Female

genital
apparatus
Carmen Garrido, Marina de
Lorenzo y Gemma Arranz
Index
❏ Introduction
❏ Female reproductive organs
❏ Embryo development
❏ Diseases
❏ Curious facts
Introduction
The female genital apparatus consists of all the internal and external sex organs which
are involved in the reproduction. In the human, the female reproductive system is
immature at birth and develops to maturity at puberty to be able to produce egg cells,
and to carry a fetus to full term.
 Female reproductive organs
Internal sex organs:

VAGINA

- It is an elastic, muscular tube that is lined with mucous

membrane.
- It is made up of three layers, an inner mucosal layer, a
middle muscularis layer and an outer fibrous layer.
- It connects the external genital organs to the cervix of the
uterus.
- It is situated between the urinary bladder and the rectum.
- It is the passageway for sperm to the egg and for menstrual
bleeding or a baby to the outside.
 CERVIX

- It is the lower, narrow portion of the uterus. In other words, it is a passage

leading from the vagina to the uterus.
- The cervix is usually a good barrier against bacteria, except around the time of
ovulation, during the menstrual period, or during childbirth.
 UTERUS

- The uterus is shaped like an upside-down pear, with

a thick lining and muscular walls.
- It is located in the middle of the pelvis, behind the
bladder, and in front of the rectum.
- It is only about three inches long and two inches
wide, but during pregnancy it changes rapidly and
dramatically.
- The main function of the uterus is to sustain a
developing fetus.
 FALLOPIAN TUBE

- Women have 2 fallopian tubes, one on each side of the uterus.

- The two fallopian tubes extend from the upper edges of the uterus toward the
ovaries.
- The fallopian tube is the usual site of fertilization of the egg by the sperm.
 OVARIES

- They are considered the female

gonads.
- Each ovary is located alongside the
lateral wall of the uterus in a region
called the ovarian fossa.
- They are attached to the uterus by
ligaments.
- They produce female sex hormones
(estrogen and progesterone) and
produce and release eggs.
External sex organ:

VULVA

- It is the surround entrance to the

reproductive tract.
- It includes the mons pubis, labia majora,
labia minora, bulb of vestibule, vestibule of
the vagina, the Bartholin glands, and clitoris.
- The external genital organs are located in
front of the anus.
Embryo development 6 week old embryo

At the sixth week the site of the genitals is a small

bud, called the genital tuber.

Until the ninth week of fetus development, the

embryonic reproductive apparatus is the same one
for the two sexes.

Embryo size: 12 mm
Embryo development 9 week old embryo

1. Anus
2. Labioscrotal folds
3. Legs
4. Genital tuber
7. Urethral groove
8. Urogenital folds

At the ninth week, there are not yet any notable

differences between boy and girl.

Embryo size: 45 mm
Embryo development

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MureNA-RSZM
Embryo development 13 week old embryo

The development of the female external genitalia is

promoted by the presence of estrogen and other
hormones within the maternal system. The phallus
continues to grow to become the clitoris.
Meanwhile, the urogenital folds are developing into
the labia minora. They grow up along side the
phallus.

Embryo size: 90 mm
Embryo development 17 week old embryo

The labioscrotal folds continue to grow as well,

fusing at their most posterior and anterior portions
to form labial commissures. The portions of the
labioscrotal folds which do not fuse form the labia
majora.

Embryo size: 150 mm

Embryo development
20 week old embryo
Ovaries are not identifiable until the twelfth
week. The ovaries contain over six million eggs,
this decreases to approximately one million by
birth and will be reduced to about 400 by the
time of puberty.

Embryo size: 185 mm

Embryo development
The correct visualization of any fetal part depends on
many factors such as fetal position, amount of amniotic
fluid and thickness of the abdominal wall.

The absence of the penis must not be taken as sufficient

evidence of the fetus being a girl. Using ultrasound the 3
lines sign which denotes the labia in the fetus is an
indication of the female gender.
Diseases
★ Common diseases
○ Endometriosis
○ Polycystic ovaries syndrome
★ Diseases related to menstruation
○ Dysmenhorrea
○ Menhorragia
○ Amenorrhea
○ Oligomenorrhea
★ STD’s
○ Hepatitis B
○ Chlamydia
○ HIV
○ Human papillomavirus
○ How to prevent them?
 Symptoms

Endometriosis ●
●
Dysmenorrhoea
Non-cyclical pelvic pain
● Deep dyspareunia
Disease that consists on the presence of ● Possible abnormal bleeding
endometrial-like tissue outside the uterine ● Infertility
cavity= inflammatory reaction

Diagnosis Pelvic examination Treatment

● Analgesia
● Hormonal treatment
● Surgery
 Symptoms
● Anovulation
Polycystic ovaries syndrome ●
●
Androgen excess
Cause of anovulatory infertility

Is a condition that affects a woman's a major risk factor for the

hormone levels. Women produce higher- ● Development of type 2
than-normal amounts of male hormones. diabetes
This hormone imbalance causes them to ● Hirsutism
skip menstrual periods and makes it harder ● Metabolic abnormalities
for them to get pregnant.

Treatment

● Infertility: Induction of ovulation

● Hyperandrogenism: hormonal supplement
● Cycle control: Hormonal supplement
● Metabolic abnormalities: control of diet and
insuline sensitizing drugs
Diseases related to menstruation
Dysmenhorrea
● Painful periods
Menorrhagia
● Excessive bleeding during period
● More than 80 ml in a period
Amenhorrea
● Absence of the period for more than
three months
● Tends to occur in athletes and people
who have experienced severe lost of
weight or people having an hormonal
deficiency
Olygomenorrhea
● Is a condition in which you have
infrequent menstrual periods.
● More than 35 days without having the
period
STD’s Sexual transmission disease
Hepatitis B
- Liver infection from a virus which
can lead to dead
- Spreads through body fluids
- There is a vaccinate
- The treatment tends to be life
long (supresses replication of
virus)
Chlamydia
- Infection caused by a
bacteria called Chlamydia
trachomatis
- Can be in the throat, cervix
or rectum
- It is normal not to perceive
any symptoms
- Common symptoms:
Abnormal vaginal discharge,
pain during sex, burning
feeling while urination,
nauseas, lower abdominal
pain and fever
- Should be treated with
antibiotics

STD’s
Human papillomavirus
● Most common STD’s
● DNA virus that infect basal layer cells
in epithelia which causes lesions
● Can be located in the anogenital area
or oral cavity
● Can lead to cancer
● Surgery is the most common
treatment but the vaccinate is really
popular and provided by the public
health system in Spain
HIV
● Really known and specific virus
● Weakens the immune system
● Causes lesions which can be cured
by treatments
● Easy to any illness to attack the
body
● Scientists still working for a
treatment
How to prevent
STDs?
Curious facts
Hymen

For reasons that remain unclear, female babies are born with
membranes surrounding their vaginal openings. Most hymens
are open in the center. Newborns' hymens tend to be prominent
and thick. But as the years pass, most hymenal tissue thins and
the opening widens. During childhood most hymenal tissue
wears away as a result of washing, walking, athletics and
masturbation, though little bits may remain around the vaginal
opening, particularly in the area closest to the anus.
Curious facts

The clitoris grows throughout a woman's life. After

menopause the clitoris can become 2.5 times larger
than it was when the same woman was a teenager.
The longest ever measured was 30 cm long.
The End