Female genital organs

Genital system in general

• The internal genitalia arise above the pelvic floor from
urogenital ridge, while the external genitalia are derived
from urogenital sinus below the pelvic floor
• Functionally:
• The base for both gender is paired genital gland, which
produces germinal cells and hormones:
• Testis – sperm, testosterone
• Ovary – oocytes, estrogens, progesterone
• Genital ducts – organs of transport, incubation and
copulation:
• Wolffian duct – origin of male genital ducts, under the
influence of testosterone from testis wolffian duct develop
into epididymis and deferent duct, muellerian duct regress
• Muellerian duct – origin of female genital ducts, (located
laterally to wolffian duct), under the influence of ovarian
hormones ducts develops into fallupian tubes and fuse to
form uterus and upper part of vagina, wolffian duct regress

• Topographically:
• Internal genital organs – hidden inside body
• External genital organs – visible on outer surface of body
 Female genital organs
• Internal female genital organs:
• ovary – oocytes, hormons, paired
• Fallopian tube (uterine tube) – fertilization, paired
• Uterus – fetal development, unpaired
• vagina – unpaired

• External female genital organs:

• Labia majora and minora pudendi
• Vestibule of vagina – unpaired
• Clitoris – similar to penis in male
• Mons pubis
• Bulb of vestibule
• Greater and lesser vestibular glands
• Inside lesser pelvis, ovoid in shape:
Ovary 1
• Tubal extremity – to uterine tube, craniolaterally, uterine
extremity – to uterus, mediocaudally
• Mesovarian border – ventrally, hilum of ovary, free border
– dorsally
• Medial surface – to pelvic cavity, lateral surface – to pelvic
wall
• Partially in intraperitoneal position (mesovarium) and partially
inside peritoneal cavity:
• ends Farre-Wadayer’s line
• Mesovarium - part of broad ligament of uterus, connected to
its posterior part
• Suspensory lig. of ovary – on pelvic wall, ovarian vessels
• Proper lig. of ovary – between uterine horn and uterine extremity
of ovary
• Ovarian fossa – in nulliparous women, between internal and
external iliac vessels
• Claudius fossa – u multiparous women, behind internal iliac
vessels
• Ovarian a. (abdominal aorta, L2), ovarian br. of uterine a. (internal
iliac a.) – ovarian arcade
• Ovarian vv., on the left into left renal v., on the right into inferior
vena cava; lesser portion of blood into uterine v. (internal iliac v. )
• Lumbar lnn.
• Ovarian plexus – upper part - celiac plexus; lower part – superior
and inferior hypogastric plexuses
 Peritoneal cavity

Abdominal cavity
Inside peritoneal cavity

Linea terminalis

Pelvic cavity

intraperitoneally
• Tunica albuginea
Ovary 2
• Ovarian stroma – connective tissue, inside:
• Ovarian cortex – contains ovarian follicles
• Ovarian medulla – contains abundant vessels,
nerves and smooth muscles
• Primary, secondary, tertiary follicles, Graafian
follicle, oocyte surrounded by zona pellucida
• Cumulus oophorus – cluster of cells that surround
the oocyte
• Ovulation

• Corpus luteum menstruationis – if egg is not

fertilized degenerated into corpus albicans
• Corpus luteum graviditatis – if egg is fertilized,
progesterone production continues
• Corpus albicans – mass of fibrous scar tissue

• Ovarian cycle:
• Follicular phase
• Luteal phase
 Uterine tube (Fallopian tube, salpinx)
• Paired tube, 10-15 cm long, serves for
fertilization, and transport of preimplantation
embryo into uterine cavity
• Infundibulum – fimbriae of uterine tube, ovarian
fimbria, abdominal ostium of uterine tube – into
peritoneal cavity
• Ampulla – wider, lateral 2/3
• Isthmus – narrower, medial 1/3
• Intramural part of uterine tube– inside wall of
uterus, uterine ostium of uterine tube

• Intraperitoneally – mesosalpinx, component of

broad ligament of uterus

• Tubal br. of ovarian a. + tubal br. of uterine a.

