAJORA

The 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
The labia minora (“small lips”) can have a variety
of sizes and shapes. They lie just inside the labia
majora, and surround the openings to the vagina
(the canal that joins the lower part of the uterus to
the outside of the body) and urethra (the tube that
carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the
body). This skin is very delicate and can become
easily irritated and swollen.
Bartholin’s glands
These glands are located next to the vaginal
opening on each side and produce a fluid
(mucus) secretion.

The Bartholin's glands (named after Thomas

Bartholin; also called Bartholin glands or
greater vestibular glands) are two pea sized
compound alveolar glands located slightly
posterior and to the left and right of the
opening of the vagina. They secrete mucus to
lubricate the vagina and are homologous to
bulbourethral glands in males.
Clitoris
The two labia minora meet at the
clitoris, a small, sensitive
protrusion that is comparable to
the penis in males. The clitoris is
covered by a fold of skin, called
the prepuce, which is similar to the
foreskin at the end of the penis.
Like the penis, the clitoris is very
sensitive to stimulation and can
become erect.
The internal reproductive organs include:
Vagina

The vagina is a canal that joins the cervix (the lower

part of uterus) to the outside of the body. It also is
known as the birth canal.
Uterus (womb)
The uterus is a hollow, pear-shaped
organ that is the home to a
developing fetus. The uterus is
divided into two parts: the cervix,
which is the lower part that opens
into the vagina, and the main body
of the uterus, called the corpus. The
corpus can easily expand to hold a
developing baby. A canal through
the cervix allows sperm to enter and
menstrual blood to exit.
Ovaries
The ovaries are small,
oval-shaped glands that are
located on either side of
the uterus. The ovaries
produce eggs and
hormones.
Fallopian tubes

These are narrow tubes that are attached to the

upper part of the uterus and serve as pathways
for the ova (egg cells) to travel from the ovaries
to the uterus. Fertilization of an egg by a sperm
normally occurs in the fallopian tubes. The
fertilized egg then moves to the uterus, where it
implants to the uterine lining.
What happens during the menstrual cycle?
Females of reproductive age (beginning anywhere from 11 to
16 years of age) experience cycles of hormonal activity that
repeat at about one-month intervals. Menstru means
"monthly” – leading to the term menstrual cycle. With every
cycle, a woman’s body prepares for a potential pregnancy,
whether or not that is the woman’s intention. The term
menstruation refers to the periodic shedding of the uterine
lining. Many women call the days that they notice vaginal
bleeding their “period,” “menstrual” or cycle.
The average menstrual cycle takes about 28 days and occurs in phases.

These phases include:

The follicular phase (development of the egg)

The ovulatory phase (release of the egg)
The luteal phase (hormone levels decrease if
the egg does not implant)
Follicular phase
The follicular phase starts on the first day of
menstruation and ends with ovulation. Prompted by
the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland releases follicle
stimulating hormone (FSH). This hormone stimulates
the ovary to produce around five to 20 follicles (tiny
nodules or cysts), which bead on the surface.
The follicular phase begins on the first day of menstrual
bleeding (day 1). But the main event in this phase is the
development of follicles in the ovaries.

At the beginning of the follicular phase, the lining of the

uterus (endometrium) is thick with fluids and nutrients
designed to nourish an embryo. If no egg has been
fertilized, estrogen and progesterone levels are low. As a
result, the top layers of the endometrium are shed, and
menstrual bleeding occurs.
About this time, the pituitary gland slightly increases
its production of follicle-stimulating hormone. This
hormone then stimulates the growth of 3 to 30
follicles. Each follicle contains an egg. Later in the
phase, as the level of this hormone decreases, only
one of these follicles (called the dominant follicle)
continues to grow. It soon begins to produce estrogen,
and the other stimulated follicles begin to break down.
The increasing estrogen also begins to prepare the
uterus and stimulates the luteinizing hormone surge.
On average, the follicular phase lasts about
13 or 14 days. Of the three phases, this
phase varies the most in length. It tends to
become shorter near menopause. This phase
ends when the level of luteinizing hormone
increases dramatically (surges). The surge
results in release of the egg (ovulation) and
marks the beginning of the next phase.
Ovulatory phase
The ovulatory phase begins with a surge in
luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone
levels. Luteinizing hormone stimulates egg release
(ovulation), which usually occurs 16 to 32 hours after
the surge begins. The estrogen level decreases during
the surge, and the progesterone level starts to increase
The ovulatory phase begins when the level of luteinizing
hormone surges. Luteinizing hormone stimulates the dominant
follicle to bulge from the surface of the ovary and finally
rupture, releasing the egg. The level of follicle-stimulating
hormone increases to a lesser degree. The function of the
increase in follicle-stimulating hormone is not understood.

The ovulatory phase usually lasts 16 to 32 hours. It ends when

the egg is released, about 10 to 12 hours after the surge in the
level of luteinizing hormone. The egg can be fertilized for only
up to about 12 hours after its release.
The surge in luteinizing hormone can be
detected by measuring the level of this
hormone in urine. This measurement can be
used to determine when women are fertile.
Fertilization is more likely when sperm are
present in the reproductive tract before the
egg is released. Most pregnancies occur
when intercourse occurs within 3 days
before ovulation.
Around the time of ovulation, some women feel a dull
pain on one side of the lower abdomen. This pain is
known as mittelschmerz (literally, middle pain). The
pain may last for a few minutes to a few hours. The
pain is usually felt on the same side as the ovary that
released the egg, but the precise cause of the pain is
unknown. The pain may precede or follow the rupture
of the follicle and may not occur in all cycles.

Egg release does not alternate between the two ovaries

and appears to be random. If one ovary is removed, the
remaining ovary releases an egg every month.
The luteal phase
The luteal phase begins after ovulation. It lasts about 14 days
(unless fertilization occurs) and ends just before a menstrual
period.
In this phase, the ruptured follicle closes after releasing the
egg and forms a structure called a corpus luteum, which
produces increasing quantities of progesterone. The
progesterone produced by the corpus luteum does the
following:
Prepares the uterus in case an embryo is implanted
Causes the endometrium to thicken, filling with fluids and
nutrients to nourish a potential embryo
Causes the mucus in the cervix to thicken, so that sperm or
bacteria are less likely to enter the uterus
Causes body temperature to increase slightly during the luteal
phase and remain elevated until a menstrual period begins
(this increase in temperature can be used to estimate whether
ovulation has occurred)
During most of the luteal phase, the estrogen level is high.
Estrogen also stimulates the endometrium to thicken.
The increase in estrogen and progesterone levels causes milk
ducts in the breasts to widen (dilate). As a result, the breasts
may swell and become tender.
If the egg is not fertilized or if the fertilized egg does not
implant, the corpus luteum degenerates after 14 days, levels
of estrogen and progesterone decrease, and a new menstrual
cycle begins.

If the embryo is implanted, the cells around the developing

embryo begin to produce a hormone called human chorionic
gonadotropin. This hormone maintains the corpus luteum,
which continues to produce progesterone, until the growing
fetus can produce its own hormones. Pregnancy tests are
based on detecting an increase in the human chorionic
gonadotropin level.
How many eggs does a woman have?
During fetal life, there are about 6 million to 7 million
eggs. From this time, no new eggs are produced. At
birth, there are approximately 1 million eggs; and by
the time of puberty, only about 300,000 remain. Of
these, only 300 to 400 will be ovulated during a
woman's reproductive lifetime. Fertility can drop as a
woman ages due to decreasing number and quality of
the remaining eggs.