Abstract
The female reproductive system consists of external reproductive organs, vulva, and internal sex organs: ovaries, uterine tubes, uterus, and vagina. During pregnancy a temporary organ, the placenta, plays an essential role.
The female reproductive organs change throughout life, with the first menstruation, menarche marking the start of the fertile period, and the ceasing of menstruations, the menopause indicating the end of it. During the fertile period, the ovaries mature oocytes and secrete sex hormones (estrogens and progesterone), which control the menstrual cycle of the endometrium.
Keywords
- Gonads
- Gametes
- Primary reproductive organs
- Secondary reproductive organs
- Sex
- SRY gene
- The female reproductive system
- Ovary
- Fallopian tube
- Uterus
- Vagina
- Vulva
- Mons pubis
- Labia majora
- Labia minora
- Clitoris
- Vestibular glands
- Vestibular bulbs
- Placenta
- Umbilical cord
- Menarche
- Menopause
- Ovarian follicle
- Primordial follicle
- Zona pellucida
- Primary follicle
- Cumulus oophorus
- Corona radiata
- Secondary follicle
- Graafian follicle
- Corpus luteum
- Corpus albicans
- Theca interna
- Theca externa
- Ovulation
- Fimbriae
- Endometrium
- Myometrium
- Perimetrium
- Stratum functionale of the endometrium
- Stratum basale of the endometrium
- Menstruation (endometrial) cycle
- Cervix
- Chorionic plate of placenta
- Cytotrophoblast
- Syncytiotrophoblast
- Chorion
- Decidua basalis
- Uteroplacental circulation
- Villi of placenta (primary, secondary, tertiary)
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
References
Brüel A, Christensen EI, Geneser F, Tranum-Jensen J, Qvortrup K. Genesers Histologi. 1st ed. Munksgaard; 2012.
Mescher AL. Junqueira’s basic histology, text and atlas. 13th ed. McGraw-Hill Education/Medical; 2013.
Putz R, Pabst R. Sobotta – atlas of human anatomy. 13th ed. Urban & Fischer; 2001.
Rehfeld A, Nylander M, Karnov KKS. Histologikompendium. 2nd ed. Munksgaard; 2013.
Ross MH, Pawlina W. Histology: a text and atlas: with correlated cell and molecular biology. 7th ed. Wolter Kluwer; 2015.
Rostgaard J, Tranum-Jensen J, Qvortrup K, Holm-Nielsen P. Hovedets, halsens og de indre organers anatomi. 10th ed. Munksgaard; 2006.
Young B, O’Dowd G, Woodford P. Wheater’s functional histology. 6th ed. Elsevier; 2014.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Rehfeld, A., Nylander, M., Karnov, K. (2017). The Female Reproductive System. In: Compendium of Histology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41873-5_25
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41873-5_25
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-41871-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-41873-5
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)