• Ovarian vv., uterine venous plexus
• Lumbar lnn.
• Ovarian plexus + uterovaginal plexus
 Uterus (metra, hystera) 1
• Hollow, muscular unpaired organ, serves for
fetal development
• Pear-shaped, flattened in anteroposterior
direction, cranial portion extends into horns
• Body – cranial, wide part, fundus of uterus,
uterine horns (origin of proper ovarian lig., and
round lig. of uterus), uterine cavity, left and right
margins (mesometrium), intestinal (posterior)
surface, vesical (anterior) surface
• Isthmus – short, constricted portion between
body and cervix, canal of isthmus
• Cervix – caudal, narrower portion, cylinder
shaped, opens into vagina by uterine orifice (in
nulliparous is rounded aperture, in multiparous is
transverse aperture), anterior and posterior lips,
supravaginal part, vaginal part, cervical canal,
palmate folds
 Uterus (metra, hystera) 2
• In nulliparous 7-9 cm long, width of fundus 4 –
4.5 cm, weight about 50g, in multiparous are all
dimensions at least 1cm larger
• Endometrium – mucous membrane, every 28
days overcome typical changes – menstrual
cycle, uterine glands
• Myometrium – 1-1.5 cm thick, smooth muscles,
muscles of body expel fetus during labor,
muscles of isthmus and cervix dilate birth canal
• Perimetrium – peritoneum – broad lig. of
uterus (mesometrium), vesicouterine pouch,
rectouterine pouch (space of Douglas)
• Parametrium – support of uterus, fibrous tissue
under peritoneum – cardinal ligg. of uterus,
sacrouterine (rectouterine) ligg. – rectouterine
folds, vesicouterine ligg., pubovesical ligg.,
round lig. of uterus
• Anteflexion – bending of body against cervix in
isthmus (about 150°)
• Anteversion - angle, between cervix of uterus
and vagina (70-100°)
• Dextrotorsion, lateroposition
 Uterus (metra, hystera) 3
• Uterine a. (internal iliac a.) – vaginal a.
(caudally), ovarian br., tubal br. (cranially),
crossing with ureter, which runs dorsally and
inferiorly
• Uterovaginal venous plexus, from it
uterine vv. into internal iliac v.
• a/ lumbar lnn. (along ovarian
vessels), from several part of uterus
lymph firstly flows through sacral nodes
b/ internal iliac lnn. (parauterine
node – Bayer‘s node, at crossing of
uterine a. and ureter)
c/ superficial inguinal lnn. –
along round lig. of uterus
• Uterovaginal plexus – from inferior
hypogastric plexus
 Vagina (kolpos) 1
• Copulatory organ and efferent genital tract, hollow
muscular tube, passes through urogenital
diaphragm
• Cranially surrounds cervix of uterus,
ventrocaudally opens by vaginal orifice into
vaginal vestibule
• Anterior wall (8-9 cm) – posterior wall (10-11
cm), vaginal rugae, anterior and posterior
vaginal columns, urethral carina of vagina
(due to the course of female urethra, on anterior
vaginal wall)
• Vaginal fornix – anterior, posterior and 2 lateral
parts

• Hymen (hymenal caruncles) – partially closes

vaginal orifice, bounds vaginal orifice into vaginal
vestibule
• Smooth muscles, in caudal part striated muscle
urethrovaginal sphincter m. (component of
bulbospongiosus m.)
 Vagina (kolpos) 2
• Ventrally:
• Urinary bladder – trigonal area of vagina, loose tissue
• Female urethra – urethrovaginal septum
• Dorsally:
• Rectum, rectouterine pouch, rectovaginal septum –
caudally ends in central tendon of perineum
• Laterally:
• Uterovaginal venous plexus + uterovaginal plexus
• Pubovaginalis m. – component of levator ani m.,
forms vaginal promontory – supporting and fixative
apparatus of uterus
• Paracolpium – fibrous tissue alongside vagina

• Vaginal a. (uterine a.), middle rectal a., internal

pudendal a.
• Uterovaginal venous plexus – internal iliac v.,
internal pudendal v.
• Internal iliac lnn. (cranial portion), superficial inguinal
lnn. (caudal portion)
• Uterovaginal plexus
 Female external genital organs (vulva) 1
• Structures, that are around vaginal vestibule:
• Labia majora pudendi, longitudinal skin folds, pubes
(pubic hair), tunica dartos labiorum, fibrous and fat
tissue, fibers from round lig. of uterus, pudendal
cleft, anterior and posterior commissure of labia majora,
frenulum of labiorum pudendi, abundant venous
networks
• Labia minora pudendi, thin skin longitudinal folds,
vaginal vestibule, fossa of vaginal vestibule; anteriorly
are divided into 2 parts
• Clitoris, crus of clitoris, body of clitoris, cavernous bodies
of clitoris, glans of clitoris, prepuce of clitoris, frenulum of
clitoris, fundiform lig. of clitoris, suspensory lig. of clitoris
• External urethral orifice, on urethral papilla
• Vaginal orifice, longitudinal cleft
• Lesser vestibular gll.
• Greater vestibular gll., in posterior part of vaginal
vestibule, correspond to bulbourethral gll. of male
• Bulb of vestibule, paired venous network, ovoid in
shape, commissure of bulbs
• Mons pubis (mons of Venus) skin-covered fat pad
overlaying pubic symphysis, pubes
• Perineum, perineal raphe
 Female external genital organs (vulva) 2
• Anterior labial brr. (external pudendal aa.)
• Posterior labial brr. (internal pudendal a.)

• Deep a. of clitoris, dorsal a. of clitoris, vestibular bulb a.

(internal pudendal a.)

• Superficial dorsal v. of clitoris (paired), anterior labial vv.

(external pudendal vv.), deep dorsal v. of clitoris, deep
vv. of clitoris, vestibular bulb v. (internal pudendal v.)

• Superficial inguinal lnn., rarely along round lig. of uterus

into internal iliac lnn.

• Sympathetic - parasympathetic,
sensory: ilioinguinal n., genital br. of genitofemotal n.,
pudendal n.