Female Reproductive System and Fetal Development

These vocabulary flashcards cover the anatomy of the female reproductive system, the stages of the menstrual and ovarian cycles, fetal development stages, teratogens, and the specific adaptations of fetal circulation.

Ova

The female reproductive cells, also known as eggs, which women are born with and which mature over time.

Vagina

An acidic passageway involved in intercourse that serves as the path for menstrual flow and the birth canal during labor and delivery.

Uterus

The organ made of smooth muscle where a fetus develops and which contracts during labor to push the baby out.

Fundus

The top portion of the uterus.

Cervix

The lower part or neck of the uterus, typically about $2-3\,cm$ long.

Effacement

A major change the cervix goes through during labor which means thinning out.

Fallopian tubes

Passageways that carry the egg from the ovary to the uterus and are typically the site where fertilization happens.

Ovaries

Structures responsible for producing hormones like estrogen and progesterone and containing maturing eggs.

Endometrium

The innermost lining of the uterus that thickens and sheds during the menstrual cycle or after childbirth in the lochia.

Myometrium

The thick muscular middle layer of the uterus made of smooth muscle that performs the heavy lifting of contractions during labor.

Perimetrium

The outer protective serosal covering around the uterus.

Alveolar glands

Structures within the breast lobes that actually produce milk.

Lactiferous ducts

Tubes that travel to the nipple to release milk from the breast.

Prolactin

The hormone responsible for stimulating milk production.

Menarche

The occurrence of a female's very first menstrual cycle.

Menopause

The stage of life when menstrual cycles naturally stop.

Follicular phase

The first phase of the ovarian cycle, starting on day $1$ of menstruation, where FSH stimulates follicles to mature and estrogen rises.

Luteinizing hormone (LH)

The hormone whose surge triggers ovulation, causing the mature egg to be released from the ovary.

Luteal phase

The phase after ovulation where progesterone becomes the dominant hormone, released by the corpus luteum.

Proliferative phase

The phase of the uterine cycle where high estrogen levels rebuild and thicken the uterine lining.

Secretory phase

The uterine cycle phase driven by progesterone where the endometrium secretes nutrients to support a potential fertilized egg.

Diploid

The condition of having $46$ chromosomes, which is normal for human body cells.

Trisomy

A chromosomal abnormality where there is an extra chromosome, resulting in $47$ total chromosomes.

Teratogens

Anything in the fetal environment, such as maternal infections, drugs, or radiation, that can cause or increase the risk of a birth defect.

Embryonic stage

The critical developmental period from fertilization to about $8$ weeks when all major organ systems are forming.

Fetal stage

The stage from $8$ weeks until birth characterized by growth and maturation of organ systems.

Gestational age

The standard measurement of fetal age from the first day of the last menstrual cycle until the date of birth.

HCG

The hormone detected on pregnancy tests which is one of the earliest indicators that pregnancy has occurred.

Relaxin

A hormone that relaxes pelvic ligaments to make room for the growing baby but can also cause overall joint instability.

Wharton's jelly

The substance inside the umbilical cord that surrounds the vessels to prevent compression during labor.

Umbilical Vein

The single large vessel in the umbilical cord that carries oxygenated blood from the placenta to the baby.

Umbilical Arteries

The two smaller vessels in the umbilical cord that carry deoxygenated blood away from the baby back to the placenta.

Ductus venosus

The first fetal adaptation that allows blood to bypass the liver and go straight into the inferior vena cava.

Foramen ovale

An opening between the right and left atrium that lets fetal blood skip the lungs.

Ductus arteriosus

The third fetal adaptation which connects the pulmonary artery to the aorta to bypass the lungs.