Female reproductive system

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Jonah Lester
Female reproductive system

What is the female reproductive system?

The female reproductive system is the organ system of the human body that is related to the sexual reproductive processes of women. It is made up of different organs such as the vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. Although this system has many other functions, it has a transcendental participation in the sexual reproduction of human beings.

Sexual reproduction is the process by which two individuals - a man and a woman - can give rise to more men and women by interacting in a physical process known as copulation, which seeks to bring the reproductive or sexual cells of man (sperm) closer to each other. the woman's sex cells (ovules).

Location of the female reproductive system

Sexual reproduction is not necessary to keep either of the two individuals alive separately, but it is very important for the maintenance or preservation of the species and this is valid for any species of living being that reproduces sexually..

Although the participation of the male reproductive system is essential for a man and a woman to have a child through sexual reproduction, it is the female reproductive system that is the place where the baby is initially formed and developed and from which delivery occurs..

Functions of the female reproductive system

The reproductive system fulfills a large number of functions in the body of women, both during childhood and in adulthood and old age.

One of the primary functions of this organ system is the production of the cells necessary for sexual reproduction, that is, for the formation of a new human being, which are known as ovules or oocytes..

The ovules are the female gametes (their male counterparts are known as sperm). In the ovules, practically all the food that nourishes the embryo that is produced when fertilization takes place, that is, the fusion between an egg and a sperm, is concentrated and, in addition, half of the genetic information of the woman is stored. produces.

The female reproductive system not only produces eggs, but also specifically locates them where they are accessible to sperm that a man introduces into a woman's body during intercourse or copulation..

Likewise, this organ system is responsible for the implantation of fertilized eggs and the protection, nutrition, oxygenation and care of the baby that is formed throughout gestation (pregnancy), which in humans corresponds to a period of 9 months.

Hormones

The ovaries, internal organs of the female reproductive system, produce hormones such as estrogens and progesterones, which actively participate in different aspects of the control of sexual development, menstruation and pregnancy..

Parts female reproductive system

The female reproductive system is made up of two parts: one internal and one external.

External organs of the female reproductive system

The external structures of this apparatus are also known as genitalia and have essentially protective functions, but they are also considered to allow the entry of male sperm into the female body. The external parts of the female reproductive system are as follows:

  • Major lips, that enclose and protect the rest of the external reproductive organs. They are two fleshy structures of great length, rich in sweat glands that produce oily substances. In women, after puberty, these lips are covered with hair.
  • Lower lips They lie just below the labia majora and surround the opening of the vagina (part of the internal organs) and the urethra (the last portion of the urinary system).
  • Clitoris, that it is a small fleshy that is between the two labia minora and that is comparable with the penis of men; it is covered by a thin skin and is a very sensitive structure.
  • Bartholin's glands or vestibular glands, glands that produce a mucous substance and are found on the sides of the vaginal opening.

Internal organs of the female reproductive system

Internal parts and location of the female reproductive system

The internal organs of this apparatus include the vagina, uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes..

  • The vagina It is a kind of muscular channel that opens outwards very close to the urethra, the tube through which urine is discharged. It is responsible for connecting the lowest part of the uterus (cervix) with the external part of the body and is also known as the “birth canal”. The vagina allows both the entry of the penis during intercourse, and the exit of blood during menstruation.
  • The uterus or womb It is a hollow, pear-shaped organ, formed by muscular walls. It has two parts: the cervix and the corpus. The cervix is ​​the lower part, connected to the vagina, while the corpus is the upper region, which expands to support the developing baby..

  • The ovaries they are, perhaps, one of the most important organs of this apparatus. These are two small, oval glands, located on both sides of the uterus, which are responsible for the production of eggs (female gametes) and some female sex hormones..
  • Fallopian tubes They are two thin tubes that are found in the upper part of the uterus and that serve as a “tunnel” for the transport of the eggs from the ovaries to the uterus. They are, in addition, the place where the fertilization of the ovules by the spermatozoa occurs, from where the fertilized eggs travel to the uterus for their later development..

The uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes are located in the pelvic-abdominal region. When a girl is born, her ovaries contain about 500 thousand eggs, which are all the eggs that she will have until adulthood.

Functioning

The female reproductive system is responsible for:

  • Produce and maintain the ovules (female gametes) necessary for sexual reproduction.
  • Protect and nourish the embryo that is formed from the fusion of female and male sex cells after sexual intercourse.
  • Deliver or deliver the baby already formed at the end of the gestation period.

