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Female Reprodutive System Intoduction

The female reproductive system produces eggs and supports embryo development, birth, and nursing. It includes ovaries that produce eggs and hormones, uterine tubes connecting to the uterus, the uterus that nourishes the embryo, the vagina for birth, and mammary glands for nursing. At puberty, monthly ovarian and menstrual cycles begin where a follicle develops an egg, estrogen thickens the uterine lining, and progesterone maintains it unless fertilization occurs, in which case the cycle repeats.

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Sai Kaushik
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93 views

Female Reprodutive System Intoduction

The female reproductive system produces eggs and supports embryo development, birth, and nursing. It includes ovaries that produce eggs and hormones, uterine tubes connecting to the uterus, the uterus that nourishes the embryo, the vagina for birth, and mammary glands for nursing. At puberty, monthly ovarian and menstrual cycles begin where a follicle develops an egg, estrogen thickens the uterine lining, and progesterone maintains it unless fertilization occurs, in which case the cycle repeats.

Uploaded by

Sai Kaushik
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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FEMALE REPRODUTIVE

SYSTEM

INTODUCTION
Sexual reproduction is the process of
producing offspring for the survival of the
species, and passing on hereditary traits
from one generation to the next. The male
and female reproductive systems
contribute to the events leading to
fertilization. Then, the female organs
assume responsibility for the developing
human, birth, and nursing. The male and
female gonads (testes and ovaries) produce
sex cells (ova and sperm) and the
hormones necessary for the proper
development, maintenance, and
functioning of the organs of reproduction
and other organs and tissues.The female
reproductive system is more complex
than that of the male. It produces ova
(egg cells); nourishes, carries, and
protects the developing embryo; and
nurses the newborn after birth. The
system structures are the ovary, uterine
tubes, uterus, vagina, vulva, and
mammary glands.

Ovaries, a pair of female gonads (sex


organs), reside in the pelvic part of the
abdomen on either side of the uterus.
Ovaries produce ova and estrogen
(female sex hormone).
At puberty onset, the menstrual
(uterine) cycle, a series of cyclic
changes to the endometrium (uterine
lining) begins. The ovarian cycle,
fluctuating levels of ovarian hormones
in the blood, causes the menstrual
cycle.
The ovarian and menstrual cycles begin
each month when a follicle (developing
ovum surrounded by a cluster of cells)
develops in the ovary. The
hypothalamus in the brain produces
hormones that cause these cycles. The
hypothalamus releases gonadotropin-
releasing hormone (GnRH), which acts
on the anterior pituitary gland. GnRH
causes the pituitary to release two more
hormones: follicle-stimulating hormone
(FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH).
FSH causes the primary oocyte within
the follicle to develop into a secondary
oocyte. Development occurs through
meiosis (cell division that reduces the
chromosome number in the cell from 46
to 23). Each secondary oocyte
completes this division only when
sperm fertilizes it.
The developing follicle produces
estrogen, which causes the
endometrium to prepare to nourish a
fertilized egg. Estrogen also inhibits
pituitary gland production of FSH. The
elevated estrogen level causes the
anterior pituitary to release LH. This
action causes ovulation, a process in
which the follicle rapidly enlarges and
releases the secondary oocyte. LH also
causes the collapsed follicle to become
the corpus luteum, an endocrine
(secretory) body. The corpus luteum
secretes estrogen and progesterone
(hormone that stimulates endometrium
thickening). These hormones complete
the endometrium development and
maintain the endometrium for 10 to 14
days.

Unless sperm fertilize the secondary


oocyte, the corpus luteum begins to
degenerate, dropping blood
progesterone levels. Without
progesterone to maintain the
endometrial lining, the lining is shed
with the degenerated oocyte
approximately 14 days after ovulation.
After ovulation, estrogen and
progesterone act in the bloodstream to
inhibit anterior pituitary production of
LH and FSH. This negative feedback
control ensures that only one follicle
develops each cycle. Each cycle lasts
approximately 28 days.

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