Structure of the female reproductive system: anatomy, physiology

In all world cultures the function of reproduction, continuation of the genus, is considered one of the main. The male and female reproductive system has a different structure, but it accomplishes one task: to form sex cells-gametes, at the fusion of which, at the time of fertilization, the future human organism will become possible. This article is devoted to the study of the structure and function of the female reproductive system.

General characteristics of the reproductive organs of women

The female reproductive system includes external and internal genital organs, which are also called reproductive (reproductive).

The external genitals, called the vulva, are visually expressed sufficiently: the pubis, the large and small labia, the clitoris and the vagina entrance, closed by an elastic trunk called the virgin. We will study the external organs of the female reproductive system in more detail.

The structure of the pubis

The lower abdomen at the level of the pubic (pubic bone) forms a pubis. The bone itself, with its anatomically correct position, hangs over the entrance to the vagina and has the appearance of an arch. Outwardly the pubis is cylindrical in shape, forming an eminence. Under his skin a layer of fat is formed. On the outside on it during puberty a hairline is formed. It has a clearly defined horizontal boundary. If the body produces an excessive amount of androgens - male sex hormones, the hairline grows and rises at an acute angle to the navel. The pathology of pubic hair licking is a sign of sexual development.

Large and small labia

From the pubis to the anus are two folds of the skin - large labia, having an external hairline and a layer of subcutaneous fat. In their connective tissue there are ducts of the Bartholin gland. It secrete a liquid that moisturizes the female genitalia. In violation of hygiene, harmful microorganisms penetrate the gland tissues and cause inflammation in the form of painful seals.

Under the large are the labia minora, densely wound with blood vessels and nerves. In their upper part is the organ, homologous to the male penis - clitoris. His growth inhibits the hormones of the female reproductive system - estrogens. The clitoris contains a large number of nerves and blood vessels, which means that it has a high sensitivity. If the size of the clitoris is greatly increased in a girl or a woman, this may be a clear sign of hormonal pathology.

Entering the vagina

To the vulva, in addition to the pubis, large and small labia, the clitoris refers to the entrance to the vagina. At a distance of up to 2 centimeters away from it is a hymen. It consists of connective tissue and has several openings through which blood flows during menstruation.

Internal reproductive organs of a woman

These include the vagina (vagina), uterus, ovaries and uterine (fallopian) tubes. All of them are located in the cavity of the small pelvis. Their functions consist in the maturation and admission of fertilized female sex gamete-eggs into the uterine cavity. In it, from the zygote, the embryo will develop.

The structure of the vagina

The vagina is an elastic tube, consisting of muscle and connective tissue. It is located from the genital slit towards the uterus and has a length of 8 to 10 cm. Located in the small pelvis, the vagina enters the cervix. It has a front and back walls, as well as a vault - the upper part of the vagina. The posterior vaginal vault is deeper than the anterior one.

The vagina is located at an angle of 90 degrees to the surface of the uterus itself. Thus, the internal female genital organs, to which the vagina belongs, are densely braided by arterial and venous vessels, as well as by nerve fibers. The vagina is separated by a thin connective tissue wall from the bladder. It is called a vesicovaginal septum. The lower part of the vaginal wall behind is divided from the lower part of the large intestine by the perineal body.

Cervix: structure and function

The vagina enters the canal, called the cervical canal, and the junction itself is the external pharynx. Its shape is different for women giving birth and nulliparas: if zev is point-oval, the uterus does not bear the fruit, and the type of slit is characteristic for those giving birth. The uterus itself is an unpaired hollow muscular organ consisting of a body and a neck and located in a small pelvis. Considering the structure of the female's sexual system and its function, it becomes clear that it is responsible for the formation and development of the embryo, as well as for the process of expelling the fetus as a result of labor. Let's return to the structure of its lower part - neck. It is connected to the upper part of the vagina and has the form of a cone (in nulliparous) or a cylinder. The vaginal area of the cervix has a length of up to three centimeters, and is also anatomically divided into the front and back lips. The cervix of the uterus and the pharynx are transformed with the age of the woman.

Inside the cervix is a cervical canal, ending with an internal throat. It is lined with secretory glands secreting mucus. If there is a violation of its allocation, blockage and cyst formation may occur. Slime has bactericidal properties and prevents infection of the uterine cavity. 4 to 6 days before the egg leaves the ovary, the mucus becomes less concentrated, so spermatozoa can easily penetrate through it into the uterus, and from there into the fallopian tubes.

After ovulation, the cervical secret increases its concentration, and its pH decreases from neutral to sour. The pregnant uterus is completely closed by a clot of cervical mucus in the neck area. In the menstrual period, the cervical canal opens slightly, so that the severed layer of the endometrium can exit. This may be accompanied by aching pain in the lower abdomen. During labor, the cervical canal can open up to 10 cm in diameter. This contributes to the birth of a child.

Among the most common diseases of the cervix can be called its erosion. It appears as a consequence of damage to the mucous layer caused by infections or injuries (abortions complicated by birth). In time, unrecognized and untreated erosion can cause inflammatory processes and even oncological diseases.

