FEMALE

REPRODUCTIVE
SYSTEM
Lesson learning objectives:
• describe the structure of the female reproductive system
• identify the functions of the different female reproductive parts
• instill the values in dealing female reproductive system
The Ovaries
The ovaries are the female reproductive structures responsible for
producing eggs. They are located inside the abdominal cavity
located just slightly below the waist, with one ovary on each side
of the body. Like the testes, the ovaries produce hormones.
Estrogen, one of its hormones, triggers the development of
secondary female characteristics such as the widening of the hips
and the enlargement of the breast. Most importantly, it stimulates
egg development.
The onset of mature egg cell production among females
starts around the ages 11 to 14 years, during the first discharges
of blood from the vagina, called menarche. Thereafter, each
month, a normal adult female releases mature egg cell or female
gamete in one of her ovaries.
After the sperm has been deposited inside the female
reproductive system during intercourse and after fertilization has
occurred, the role of the male reproductive system is complete.
The female reproductive system on the other hand, will continue
its role in nourishing and protecting the fertilized egg during nine
months of development, or pregnancy.
Oviduct
Also called Fallopian tube /uterine
tube, either of a pair of long, narrow
ducts located in the human female
abdominal cavity that transport male
sperm cells to the egg, provide a
suitable environment for fertilization,
and transport the egg from the ovary,
where it is produced, to the central
channel (lumen) of the uterus.
Uterus
The uterus or womb is the major female
reproductive organ. The uterus provides
mechanical protection, nutritional support,
and waste removal for the developing
embryo (weeks 1 to 8) and fetus (from week
9 until the delivery). The uterus is a pear-
shaped muscular organ. Its major function
is to accept a fertilized ovum which
becomes implanted into the endometrium,
and derives nourishment from blood
vessels which develop exclusively for this
purpose. The fertilized ovum becomes an
embryo, develops into a fetus and gestates
until childbirth. If the egg does not embed in
the wall of the uterus, a female begins
menstruation.
Cervix
The cervix is the neck of the uterus,
the lower, narrow portion where it
joins with the upper part of the
vagina. It is cylindrical or conical in
shape and protrudes through the
upper anterior vaginal wall.
Vagina
The vagina is a fibromuscular (made
up of fibrous and muscular tissue)
canal leading from the outside of the
body to the cervix of the uterus or
womb. It is also referred to as the
birth canal in the context of
pregnancy. The vagina accommodates
the male penis during sexual
intercourse. Semen containing
spermatozoa is ejaculated from the
male at orgasm, into the vagina
potentially enabling fertilization of the
egg cell (ovum) to take place.
 EGG PRODUCTION
All females are born with all the approximately two million egg
cells they will ever produce. By the time a female reaches
puberty, the number of egg cells would have gone down under
400 000. Like sperm cells, egg cells contain 23 chromosomes
(the haploid number) because eggs also produce meiosis.
During puberty, the increased production of hormones enables
one immature egg to complete its development each month. In
the lifetime of a female, out of the 400 000 egg cells at the
start of puberty, only 300 to 500 will mature and are then
called ova (singular, ovum).
 Parts of an ovum
Nucleus –
They contain only one set of chromosomes, which is half of the
genetic material required to make an organism they are found in.

Corona Radiata –
the zone of small follicular cells immediately surrounding the ovum in
the graafian follicle and accompanying the ovum on its discharge
from the follicle.

Cytoplasm –
It intermediates the transfer of information between the individual
organelles and assures the insemination process.

Nucleus –
This structure is made up of proteins and ribonucleic acids (RNA). Its
main function is to rewrite ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and combine it with
proteins. This results in the formation of incomplete ribosomes.
 Parts of an ovum
Plasma Membrane -
is a biological membrane that separates the interior of
all cells from the outside environment (the extracellular
space) which protects the cell from its environment
consisting of a lipid bilayer with embedded proteins.

Zona Pellucida –
is a glycoprotein layer surrounding the plasma membrane
of mammalian oocytes. It is a vital constitutive part of the
oocyte. The zona pellucida first appears in unilaminar
primary oocytes. It is secreted by both the oocyte and the
ovarian follicles. The zona pellucida is surrounded by the
cumulus oophorus. The cumulus is composed of cells
that care for the egg when it is emitted from the ovary.
 About every 28 days, an ovum released in an adult female body. Hairlike structures
called cilia sweep the ovum from the ovary into either of the two fallopian tubes or
oviducts. Each fallopian tube is a passageway through which an ovum moves from the
ovary to the uterus. Smooth muscles that line the fallopian tube contract rhythmically to
allow the ovum to move down the tube toward the uterus. It takes 3-4 days for an ovum
to travel inside the fallopian tube. If the ovum is not fertilized at this stage, it dies
within 24 to 48 hours.
During sexual intercourse, sperm cell are deposited inside the vagina, a passage
that leads from the outside of the female’s body to the entrance of the uterus called
the cervix. If fertilization occurs, the fertilized ovum, now called a zygote, travels down
further and implants itself in the hollow, muscular organ about a size of a fist, called
the uterus. During the normal childbirth, a baby passes through the cervix and leaves
the mother’s body through the vagina.

