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Female Reproductive System

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The human female reproductive system consists of 

  • Two  ovaries 
  • Two fallopian tubes 
  • Uterus, 
  • Vagina, 
  • External genitalia or vulva
  • Female accessory glands.


(1) OVARY
There is a pair of ovaries present in the abdominal region. They are attached with abdominal walls by an ovarian ligament called mesovarium. Each ovary is almond shaped, 2-4 cm long, 1-3 cm wide and abort 1 cm thick. It is attached to pelvic wall and uterus by ovarian ligament.


Functions of Ovary
  • The ovaries are primary sex organs. 
  • They produce female gamete-egg.
  • They also produxce some female hormones like progesterone.


Anatomy of ovary:
Anatomically each ovary is formed of 3 parts:
  • Germinal epithelium
  • Tunica albuginea
  • Ovarion stroma
sectional view of human female ovary

Germinal epithelium:
It is the outermost layer of the ovary.It is formed of squamous epithelium and cuboidal epithelium. It forms oogonia in the foetus.

Tunica albuniea:
 It is present inner to germinal epithelium It is poorly developed and grayish in color.

Ovarian Stroma:
The part of ovary beneath tunica albuginea is called stroma of ovary. It is divided into outer dence layer the cortex and inner less dense layer the medulla. Inside cortex there are many sac like bodies called ovarian follicles and remains of ovum called corpus luteum. There are about 4 lac ovarian follicles in the ovary of female child at the time of birth. Most them degenerate during reproductive life of females, this process is k/a follicular atresia.

(2) FALLOPIAN TUBES
There is present a pair of fallopian tubes or oviducts. Each fallopian tube is 10 to 12 cm long.  It’s one end lies in contact with ovary and the other end opens into the uterus. It has 4 parts, these are:
  • Infundibulum :- It is funnel shaped part of oviduct. It has an aperture called ostium and finger like projections at margins called the fimbrae.
  • Ampula:- It is the widest and the largest part of the oviduct. Fertilization occurs here.
  • Isthmus :- It is the short,narrow and theck walled part of oviduct.
  • Uterine part :- It passes through uterine wall and communicates with uterus.
(3) UTERUS
It is inverted pear shaped, elastic and sac like str. It is present above the urinary bladder. In size it is 8 cm long, 5cm wide and 2 cm thick. It consists of 3 parts-
  • Fundus:-It is the upper dome shaped part. It is the main part of uterus which has upper wider and narrow lower part.
  • Cornua:- They are the upper corners where the oviducts enter the uterus.
  • Cervix:- It is the part of uterus which opens in to vagina. It communicates with the body of uterus by a  narrow aperture called internal os and with vagina by external os. The interior of cervix is called cervical canal.
Functions of uterus
It provides site for development and protection of embryo.

 (4) VAGINA
It is a long tube about 10 cm long. It is also called birth canal. It opens outside by vaginal orifice.
It acts as copulatory organ,birth canal and path for menstrual flow.

(5) EXTERNAL GENITALIA OR VULVA
The external genitalia or vulva includes—
  • labia majora
  • labia minora
  • clitoris
(6) FEMALE ACCESSORY GLANDS

Bartholins glands
A pair of Bartholins glands  occur on either side of the vaginal orifice. These glands correspond to cowper's glands of males. These glands secrete a lubricating fluid.

Mammary Glands
These are modified sweat glands. Each gland has 15-20 glandular lobes. Each glandular lobe is further made up of many glandular or secretary alveoli. These alveoli open into mammary ducts. Mammary ducts form mammary ampulla. From Each mammary ampula arises a lactiferous duct. Many such ducts open at the nipple by separate pores.
The cells of alveoli produce milk. The secretion and release of milk is called lactation. The human milk contains water, fars, casein, lactose, mineral salts like Na, Ca , K, P and vitamins.

Hormonal control of Female Reproduction System
The female reproductive system is under control of FSH and LH secreted by ant. Lobe of pituitary. FSH stimulates the growth of ovariun follicles, development of oocyte in the follicle. It also stimulates the formation of oestrogens.LH stimulates corpus lutum to secrete progesterone. Rising level of progesterone stops the release of LH and FSH. It also inhibit the release of further progesterone.


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