Reproductive System

Female

MARISSA S. FERNANDEZ,RN,MAN
 Key Points:
 An female’s internal reproductive organs are the vagina, uterus,
fallopian tubes, cervix, and ovary.
 External structures include the mons pubis, pudendal cleft, labia
majora and minora, vulva, Bartholin’s gland, and the clitoris.
 The female reproductive system contains two main parts:
 1. the uterus, which hosts the developing fetus, produces vaginal
and uterine secretions, and passes the anatomically male sperm
through to the fallopian tubes; and
 2. the ovaries, which produce the anatomically female egg cells.
 Key Terms:
 ovary: A female reproductive organ, often paired, that produces
ova and in mammals secretes the hormones estrogen and
progesterone.
 oviduct: A duct through which an ovum passes from an ovary to the
uterus or to the exterior (called fallopian tubes in humans).
 vulva: The consists of the female external genital organs.
 oogenesis: The formation and development of an ovum.
 The human female reproductive system (or female genital system)
contains two main parts:
 1. Uterus
 Hosts the developing fetus
 Produces vaginal and uterine secretions
 Passes the anatomically male sperm through to the fallopian tubes
 2. Ovaries
 Produce the anatomically female egg cells.
 Produce and secrete estrogen and progesterone
 Internal Genetalia
1. Vagina -– female organ of copulation and serves as birth canal
 8-12 cm long
 Before puberty: pH 6.8 -7.2
 After puberty: pH 4-5
 Infront of the rectum behind the bladder
 Organ of copulation
 Discharges menstrual flow
 Birth canal
 Estrogen mucus production glycogen Doderlein bacilli
lactic acid decrease pH
2. Uterus - is a hallow muscular organ
- Organ of reproduction
- Organ of menstruation
Layers:
 Perimetrium
 Myometrium
 Endometrium
a. Glandular layer- peels off during menstruation
b. Basal layer- gives rise to new endometrium after menstruation & delivery
Parts:
a. Fundus
- Muscular area
- Thickest, most contractile
- Ideal site of implantation
b. Corpus
c. Isthmus
- - Lower uterine segment,
- - Inverted pear
- - 2.5-3 inches long, 2 inches wide, 50-70 gms
 3. Cervix - the lower, narrow end of the uterus that form a canal between the
uterus and vagina. Functions is entrance for sperm to enter the uterus.
 2.5 cm long 2.5 cm in diameter
 Internal os
 Cervical os
 External os
Supporting ligaments:
 Broad
- Supports the side of the uterus
 Round
- Connects uterus to the labia majora
 Posterior
- Connects posterior portion of the uterus to the rectum
- Damage will lead to herniation of the rectum into the vagina: rectocele
4. Fallopian tube -
Parts:
 Interstitial
 Isthmus - – being severed in bilateral tubal ligation
 Ampulla – site of sterilization
 infundibulum
5. Ovaries -sex gland of the female on each side of the uterus;
- almond shape , 6 -19 gms., 1.5 – 3 cm wide, 2 – 5 long
functions: 1. ovulation
2. secretion of hormone
 External parts of female reproductive:
 External Genetalia:
1. Mons pubis/ mons veneris
- pad of fat above the symphysis pubis
- Covered by curly hair at puberty called escutcheon
2. Labia majora
- 2 thick skin folds of adipose originating from the mons & terminating from the
perineum
- Nulliparous: close apposition
- multiparous: gape after birth
3. Labia minora
- 2 thin skin folds of connective tissue
- Joins anteriorly to form the prepuce
- Joins posteriorly to form the fourchette
 External genetalia:
4. Clitoris
- Seat of a woman’s sexual arousal & orgasm
- Sensitive to touch & temperature
- Composed of 2 erectile tissue: corpus cavernosa
- Sexual intercourse: ischiocavernous muscle contracts blocking flow of blood
- Clitoral congestion & erection
- Produce cheese-like secretion: smegma
5. Fourchette – at the bottom a thin inner folds of the vulva
6. Perineum – area between the anus and genetals.
7. Vestibule
- Triangular space between the fourchette & vaginal introitus
a. Urethral meatus
b. Vaginal introitus
- Grafenberg spot located at the inner anterior surface of the vagina
 c. Hymen
- Separates the internal organs from the external organs
- Imperforate hymen: completely covers the vaginal introitus (hymenotomy/
hymenectomy)
d. Bartholin’s glands
- vulvovaginal/paravaginal/major vestibular
- Found at the inner side of the vagina
e. Skene’s glands/paraurethral/minor vestibule
- Found at the inner side of the urethral meatus
 Parts of Male reproductive:
 Male reproductive System:
 External Genetalia
= Penis
- Organ of copulation & urination
- Erection: parasympathetic
- Ejaculation: sympathetic
 Glans penis
- Enlarge end of the penis
 Shaft/body
 Prepuce/foreskin
 Urethral meatus
= Scrotum
- sac-like structure that houses the testes
- No subcutaneous fat
- Wrinkled
- Darker coloration than the rest of the body
 Internal Gentalia
 Testes
- Oval shape
- Descends in the scrotum at 28 week gestation
- 4-5 cm long
- Left testes is usually larger & lower than right
 Parts of the testes:
 Semineferous tubules
- where spermatogenesis takes place, 176 sperms in 1 day
 Leydig’s/ interstitial cells
- - Produce testosterone
- - Found around the semineferous tubules
 Sertoli cells
- For sperm transport
  Epididymis
- Appx 20 feet long
- Passageway for the traveling sperm for 12-20 days
- Takes 64 days for a sperm to mature
 Vas deferens
- Passageway of the sperm from the epdidymis in the testes to the urethra
- Propels the spermatozoa during ejaculation
- Cut during vasectomy
 Ejaculatory duct - Passageway of semen
 Accessory structures
 Seminal vesicles - 4 cm long
- Thick, mucoid secretion, high in sugar, CHON, low pH
- Secretion contains prostaglandin (Causes contraction of the female
reproductive tract)
 Accessory structures
 Prostate gland
- Walnut shape
- Secretes thin, milky fuid
- Neutralizes the acidic nature of the male urethra
 Bulbourethral gland/ cowper’s gland
- Secretes alkaline fluid
 Semen
- Seminal vesicle 60%
- Prostate gland 30%
- Testes 5%
- Bulbourethral gland 5%
- 2-5 ml
- 100 million sperm per ml
 analogous:

 Male Female
 Spermatozoa Ovum
 Glans penis Glans clitoris
 Scrotum Labia majora
 Penis Vagina
 Testes Ovaries
 Vas deferens Fallopian tube
 Prostate gland Skene’s gland
 Cowper’s gland Bartholin’s gland
 Female reproductive System:
 Accessory Structures
1. Mammary glands
S-mooth W-ell rounded D-umpling not noted
Parts:
 Acini cells - Milk secreting cells of the breast, Stimulated by prolactin
 Lactiferous duct - Passageway of milk
 Lactiferous sinus - Dilated portion of the duct located behind the nipple, Reservoir of milk
 Montgomery tubercles - Glands in the areola that secrete oily substance for lubrication
 Nipple - 15- 20 opening
 Areola – contains sebaceous glands to provide lubrication for the nipple during nursing,
facilitates suckling
Hormones:
= Prolactin
- Stimulates milk production or biosynthesis within the alveolar cells of the breast,
- inhibited by estrogen
= Oxytocin – stimulates contraction of the myoepithelial cells that surround the alveoli,
causing the milk to be ejected into the ducts leading to the nipple.
- Let down reflex
- inhibited by progesterone