TASK NO.2
 Female
Reproduction
Cycles
The Ovarian Cycle
The ovaries prepare the female body for a possible
pregnancy each month in a series of events collectively called
the ovarian cycle. The monthly release of an ovum is called
ovulation. The release of ovum is swept into fallopian tube and
begins to move toward the uterus to await fertilization. Th
ovarian cycle spans about 28 days, although it varies from
female to female.
The ovarian cycle happens in two distinct phases or stages—
follicular phase and luteal phase. These phases are regulated
by the hormones produced by the hypothalamus and the
anterior pituitary gland.
 In an ovary, egg cells
mature with in follicles. A
follicle is a cluster of cells
that surrounds an immature
egg cell and provides its
nutrients. During the
follicular phase of the
ovarian cycle, hormones
regulate the completion of an
egg cell’s maturation.
The follicular phase begins when the
anterior pituitary gland releases the
follicular-stimulating hormones (FSH) and
luteinizing hormone (LH) into the blood
stream. Both FSH and LH cause the follicle
to produce estrogen, a sex hormone that
aids the growth of the follicle. When the
follicle bursts, ovulation occurs. After the
ovulation, the luteal phase begins. LH
causes the cell of the ruptured follicle to
grow, forming a corpus luteum. A corpus
luteum is a yellowish mass of follicular cells
that functions like endocrine gland. LH
causes corpus luteum to secrete both
estrogen and progesterone, another sex
hormone. Progesterone signals the body to
prepare for fertilization.
The Menstrual Cycle
We have learned that, on average, an ovary releases only one egg
every 28 days. Now, what controls this timing? Hormones control many of
the changes in the reproductive system. Remember that hormones are
chemicals that affect certain body organs. The monthly changes that take
place in the female reproductive system are called menstruation. This
cycle occurs every month from the first onset which could happen when a
female is between 10 to 13 years old. The monthly cycle continues for
about 40 years.
To summarize, the important events
during the menstrual cycle are as follows:
1. The pituitary gland controls and starts
the cycle.
2. The pituitary gland releases hormones
that cause the egg in the ovary to
mature. The luteinizing hormone (LH)
initiates the maturation of the follicles,
converts ruptured follicles into corpus
luteum and causes the secretion of
progesterone. The follicle stimulating
hormone (FSH) assists in the
maturation of the follicles and causes
the secretion of estrogen from the
follicles.
3. Meanwhile, the ovary itself releases a hormone
called estrogen, which causes the uterine lining to
increase in thickness. The uterine lining becomes
thicker so that the fertilized egg can attach to it.
4. The ovary releases an egg on day 14. Assume
that no sperm is present.
5. The egg moves through the oviduct and enters the
uterus.
6. Meanwhile the uterine lining continues to thicken.
7. The egg has not been fertilized; therefore, it will
not attach to the uterus.
8. The thick uterine lining is no longer necessary, so
the cells of the thickened uterine lining break off
and leave the vagina. The unfertilized egg is lost and
some blood is lost too. This loss of cells from the
uterine lining, blood, and egg is called menstruation.
9. After menstruation, the cycle starts again.
 Did you know that menstrual cramps are the results of the strong
contractions of the uterine wall that occur before and during
menstruation? The cramps can be caused by excessive secretion
of prostaglandins. Shedding of the endometrium of the uterus
results in the inflammation in the endometrial layer of the uterus
and prostaglandins are produced as a consequence of the
inflammation.

TASK no. 3
 Stages of Human
Development Before Birth
 Fertilization of the Ovum

A human being develops from an egg that has been fertilized by the sperm. The
process begins when the sperm are deposited in the vagina, and then move through the
uterus into the fallopian tube. If the sperm reach the fallopian tube within 36 hours
during the female’s ovulation period, there will be an egg ready for fertilization in one of
the fallopian tubes. Nearly 300 to 400 million of sperm cells may have the journey to
the fallopian tube, yet only one of these sperm will fertilize the egg.
Cell division take place as the
zygote travels back down in the
oviduct towards the uterus, a
journey that takes 6 -7 days after
fertilization. Eventually, the zygote
becomes a small ball of cells
(blastocyst) that attaches itself in
uterine wall in the process called
implantation. The zygote is now
called embryo.
Embryonic Development

It takes about nine months from

the time the embryo becomes
implanted on the walls of the
uterus until a baby is born. This
nine-month period is called
pregnancy. During the first two
months of pregnancy, the
developing child is called an
embryo.
 Part of the uterine wall produces the villi
Embryonic Development which constitute the placenta, along with
other blood vessels and capillaries. An
umbilical cord forms and connects the
placenta to the embryo. Nutrients and
oxygen in the mother’s blood are
transported to the embryo through veins
in the umbilical cord. Carbon dioxide and
other waste products are carried away
from the embryo through an artery in the
umbilical cord to the mother’s blood
stream for disposal. During the third
week of pregnancy, a thin membrane
called amniotic sac begins to form
around the embryo. The amniotic sac
becomes filled with clear liquid called
amniotic fluid, which helps cushion and
protects the embryo.
 Fetal Development
During the third month of pregnancy, the
developing embryo begin to look more human—
eyes, finger, toes, arms, and legs will have
developed—and is now called fetus. By this time,
too, all the major organs are present to some
extent. The fetal heart can be heard beating, and
the mother starts to feeling the movement of fetus
within the uterus. The fetus also begins to suck its
thumb. By the fourth month, the sex of the fetus
can be determined by an ultrasound. The fetus
becomes more active as it moves around the
uterus. By the end of the seventh month of
pregnancy, a layer of fat develops under the skin,
and fetal bones begin to harden.
 Birth
By the ninth month, the fetus has usually
rotated to a head-down position inside the
uterus. The time for birth has arrived. The
birth process begins with the onset of
labor, the muscular contractions of the
uterus. As the contraction becomes
stronger and in closer succession, the
amniotic sac usually breaks and releases
its fluid. Eventually, the contractions cause
the opening of the uterus to widen so the
baby can pass through the vagina and then
out into the world, taking in his/her first
grasp of air.
TASK no. 4 and 5