Transcript The Female Reproductive System

The Female Reproductive
System
Females go through many
different physical changes during
puberty
A girl’s body begins to produce ova,
mature egg cells
Many hormones (in the Endocrine
system) work together to produce
mature eggs
If this is fertilized by a sperm cell, a baby
may be developed
The female reproductive system…
Is like the male reproductive system, it
is made up of both external and internal
structures
The internal organs provide the
environment in which a fertilized egg
can develop into a baby
Ovaries
There are two of them, ~ the size of an
almond
They are just below the waist with one
on each side of the body
They have two important jobs
Release estrogen and progesterone
Release mature egg cells
When a girl is born, she is born with
hundreds of thousands of immature eggs in
each ovary
The eggs begin to mature when the female
reaches puberty
Puberty = ovaries usually release one ripened
egg every month
This is called Ovulation
The egg is no bigger than a typewriter dot
Fallopian Tubes
There are two of them, one for each ovary
Small tubes that carry the released eggs from
the ovaries to the uterus
Have finger-like ends to sweep the released
egg into the fallopian tubes
Eggs can’t swim, so the fallopian tubes have
tiny hairs that sweep the egg through the
tube
Uterus
Each of the fallopian tubes lead here
It is a a hollow, muscular, pear-shaped
organ located between the two ovaries
and behind the bladder.
This is where the fertilized egg will
develop and grow into a baby
Rich supply of blood
Cervix
Vagina
Birth canal
Hollow, muscular passage leading from
the uterus to the outside of the body
Sperm enters the female body here
During childbirth, the baby passes
through the vagina
The walls of the vagina are very elastic
Menstrual Cycle
The process during which an egg
matures and is released and the uterus
prepares to receive
It begins when an egg starts to mature
in one of the ovaries
At the same time, the endometrium is
thickening
If the egg is not fertilized, the endometrium
breaks down and is discharged from the body
This is called menstruation, or the menstrual
period
As menstruation is taking place, another egg
begins to mature in one of the ovaries
Menstruation marks the beginning of one
cycle and the end of another
Stages of the Menstrual Cycle
On average, it lasts 28 days
It is normal though to have a cycle that is
21 days or as long as 35 days
The menstrual cycle is controlled by the
endocrine system
The first 1/2 cycle (1-14 days) a
hormone stimulates an egg to mature in
an ovary
Egg develops, this causes the
endometrium to thicken
Day 14 Ovulation occurs
The mature egg is released
A woman is most fertile around
ovulation
It takes ~ 7 days for the egg to travel down
the fallopian tubes
If the egg has not been fertilized by arrival to
the uterus, hormone levels drop
Endometrium breaks down and passes out of
the body through the vagina
Menstrual period on average lasts about 3-5
days
Factors affecting menstruation
Diet, stress, illness, travel, exercise, and
weight gain/loss
Every aspect of menstruation varies
from female to female
It is normal, for the first couple of
years, for the menstruation cycle to not
be consistent
The menstrual cycle is a normal, natural sign
of a healthy reproductive system
Except during pregnancy, menstruation
occurs each month from puberty until about
45 – 55
Menopause = ovaries slow down their
hormone production and they don’t release
mature eggs
After menopause women are no longer fertile.
Keeping the reproductive system
healthy
Cleanliness is very important
If normal body odors are not eliminated
through washing, or if any unusual
discharge is noted, seek medical
attention
Monthly breast self-examination
Mammogram (x-ray of the breast)
A yearly checkup of the reproductive
system is recommended for all women
who have reached puberty
Talk to your doctor about the need for
pap and mammogram tests
Female reproductive disorders
Vaginitis, Endometriosis, Toxic Shock
Syndrome, Sterility, and Cysts and
Cancer
The pathway that sperm takes to
meet an egg
Testicles – epididymis – vas deferens –
prostate gland – urethra – vagina –
cervix – uterus – fallopian tubes