 Click to add text
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE
SYSTEM
By – Dr.S.Kameshwaran

Adolescence
 Puberty
 Burst of hormones activate maturation of the
gonads: ovaries
 Begins: 8-13 yrs of age
 Abnormally early = precocious puberty
 Delayed =Primary Amenorrhea

Function of Female Reproductive System
 Produce sex hormones
 Produce functioning gamates [ova]
 Support & protect developing embryo

General Physical Changes
 Axillary & pubic hair growth
 Changes in body conformation [widening of
hips, development of breasts]
 Onset of first menstrual period [menarche]
 Mental changes

Major Organs
 Ovaries [gonads]
 Uterine tubes [ Fallopian tubes]
 Uterus
 Vagina
 Accessory glands
 External genitalia
 Breasts

Ovaries
 Each ovary is about the size and shape of an
almond.
 In young women the ovaries are about 1½ - 2
inches long, 1 inch wide & 1/3 inch thick.
After menopause they tend to shrink.
 they produce eggs (also called ova) every
female is born with a lifetime supply of eggs
 they also produce hormones:
Estrogen & Progesterone
Male Homolog = testes

Ogenesis
 when the girl becomes sexually mature, the
primary oocytes recommence their
development, usually one at a time and once
a month.
 The primary oocyte grows much larger and
completes the MEIOSIS forming a large
secondary oocyte and a small polar body
 Polar body received 23 chromosomes.

 In humans (and most vertebrates), the first
polar body does not go on to meiosis II, but
the secondary oocyte does proceed as far as
metaphase of meiosis II and then stops.
 Only if fertilization occurs will meiosis II ever
be completed.
 Entry of the sperm restarts the cell cycle

UTERINE TUBES (FALLOPIAN TUBES)
 It receive the ovulated oocyte and provide a site for fertilization
 Empty into the superolateral region of the uterus via the
isthmus
 Expand distally around the ovary forming the ampulla
 The ampulla ends in the funnel-shaped, ciliated infundibulum
containing fingerlike projections called fimbriae
Fimbriae
 sweep oocyte into tube, cilia & peristalsis move it
along
 sperm reaches oocyte in ampulla, fertilization occurs
within 24 hours after ovulation
 zygote reaches uterus about 7 days after ovulation

UTERUS:
 Hollow, thick-walled organ located in the pelvis anterior to
the rectum and posterosuperior to the bladder
 Body: Major portion of the uterus
 Fundus: Rounded region superior to the entrance of the
uterine tubes
 Isthmus: Narrowed region between the body and cervix

UTERINE HISTOLOGY
 Endometrium
Myometrium
Perimetrium

 The endometrium has three layers:
stratum compactum,
stratum spongiosum
stratum basalis.

CERVIX
• The cervix connects the uterus to the vagina
• The cervical opening to the vagina is small
• This acts as a safety precaution against foreign
bodies entering the uterus
• During childbirth, the cervix dilates to
accommodate the passage of the fetus
• This dilation is a sign that labor has begun

The Vagina
 vagin = sheath
 a muscular, sheath connecting the external
genitals to the uterus.
 functions as a two-way street, accepting the
penis and sperm during intercourse and
roughly nine months later, serving as the
avenue of birth through which the new baby
enters the world

External genetalia
• The vulva refers to those parts that are outwardly visible
The vulva includes:
• Mons pubis
• Labia majora
• Labia minora
• Clitoris
• Urethral opening
• Vaginal opening
• Perineum
• bartholin’s glands
• Individual differences in:Size, Coloration, Shape of external
gentalia are common

MONS PUBIS
• The triangular mound of fatty tissue that covers
the pubic bone
• It protects the pubic symphysis
• During adolescence sex hormones trigger the
growth of pubic hair on the mons pubis
• Hair varies in coarseness curliness, amount,
color and thickness

LABIA MAJORA
• Referred to as the outer lips
• They have a darker pigmentation
• Protect the openings
• Tend to be smooth, moist, and hairless
• Become flaccid with age and after childbirth

LABIA MINORA
• Referred to as the “inner lips”
• Made up of erectile, connective tissue that
darkens and swells during sexual arousal
• Located inside the labia majora
• They are more sensitive and responsive to
touch than the labia majora
• The labia minora tightens during intercourse

CLITORIS
• Highly sensitive organ composed of nerves, blood
vessels, and erectile tissue
• Located under the prepuce
• It is made up of a shaft and a glans
• Becomes engorged with blood during sexual
stimulation
• Key to sexual pleasure for most women
• Urethral opening is located directly below clitoris

VAGINAL OPENING
• Opening may be covered by a thin sheath
called the hymen
• Using the presence of an intact hymen for
determining virginity is erroneous
• Some women are born without hymens
• The hymen can be perforated by many
different events

PERINEUM
• The muscle and tissue located between the vaginal
opening and anal canal
• The perinium contains an abundance of nerve
endings that make it sensitive to touch
• An episiotomy is an incision of the perinium used
during childbirth for widening the vaginal opening

28
FEMALE EXTERNAL GENITALIA
Perineum

29
BARTHOLIN’S GLANDS
The Bartholin's glands are located
on each side of the vaginal opening.
They secrete fluid that helps
lubricate the vagina.
Sometimes the ducts of
these glands become
obstructed.
 Fluid backs up into the gland
and causes swelling
- Bartholin's cyst

BREASTS
Organs of sexual arousal
• Contain mammary glands
• Consist of connective tissue that serves as support
• Each breast contain 15-25 clusters called lobes
• Each lobule is connected by ducts that open into the
nipples
• The nipples are made up of erectile tissue
• The pigmented around the nipples are called the areola
• Breast size is determined primarily by heredity
• Size also depends on the existing fat and glandular
tissue
• Breasts may exhibit cyclical changes, including
increased swelling and tenderness prior to menstruation

THANK U ALL