Female Reproductive System

Female Reproductive System.

The female reproductive organs include:

The uterus, a hollow, pear-shaped organ within which embryonic development takes place. The uterus is divided into two parts: the cervix, the lower part that opens into the vagina, and the corpus, the main body of the uterus.

The vagina is a canal that joins the cervix to the outside of the body.

Ovaries are oval-shaped glands located on either side of the uterus, which produce ova and hormones. The ovarian follicle is the functional unit of the ovary, in which folliculogenesis, the process of oocyte maturation, takes place. Following ovulation, the release of a mature ovum, the remaining follicle cells form the corpus luteum.

The oviducts (fallopian tubes) are narrow tubes that attach to the upper part of the uterus, through which the ova travel from the ovaries to the uterus. Fertilization of an ovum by a sperm, normally occurs in the fallopian tubes. From there, the embryo moves to the uterus, where it is implanted into the lining of the uterine wall, the endometrium.