Fallopian tubes

Fallopian tubes, called oviducts or fallopian tubes, are 2 elastic tubes located in the abdominal cavity and entering the bottom of the uterus. The free margin of the oviduct has fimbriae. Their beating ensures the progress of the ovule that emerged from the ovary into the lumen of the tube itself. The length of each oviduct is from 10 to 12 cm. It is divided into sections: a funnel that has an extension and is equipped with pili, an ampoule, an isthmus, a part of the canal entering the uterine wall. For normal development of pregnancy, a condition such as complete patency of the oviducts is necessary, otherwise the woman expects infertility. The most common pathology of fallopian tubes, such as adhesions, salpingitis and hydrosalpinx.

All these diseases cause tubal infertility. They are complications of chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, genital herpes, causing a narrowing of the lumen of the fallopian tubes. Frequent abortions can provoke the appearance of adhesions that are located across the tube. Hormonal disorders cause a decrease in the mobility of the ciliary epithelium lining the oviducts, which leads to impairment of the motor properties of the oocyte.

The most dangerous complication resulting from tubal pathologies is ectopic pregnancy. In this case, the zygote stops in the oviduct, not reaching the uterus. It begins to crumble and grow, stretching the pipe wall, which, after all, bursts. As a result, there is a strong internal bleeding that threatens life.

Ovaries in women

They are a pair sex gland and have a mass of 6-8 grams. Ovaries are glands of mixed secretion. The production of sex hormones - estrogens, controlled by the pituitary and hypothalamus - is an intrasecretory function. As glands of external secretion, they form sex cells - gametes, called ovules. The biochemical composition and mechanism of action of estrogens will be studied by us later. Let's return to the structure of the female gonads - the ovaries. It should be borne in mind that the structure of the sexual system of the female (as well as the male) is directly related to the urinary system.

It is from mesonephros (primary kidney) that stroma of female gonads develops. The precursors of the oocytes, oogonia, are formed from the mesenchyme. The ovary has a belly coat, and under it there are two layers: cortical and cerebral. The first layer contains follicles, which, ripening, form oocytes of the first and second order, and then the mature ovules. The brain substance of the gland consists of connective tissue and performs a supporting and trophic function. It is in the ovaries that there is an oogenesis - the process of reproduction, growth and maturation of female sex gametes - oocytes.

Specificity of the hormonal background in women

The structure of the reproductive system of the female and male individuals is controlled by special biologically active substances - hormones. They are produced by sex glands: testicles in men and ovaries in women. When entering the blood, they affect both the development of the reproductive organs and the formation of secondary sexual characteristics: the body's hair, the development of the mammary glands, the height and timbre of the voice. The development of the female reproductive system occurs under the influence of estradiol and its derivatives: estriol and estrone. They are produced by special cells of the ovary - follicles. Female hormones - estrogens lead to an increase in the volume and size of the uterus, as well as to muscle contractions of the fallopian tubes and the uterus itself, that is, the genital organ is prepared for the zygote.

The yellow body of the uterus produces progesterone - a hormone that stimulates the development of a child's place - the placenta, as well as an increase in the glandular epithelium of the mammary glands during pregnancy. Violation of the hormonal background of the female body leads to such diseases as uterine myoma, endometriosis, polycystosis.

Anatomical features of the female womb

The sexual system of the female body has in its composition a unique body and functions. It is located in the cavity of the small pelvis between the bladder and rectum and has a cavity. This body is called the uterus. To understand the mechanism of fertilization, we recall that the genitals - the ovaries in women are connected with the fallopian tubes. The egg, entering the oviduct, then penetrates into the uterus, which serves as the organ responsible for embryo development (embryogenesis). It consists of three parts: the neck, which was studied earlier, and also the body and the bottom. The body of the uterus looks like an inverted pear, in the enlarged part of which there are two fallopian tubes.

The genital organ is covered with a connective tissue membrane and has two layers: the muscle (myometrium) and the mucous (endometrium). The latter is constructed from cells of flat and cylindrical epithelium. The endometrium changes the thickness of its layer: it thickens with ovulation, and if fertilization does not occur - this layer is torn away from the walls of the uterus with the blood - menstruation occurs. During pregnancy, the volume and size of the uterus greatly increase (about 8-10 times). In the cavity of the small pelvis, the uterus is suspended on three ligaments and braided by a dense network of nerves and blood vessels. Its main function is the development and nutrition of the embryo and fetus until the moment of physiological birth.

Pathologies of the uterus

The structure of the reproductive system of a female individual can not always be ideal and properly functioning. One of the pathologies of the reproductive system associated with the structure of the genital organ can be a bicornic uterus. It has two bodies, each of which is connected with one oviduct. If the pathology of the female reproductive system concerns the structure of the endometrium, they speak of hypoplasia and aplasia of the uterus. The consequence of all the above pathologies is abortion or infertility.

In this article, the anatomical and physiological features of the female reproductive system have been studied.