Female Reproductive System Upper Middle Level Health 2009-2010

Female Reproductive System Ovary Female gonads. They are the glands on either side of the uterus where egg cells are stored and produced, and where female hormones are made.

Female Reproductive System Fimbria The finger-like parts on the end of each fallopian tube which find and ovum (egg cell) and sweep it into the tube.

Female Reproductive System Fallopian Tube The ducts that carry an ovum (egg cell) from the ovary to the uterus.

Female Reproductive System Uterus The organ where an embryo/fetus (developing baby) grows for nine months. Sometimes it is called the “womb”

Female Reproductive System Endometrium Thick, blood rich lining of the uterus. The shedding of this lining is called menstruation (your period).

Female Reproductive System Cervix The opening of the uterus into the vagina.

Female Reproductive System Vagina The tube leading from the uterus to the outside of the female’s body. It is the middle of the three openings in her private parts.

Female Reproductive System Anus The opening in the buttocks from which bowel movements come when a person goes to the bathroom. It is apart of the Digestive System; it gets rid of body waste.

Female Reproductive System Labia Minora and Labia Magora Inner and outer folds of skin that protect/cover the vagina and urethra openings.

Female Reproductive System Labia Minora The smaller, inner set of labia Labia Majora The larger, outer set of labia

Female Reproductive System Urethra The tube that carries urine out of the body. Part of the Urinary System. Urine Liquid waste that is made in the kidneys and stored in the bladder and released through the urethra.

Female Reproductive System Clitoris The part of the female genitals that’s full of nerves. It has a glans and a shaft like the penis, but only its glans is on the out side of the body, and it’s much smaller.

Menstrual Cycle Menstruation The lining of the uterus emptying out. It is sometimes called “having a period”.

Menstrual Cycle During the menstrual cycle, hormones are released from different parts of the body to help control and prepare the body for pregnancy. That preparation begins when the ovaries produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone. These hormones trigger certain changes in the endometrium (the lining of the uterus). Then, other hormones from the pituitary gland stimulate the maturing and release of the egg, or ovum, from the ovary.

Menstrual Cycle The release of an egg (ovum) from the ovary is called ovulation. Once ovulation occurs the egg moves from the ovary into the fallopian tube and down to the uterus.

Menstrual Cycle If the egg is fertilized by male sperm it then take 2 - 4 days to travel through the fallopian tube. It will then attach to the blood-thick lining of the uterus. If the egg is not fertilized it will not attach to the uterus. The estrogen and progesterone levels drop which causes the lining of the uterus (endometrium) to shed. This is what is known as a period.

Menstrual Cycle A menstrual cycle lasts from the first day of one period to the first day of the next. The typical cycle of an adult female is 28 days, although some are as short as 22 days and others are as long as 45. Periods usually last about 5 days, although that can vary, too. During a period, a woman passes about 2–4 tablespoons (30–59 milliliters) of menstrual fluid.

Menstrual Cycle For the first few years after menstruation begins, cycles are often irregular. Some are short (3-8 days) and some can be long (6 weeks). This irregularity in the beginning is normal and expected.

Menstrual Cycle For your information: A white discharge is normal between periods, as long as it does not smell funny or itch Discharge - Liquid. Word is used to describe either the normal wetness of the vagina.

References http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/t alk/talk_about_menstruation.html#