Female Reproductive System
Female Reproductive System is located internally in the pelvic region of the lower abdomen. It consists of a pair of ovaries (primary sex organ), a pair of oviducts, a uterus, a cervix, a vagina, and external genitalia. Along with these structures, there is a pair of mammary glands that acts in a pattern to maintain the process of ovulation, fertilization, pregnancy, parturition, and lactation.
Ovaries
Ovaries are a pair of almond-shaped female gonads that is 2 to 4 cm in length, 1.5 cm in width, and 1 cm in thickness. It is attached to the uterine wall with the help of ovarian ligaments and is covered by a layer of cuboidal epithelium called the germinal epithelium which forms the oogonia. Below the epithelium is a layer of connective tissue called the tunica albuginea which covers the ovarian stroma. The stroma is divided into two regions- the outer cortex and the inner medulla.
Accessory Ducts
It comprises a pair of fallopian tubes or oviducts, a uterus, and a vagina. Each oviduct is a 10 to 12-cm long, hollow tubular ciliated structure that extends from the periphery of the ovary to the uterus and is divided into three regions;
- Infundibulum: The funnel-shaped part near the periphery of the ovary and consists of finger-like projections called the fimbriae which collect the ovum from the ovary after ovulation.
- Ampulla: The wider part after the infundibulum.
- Isthmus: The last part has a narrow lumen that connects to the uterus.
The uterus or the womb is a single, inverted pear-like structure that is attached to the pelvic wall with the help of ligaments. Its wall is made up of three layers of tissue;
- Perimetrium: The external thin layer.
- Myometrium: The middle muscular layer is made up of smooth muscles that exhibit strong contractions during childbirth.
- Endometrium: The inner glandular and vascular layer that undergoes cyclic changes during the menstrual cycle.
The uterus opens through a narrow cervix into the vagina. The cervical canal of the cervix along with the vagina is called the birth canal. The vagina is about 10 cm long that extends from the cervix to the external genitalia. It is responsible for acting as the birth canal, allowing the menstrual flow, and accepting the male penis during copulation. The opening of the vagina is called the vaginal orifice which is covered partially by a membrane called the hymen.
Accessory Glands
There are mainly two categories of glands in the female reproductive system; the vestibular gland and the mammary gland. The vestibular gland is of two types;
- Paraurethral glands: Also known as lesser vestibular glands or glands of Skene. These glands are homologous to the male prostate, present on both sides of the urethral opening, and secret mucus.
- Bartholin’s glands: Also known as the greater vestibular glands. They are paired glands, homologous to the male Cowper’s gland, and secrete viscid fluid for lubrication only during copulation.
The mammary glands or breasts are a pair of glandular tissue-containing structures that have a variable amount of fat in them. The glandular tissue of each breast is divided into 15 to 20 mammary lobes that contain a cluster of milk-secreting cells called alveoli. The milk is then stored in the cavities of alveoli which open into the mammary tubules that join to form the mammary duct. And several mammary ducts join to form the mammary ampulla that is connected to the lactiferous duct through which the milk comes out.
NCERT Notes on Human Reproduction Class 12 Chapter 2
NCERT Notes of Class 12 Chapter 2 Human Reproduction: Human reproduction is the biological process by which a new individual offspring is produced from one or two parent organisms. The Human Reproduction process involves the fusion of gametes, which are specialized cells that carry genetic information from each parent, resulting in the formation of a zygote.