Brent Cornell

    
The female reproductive system includes all the organs responsible for the production of an oocyte (the female gamete)

• It also includes the organs involved in initially developing and maintaining an embryo during the early stages of pregnancy

Female Reproductive System  (Front View)

⇒  Click on the diagram to show / hide labels

Structures of the Female Reproductive System

The following structures all contribute to the production and maintenance of an egg as part of the female reproductive process

• Structures are organised according to the path taken by egg (from production to implantation or elimination)

Ovary

• The ovary is where oocytes mature prior to release (ovulation) – it also responsible for estrogen and progesterone secretion

Fimbria

• Fimbria (plural: fimbriae) are a fringe of tissue adjacent to an ovary that sweep an oocyte into the oviduct 

Oviduct

• The oviduct (or fallopian tube) transports the oocyte to the uterus – it is also typically where fertilisation occurs

Uterus

• The uterus is the organ where a fertilised egg will implant and develop (becoming an embryo)

Endometrium

• The mucous membrane lining of the uterus, it thickens in preparation for implantation or is otherwise lost (via menstruation)

Vagina

• Passage leading to the uterus by which the penis can enter (uterus protected by a muscular opening called the cervix)

Female Reproductive System  (Side View)

⇒  Click on the diagram to show / hide labels