AP Unit 7 Lesson 2: Female Reproductive System

Female Anatomy Diagram

Vagina Diagram

Female Reproductive System - Functions (What do Ovaries do?)

• Ovaries: paired gonads hat produce eggs, estrogen and progesterone

  • A female is born with 2 million follicles, reducing to 350000 - 400000 at puberty

Female Reproductive System - Functions pt. 2 (What do the Oviducts do?)

• Oviducts (fallopian tubes): tubes from ovaries to uterus

  • The egg leaves the ovary and is moved into the oviduct by the fimbriae, muscle contractions, and cilia

Female Reproductive System - Functions pt. 3 (What does the Uterus and Endometrium do?)

• Uterus: a muscular sac that nurtures embryo / developing fetus

• Endometrium: lining of uterus - is made of connective tissue, glands and blood vessels

  • forms a placenta during pregnancy

Female Reproductive System - Functions pt. 4 (What does the Cervix and Vagina do?)

• Cervix: opening to the uterus at the back of the vaginal canal

• Vagina: muscular tube with mucosal lining

Female Reproductive System - Functions pt. 5 (What does the Labia Majora / Minora and Clitoris do?)

• Labia Majora/Minora: outer / inner part of fat padded skin folds that extend from the vaginal opening to the clitoris

• Clitoris: shaft of erectile tissue capped by the glans

  • houses sensory receptors

Ovarian Cycle: Menstruation

• Menstruation: Decreased levels of female hormones of estrogen, progesterone, FSH, LH, and GnRH causes menstruation

  • The endometrium is at its thinnest during this

Ovarian Cycle: Follicular Phase

• Follicular Phase: endometrial thickening

  • Increased levels of estrogen thicken the endometrium via proliferation of blood vessels and mucus glands

Ovarian Cycle: Ovulation

• Ovulation: egg release

  • LH surge causes mature follicles to rupture, which releases the egg

Ovarian Cycle: Luteal Phase

• Luteal Phase: corpus luteum produces increased amounts of progesterone and moderate amounts of estrogen

• This causes the endometrium to thicken x2

What is the Uterine Cycle?

• Describes the fluctuation in thickness of the endometrium

Uterine Cycle: Menstruation + Proliferative Phase

• 1) Menstruation: breakdown of endometrium due to low hormone levels

• 2) Proliferative Phase: endometgrium gets thicker due to increased estrogen levels

Uterine Cycle: Secretory Phase

• 3) Secretory Phase: Endometrrium continues to thicken + mature mucus (uterine) glands secrete mucus due to increased progesterone levels