frs

• The female reproductive system includes the:

  • ovaries
  • fallopian tubes
  • uterus
  • vagina
  • vulva
  • mammary glands
  • breasts.
• The FRS organs are involved in the production and transportation of gametes, the production of sex hormones, and facilitates the fertilization of ova.
• Ovaries produce female sex hormones such as estrogen and progesterone as well as ova (commonly called “eggs”), the female gametes.
• The fallopian tubes are a pair of muscular tubes that

  extend from the left and right superior corners of the uterus to the edge of the ovaries.
• The uterus is a hollow, muscular, pear-shaped organ located posterior and superior to the urinary bladder.
• the uterus is also known as the womb, as it surrounds and supports the developing fetus duringpregnancy.
• The inner lining of the uterus, known as the endometrium, provides support to the embryo during early development.
• The visceral muscles of the uterus contract during childbirth to push the fetus through the birth canal.
• The vagina is an elastic, muscular tube that connects the cervix of the uterus to the exterior of the body. It is located inferior to the uterus and posterior to the urinary bladder.
• The vagina functions as the receptacle for the penis during sexual intercourse and carries sperm to the uterus and fallopian tubes.
• Vagina serves as the birth canal by stretching to allow delivery of the fetus during childbirth.
• During menstruation, the menstrual flow exits the body via the vagina.
• The vulva is the collective name for the external female genitalia located in the pubic region of the body.
• The vulva surrounds the external ends of the urethral opening and the vagina and includes the mons pubis, labia majora, labia minora, and clitoris.
• The mons pubis, or pubic mound, is a raised layer of adipose tissue between the skin and the pubic bone that provides cushioning to the vulva.
• The inferior portion of the mons pubis splits into left and right halves called the labia majora.
• The mons pubis and labia majora are covered with pubic hairs.
• Inside of the labia majora are smaller, hairless folds of skin called the labia minora that surround the vaginal and urethral openings.
• On the superior end of the labia minora is a small mass of erectile tissue known as the clitoris that contains many nerve endings for sensing sexual pleasure.
• The breasts are specialized organs of the female body that contain mammary glands, milk ducts, and adipose tissue.
• The two breasts are located on the left and right sides of the thoracic region of the body.
• In the center of each breast is a highly pigmented nipple that releases milk when stimulated.
• The areola, a thickened, highly pigmented band of skin that surrounds the nipple, protects the underlying tissues during breastfeeding.
• The mammary glands are a special type of sudoriferous glands that have been modified to produce milk to feed infants.
• Within each breast, 15 to 20 clusters of mammary glands

  become active during pregnancy and remain active until milk is no longer needed.
• milk passes through milk ducts on its way to the nipple
• The female reproductive cycle is the process of producing an ovum and readying the uterus to receive a fertilized ovum to begin pregnancy
• If an ovum is produced but not fertilized and implanted in the uterine wall, the reproductive cycle resets itself through menstruation.
• The entire reproductive cycle takes about 28 days on average but may be as short as 24 days or as long as 36 days for some women.
• If sperm are able to reach and penetrate the ovum, the ovum becomes a fertilized zygote containing a full complement of DNA.
• After a two-week period of rapid cell division known as the germinal period of development, the zygote forms an embryo.
• The lack of blood flow causes cell death in the endometrium and the eventual shedding of tissue in a process known as menstruation.
• If the ovum is fertilized by a sperm cell, the fertilized

  embryo will implant itself into the endometrium and begin

  to form an amniotic cavity, umbilical cord, and placenta.
• For the first 8 weeks, the embryo will develop almost all of the tissues and organs present in the adult
• the fetal period of development during weeks 9 through 38, whereas the fetus grows larger and more complex until it is ready to be born.