Female reproductive system: know the internal and external organs

The female reproductive system corresponds to a set of organs responsible mainly for female reproduction and their functions are regulated by the female hormones estrogen and progesterone.

The female genital system is composed of internal organs, such as two ovaries, two uterine tubes, uterus and vagina, and external, whose main organ is the vulva, which is made up of the large and small lips, pubic mount, hymen, clitoris and glands. The organs are in charge of producing the female gametes, which are the eggs, to allow the implantation of the embryo and, consequently, the pregnancy.

The woman's reproductive life starts between 10 and 12 years and lasts for about 30 to 35 years, which corresponds to the period when the female genitals are mature and with regular and cyclical functioning. The last menstruation, which happens around the age of 45 and represents the end of reproductive life, since the functions of the genitals begin to decrease, but the woman still manages to maintain an active sex life. Learn all about menopause.

Internal genitals

1. Ovaries

Women typically have two ovaries, each located laterally to the uterus. The ovaries are responsible for producing the female sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone, which promote the development and functioning of the female sexual organs, in addition to being responsible for the female secondary characters. Learn more about female hormones and what they are for.

In addition, it is in the ovaries that egg production and maturation occurs. During a woman's fertile period, one of the ovaries releases at least 1 egg into the fallopian tube, a process known as ovulation. Understand what ovulation is and when it happens.

2. Uterine tubes

Uterine tubes, also called fallopian tubes or fallopian tubes, are tubular structures that measure between 10 and 15 cm in length and connect the ovaries to the uterus, functioning as a channel for the passage and fertilization of eggs.

French horns are divided into four parts:

Infundibular, which is located closer to the ovary and has structures that assist in the uptake of the gamete; Ampular, which is the longest portion of the fallopian tube and has a thinner wall; Isthmic, which is shorter and has a thicker wall; Intramural, which crosses the uterine wall and is located in the myometrium, which corresponds to the intermediate thick muscular layer of the uterus.

It is in the uterine tubes that fertilization of the egg by the sperm occurs, becoming known as zygote or egg cell, which moves to the uterus for implantation in the uterus and, consequently, embryonic development.

3. Uterus

The uterus is a hollow organ, usually mobile, muscular and located between the bladder and the rectum and communicates with the abdominal cavity and the vagina. The uterus can be divided into four parts:

Fund, which is in contact with the fallopian tubes; Body; Isthmus; Cervix, which corresponds to the portion of the uterus located in the vagina.

The uterus is also known as the one that is covered externally by the perimeter and internally by the endometrium, which is the place where the embryo is implanted and, in the absence of a fertilized egg, there is desquamation, which is characterized by menstruation.

The cervix is the lowest part of the uterus, has few muscle fibers and has a central cavity, the cervical canal, which communicates the uterine cavity to the vagina.

4. Vagina

The vagina is considered a woman's copulation organ and corresponds to a muscular channel that extends to the uterus, that is, it allows communication between the uterus and the external environment.

External genitals

The main external female genital organ is the vulva, which protects the vagina and urinary orifice and consists of several structures that also contribute to copulation:

Pubic mound, also called pubic mound, which presents itself as a rounded prominence consisting of hair and adipose tissue; Large lips, which are skin folds rich in adipose tissue and that form the lateral walls of the vulva. They are covered with hair laterally and have sebaceous glands, sweat and subcutaneous fat; Small lips, which are two thin and pigmented skin folds, usually covered by the large lips. The small lips are separated laterally from the large lips by the interlabial groove and have a large number of sebaceous glands; Hymen, is an irregular membrane of varying thickness and shape, which closes the vaginal opening. Usually after the woman's first sexual intercourse, the hymen ruptures, which can be slightly painful and result in minor bleeding; Clitoris, which corresponds to a small erectile body, similar to the male penis. It is rich in sensitive structures, as well as small and large lips.

The vulva still consists of glands, the Skene glands and the Bartholin glands, the latter being located bilaterally under the labia majora and whose main function is to lubricate the vagina during sexual intercourse. Learn more about Bartholin's glands.

How the female reproductive system works

The female reproductive system normally reaches maturation between 10 and 12 years, in which characteristic changes of adolescence can be noticed, such as the appearance of breasts, hair in the genital region and the first menstruation, known as menarche. The maturation of the reproductive system happens due to the production of female hormones, which are estrogen and progesterone. Know body changes in adolescence.

The woman's reproductive life starts from the first menstruation. Menstruation happens due to the non-fertilization of the egg produced in the ovary and which is released in the uterine tube every month. Due to the lack of implantation of the embryo in the uterus, the endometrium, which corresponds to the inner lining of the uterus, undergoes flaking. Understand how the menstrual cycle works.