Sex cells or female gametes - the ovules - are produced and stored during embryonic development by the ovaries. Therefore, when a girl is born, she does so with a finite number of eggs, that is, defined, which begin to be released mature at the beginning of a phase known as puberty..

Puberty is the process of sexual maturation that occurs in both men and women in early adolescence. It takes place thanks to a series of hormones produced by nerve stimulation, and that, in women, stimulate the ovaries to produce estrogen and other sex hormones that lead to sexual maturity.

The menstrual cycle and menstruation

When puberty ends and secondary sexual characteristics such as breast growth and the appearance of pubic hair begin to be observed, women begin a cyclical process that will continue for most of the rest of their adult life: the cycle menstrual.

The menstrual cycle begins with ovulation, an event that takes place about once a month and consists of the release of an egg from the ovaries into the fallopian tubes. Said egg, in principle, is ready to be fertilized by a sperm and develop into an embryo.

Unless the ovum released by the ovaries is fertilized by a sperm (for which copulation must have occurred previously), it leaves the body about 2 weeks later, through the uterus and vagina, and in combination with blood. and the part of the inner lining of the uterus.

Since this entire process occurs with the participation of a large amount of hormones, it is very common for women to feel some discomfort in the previous days, which is usually called Premenstrual syndrome.

This syndrome can be characterized by the appearance of acne, fatigue, pain in the bust and / or in the back, diarrhea or constipation, emotional irritability, difficulty concentrating, abdominal cramps, food cravings, swelling of the legs and belly, etc..

Sex and pregnancy

If a man and a woman have sexual intercourse during the ovulation phase of the menstrual cycle, fertilization of that egg released in the fallopian tubes can occur.

Sperm approaching the ovum

Sexual intercourse between a man and a woman consists of the introduction of the male penis inside the vagina and the deposition there of thousands of sperm whose potential function is to travel through the uterus to the fallopian tubes and fertilize the ovum that has been released.

Only one sperm can fertilize an egg at a time, although there may be exceptions. Fertilization consists of the introduction of the sperm nucleus into the cytosol of the ovum and the fusion of both cell nuclei, each of which has half the genetic load of the individual that produced them..

Pregnancy: zygote and embryonic development

The result of fertilization is a new cell known as a zygote. A few days after this process, the zygote begins to divide, forming a structure called a blastocyst, which is very small and made up of a wall of cells and a hollow interior filled with fluid..

The blastocyst continues its development and between the sixth and tenth day after fertilization it adheres to the endometrium, which is the inner lining of the uterus, a period known as implantation.

Once in the uterus, the processes of cell division and migration continue, which will later correspond to a phase known as gastrulation, in which the germ layers are formed from which the different organs and tissues of the fetus body will originate..

When the embryo reaches approximately the ninth week of gestation, the main organs and body systems have already formed and this begins to be called a fetus, which continues to grow progressively.

The development and growth process takes around 38 to 40 weeks, corresponding to about 9 months, until delivery occurs..

Labor or delivery

The termination of pregnancy consists of the exit of the baby through the vagina, which is then known as the birth canal, capable of expanding a diameter very close to that of the fetal head.

Diseases

Some of the main conditions of the female reproductive system include:

  • Cancer, that can form in any of the organs of this apparatus (uterus, ovaries, vagina, etc.).
  • Endometriosis, that has to do with the growth of the endometrium in another region of the reproductive system different from the inside of the uterus.
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome- caused by the exaggerated production of hormones in the ovaries, resulting in the development of cysts in these organs.
  • AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), a disease resulting from infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), usually contracted by having unprotected sex with infected people or by receiving blood transfusions from infected people.
  • Viral or bacterial infections, due to poor hygiene and other factors.

Themes of interest

Human fertilization.

Male reproductive system.

References

  1. Fox, S. I., & Rompolski, K. (1996). Human physiology. Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. Brown.
  2. Gartner, L. P. (2020). Textbook of Histology EBook. Elsevier Health Sciences.
  3. Krafts, K. (1996). Female reproductive system.
  4. Moore, K., Persaud, T., & Torchia, M. (2016). The Developing Human. Clinically Oriented Embryology (10th ed.). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Elsevier.
  5. Solomon, E., Berg, L., & Martin, D. (1999). Biology (5th ed.). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Saunders College Publishing.

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