Female Reproductive System

gametes

Reproductive cells produced by the female reproductive system.

ovaries

The female gonads that produce oocytes and secrete hormones.

oocyte

The female gamete produced by the ovaries.

vulva

Collective term for the external female reproductive structures.

mons pubis

A pad of fat located anterior to the pubic bone, covered with pubic hair after puberty.

labia majora

Larger folds of hair-covered skin that begin posterior to the mons pubis.

labia minora

Thinner, more pigmented folds that extend medially to the labia majora.

clitoris

A mass of tissue encircled by the labia minora, important in sexual sensation.

hymen

A thin membrane that may partially cover the entrance to the vagina.

Bartholin glands

Glands that flank the vagina and secrete lubricant.

fallopian tubes

Tubes that carry an oocyte from the ovary to the uterus after ovulation.

myometrium

The thick middle layer of the uterus composed of smooth muscle, responsible for contractions.