The Female Reproductive System

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The vaginal canal is the outermost interior organ of the female reproductive system. It connects the vulva and the cervix.

The ovaries are two glands, one located on each side of the uterus. This is where eggs are created.

"Narrow tubes that are attached to the upper part of the uterus and serve as tunnels for the ova (egg cells) to travel from the ovaries to the uterus."¹

The uterus is a hollow organ that is the home to a developing fetus.

The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that opens into the vagina. A channel through the cervix allows sperm to enter and menstrual blood to exit.

There are two types of labia; the labia majora, and the labia minora. The labia majora enclose and protect the other external reproductive organs, and are relatively large and fleshy. The labia minora can be very small lie just inside the labia majora, surrounding the openings to the vagina and urethra.

Diagram of female reproductive system

Profile diagram of female reproductive system and other systems

[Pathway of an egg]

After an ovum is produced in one of the ovaries, it travels through a fallopian tube to the uterus. Once inside, the egg sticks to the inner lining of the wall.

"If the ovum is fertilized, it becomes implanted in the uterus where the egg goes through a series of cell divisions. Growth and development of the ovum in the uterus through the embryo and fetus phases eventually results in childbirth."

"If the ovum is not fertilized, it is discharged from the body in a process called menstruation. The lining of the uterus disintegrates in response to decreased levels of estrogen and progesterone in the blood."

Source:Brookside Press