Female reproductive organs: everything you need to know about them

Women have many different physical characteristics from men because of their important role in reproduction. The function of the female reproductive system is twofold—to allow fertilization from the meeting of sperm and egg cells, and protect the female internal organs from pathogens that cause infection. Here's everything you need to know about female reproductive organs and their role in body health.

How do the female reproductive organs work?

Female reproductive organs consist of several organs that have certain functions. Simply put, the female reproductive organs help the body to perform the following functions:

• Produces eggs
• Protect and maintain the fertilized egg cell, until it is fully developed
• Give birth to a baby

The workings of the female reproductive system cannot run without the sex glands or gonads. Both men and women both have gonads as a means of reproduction. In women, the gonads are ovaries that produce eggs (ovum).

According to WebMD, when a new baby girl is born, there are millions of eggs in her ovaries. However, these eggs are still not active until they enter puberty. The number will also decrease to around 300,000 when puberty arrives.

When puberty begins, the pituitary gland in the brain stimulates the ovaries to produce female sex hormones, including estrogen.

Every month, during ovulation (fertile period), the egg will move to the fallopian tube. It is in this fallopian tube that fertilization of an egg by a sperm cell can occur. The fertilized egg will then move to the thickened uterine wall (uterus).

This thickening of the uterine wall occurs as a result of the response of reproductive cycle hormones. After a fertilized egg implants (implantation) in the uterine wall, the egg will develop.

However, if the egg is not fertilized, the thickened uterine wall will shed. The blood and uterine lining tissue will then come out. This phase is called menstruation and will last for 3-5 days.

Over time, the performance of the female reproductive organs will reach an end, when the menstrual cycle stops and the body no longer produces sex hormones. This condition is called menopause.

What organs are included in the female reproductive organs?

After knowing how the female reproductive organs work, you need to identify which parts of the body include the reproductive organs.

Basically, the female reproductive system is divided into two, namely the outside and the inside.

Anatomy of organs in the female reproductive system (source: Anatomy Library)

Outer female reproductive organs

The function of the external female reproductive organs is as a pathway for sperm to enter and protect the inner female reproductive organs from infection.

Here are the parts of the female reproductive organs that are located outside:

1. Vulva

External view of vaginal and vulvar anatomy (source: Our Bodies Ourselves)

The vulva is an external vaginal anatomy consisting of the labia majora, labia minora, urinary tract openings for urination, and the clitoris. Its function is to protect the vagina.

The labia majora and minora are folds of skin located around the vaginal openings and urinary tract. The labia majora are the outermost part, while the labia minora are inside the labia majora.

The clitoris is a very sensitive part of the female reproductive organ. It is located between the ends of the labia folds. This organ is very sensitive and easily stimulated, resulting in sexual pleasure in women.

2. Breasts and mammary glands

female breast anatomy (source: NYC comments)

The breast is also one of the organs involved in the female reproductive system. The breasts consist of the mammary glands, milk ducts and adipose glands. The mammary glands are a special type of sudoriferous gland which has been transformed to produce milk to feed the baby.

Inner female reproductive organs

Women also have internal reproductive organs. The following are organs that belong to the inner female reproductive system.

1. Vagina

On the vulva, there is a vaginal opening. The vagina itself is actually located in the body behind the bladder, lower than the uterus.

One of the functions of the vagina as a means of female reproduction is to provide blood flow during menstruation and the baby's birth path during childbirth. Its main responsibility is to act as a "tunnel" for sperm to swim to the uterus and fallopian tubes for fertilization.

2. Ovaries

The ovaries, or ovaries, are located on the right and left of the pelvic cavity adjacent to the upper uterus. The ovaries as a means of female reproduction are responsible for producing female sex hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and, ovum, which are commonly called eggs.

3. Tuba fallopy

The fallopian tubes are shaped like a funnel that each stretches from the right and left ends of the uterus to the ends of the ovaries. The fallopian tube is responsible for transporting the released ovum and carrying it into the infundibulum (the end of the fallopian tube) to be transferred to the uterus.

4. Uterus (uterus)

The uterus (uterus) is the female reproductive organ where the embryo implants and then grows. This section envelops and supports the developing fetus.

In addition, the uterus supports the embryo during its early stages of development. The muscles of the uterine wall contract during labor to propel the fetus through the birth canal.

5. Cervix (cervix)

The cervix, or cervix, is the cylindrical or tube-shaped organ that connects the vagina to the uterus. The cervix consists of two parts, namely the ectocervix and the endocervix.

The cervix produces mucus which changes in texture during the menstrual cycle. Changes in the texture of cervical mucus are aimed at preventing or helping pregnancy.

What happens to the female reproductive organs during the menstrual cycle?

The female reproductive organs or organs will experience menstruation when girls begin to enter puberty, which is around 11-16 years. The average menstrual cycle lasted 28 days.

There are 4 main hormones involved in a woman's menstrual cycle. These hormones are:

• Follicle stimulating hormone or follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
• Lutein hormone or luteinizing hormone (LH)
• Estrogen
• Progesterone

In each menstrual cycle, there are three phases which include:

1. The follicular phase in the menstrual cycle

In this phase, the hormones FSH and LH are released by the brain and pass through the bloodstream to the female reproductive organs. These two hormones will trigger the ovaries to produce 15-20 eggs, each of which is stored in the follicle.

The hormones FSH and LH also stimulate the production of the sex hormone estrogen. When estrogen levels increase, the production of the FSH hormone will decrease.

Over time, one of the follicles containing the egg will continue to grow until it matures. This dominant growth of one egg suppresses the other egg cells and follicles, leaving only one egg and follicle.

2. The ovulation phase in the menstrual cycle

The ovulation phase usually occurs 14 days after the follicular phase begins in the female reproductive organs. Generally, menstruation will occur 2 weeks after the first day of the ovulation phase.

At this stage, the estrogen levels from the dominant follicle will trigger the follicle to release an egg from the ovary. When the egg is released, the egg is stored in the fallopian tube and is ready to be fertilized.

The female reproductive organs will also produce more mucus from the cervix or cervix. So, when there are sperm that enter the vagina, the mucus will help the sperm move towards the egg for the fertilization process.

3. The luteal phase in the menstrual cycle

The luteal phase of the female reproductive system or apparatus begins after ovulation. When the follicle in the ovary releases an egg, the "empty" follicle creates a structure called the corpus luteum.

Corpus luteum will produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone. The hormone progesterone plays a role in preparing the uterus for a fertilized egg. If the released egg is fertilized by sperm, the egg will move from the fallopian tube to the uterine wall. This is where pregnancy begins.

However, if the egg is not fertilized by sperm, the egg will just pass through the uterus. The wall of the uterus that is thickened and not covered by the fertilized egg will shed. The next menstrual cycle will then start over from the beginning.

Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

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