Female Reproductive System

The Female Reproductive System or Female Reproductive System is the system responsible for human reproduction.

It fulfills several important roles:

• produces female gametes (eggs);
• provides a suitable location for fertilization to occur;
• allows embryo implantation;
• provides the embryo with conditions for its development;
• performs sufficient motor activity to expel the new being when it completes its formation.

Anatomy of the Female Reproductive System

The female reproductive system is made up of the following organs: ovaries , fallopian tubes , uterus and vagina .

Ovaries

The ovaries are two oval-shaped organs that measure 3 to 4 cm in length. They are responsible for producing the female sex hormones, progesterone and estrogen. The ovaries also store female sex cells, the eggs.

Thus, during a woman’s fertile phase, approximately once a month, one of the ovaries releases an egg into the fallopian tube: this is called ovulation.

Fallopian tubes

The fallopian tubes are two tubes, approximately 10 cm long, that connect the ovaries to the uterus. From there, the mature egg leaves the ovary and enters the tube.

If the egg is fertilized by a sperm, an egg cell or zygote is formed, which travels to the uterus, where it attaches itself and develops, giving rise to a new being.

Uterus

The uterus is a hollow, muscular organ with great elasticity, similar in size and shape to a pear. Its main function is to accommodate the fetus until the baby is born.

During pregnancy, it expands, accommodating the embryo that develops until birth. The uterine mucosa is called the endometrium, which undergoes a process of desquamation during menstruation.

Vagina

The vagina is the female sexual organ and acts as the channel that connects the uterus with the excretory system. It is approximately 8 cm long and 2.5 cm in diameter.

Its walls are fringed and have mucus-secreting glands. Its functions are related to the passage of blood during menstruation, the penetration of the penis during sexual intercourse and the main channel of the part, this being the place through which the baby comes out.

Menstruation

Menstruation represents the beginning of a woman’s fertile life, that is, the period in which a woman reaches maturity and can become pregnant.

It therefore corresponds to the elimination by the female body of the material resulting from the desquamation of the uterine mucosa and the blood resulting from the rupture of blood vessels. It occurs when there is no fertilization of the egg.

Menstrual Cycle

The menstrual cycle is the period between the start of one menstruation and the next. This period lasts, on average, 28 days, but can be shorter or longer.

The first menstruation is called “menarche” and most often occurs between the ages of 12 and 13. Around the age of 50, the phase is called “menopause”, when the eggs are exhausted and menstruation and the woman’s fertility cease.