Female Reproductive System

Female's reproductive organs are mostly inside the body, in the pelvis. The pelvic girdle, a ring of bone shaped like a basin, surrounds them. Here is a list of the female reproductive organs.

Cervix: The lower part of the uterus that opens into the vagina. The cervix is rounded and cone-shaped. It is about one inch in length. Menstrual fluid escapes through a small tube down the center of the cervix. The tube is small, about the size of the end of a pencil. The cervix can open (dilate) up to 10 centimeters during childbirth.

Clitoris: A piece of body tissue with lots of nerve endings. The size and shape of a pencil eraser, the clitoris is located at the upper vulva, above the vaginal and bladder openings.

Egg (Ovum): The female reproductive cell released from an ovary each month. Upon release, a fully grown egg is a little smaller than the period at the end of this sentence.

Endometrium: This lining provides oxygen and nutrition for an embryo during pregnancy. It leaves the body each month during a menstrual period if pregnancy does not happen.

Fallopian Tubes: Two tubes attached on either side of the uterus. Grown egg cells (ova) travel through these tubes toward the uterus. The inside contains hair-like projections called cilia. These cilia move the egg (ovum) from the ovary to the uterus.

Hymen: This thin, flexible membrane partially covering the vaginal opening has an opening that allows menstrual fluid to leave the body.

Ovaries: Two glands that produce hormones and reproductive cells called eggs or ova. The ovaries are the size of a small bird's egg and the shape of an almond. They are located on either side of the uterus. The ovaries contain thousands of undeveloped egg cells (ova). Only a few hundred of these will mature and be released during a female's reproductive years.

Uterus: It is in the uterus where a baby develops. The uterus is about the size and shape of an upside-down pear. It can stretch up to 20 times its normal size during pregnancy. The muscle contracts to help push the baby through the birth canal at delivery and can also contract and cause cramps during menstruation.

Vagina: The passageway leading from the uterus to the outside of the body. The vagina is four to five inches in length. At the top it is connected to the cervix and at the bottom it opens between the inner thighs. It is often called the "birth canal". The opening to the vagina is protected by flexible folds of skin called the labia.

Vulva: The vulva is the name for the external female genitalia. The two pairs of fleshy folds between the upper thighs are called the labia, and they surround and cover the vaginal opening.

Last revised: April 21, 2008