The female reproductive system is made up of seven organs, including the pituitary gland, which regulates the ovaries and various other glands.
	This is a side view of your reproductive organs (excluding the pituitary gland).
	Your Vulva Your vulva is the external part of your genital area. It includes the mons pubis (the mound of fatty tissue overlying the pubic bone), the labia, clitoris and the vaginal and urethral openings (the uretha is the tube that comes from the bladder).
	Your vagina Your vagina is the tube of skin that extends from the neck of your womb to the opening on the outside. The vagina receives the penis and semen during intercourse (sex) and also provides a passageway for menstrual blood to leave your body. It also plays an important part in the delivery of babies, as the lower part of the birth canal.
Your cervix Your cervix is the lower, narrow portion of the womb where it joins with the top end of your vagina. It is round in shape, sticks into the top of the vagina and it’s possible to feel about half of it.
Your Ovaries Your ovaries are your main reproductive organs. You have two ovaries, each about the size and shape of an almond. They have a crucial job of producing female hormones (oestrogen and progesterone) and eggs (ova). All your other reproductive organs are simply there to transport, nurture and otherwise meet the needs of an egg or developing fetus (baby). Your ovaries are held in place by various ligaments that anchor them to the womb and the side wall of your pelvis. Inside each ovary are follicles, from which eggs develop. Once a follicle is mature, it ruptures and the developing egg is ejected from the ovary into the fallopian tubes. This is called ovulation. Ovulation usually occurs around the middle of the menstrual cycle, which is roughly every 28 days. The egg is released randomly from either your left or right ovary.
Your Fallopian tubes Fallopian tubes are funnel-shaped passages next to the ovary that are about 10cm long. They have a number of finger like projections known as fimbriae on the end nearest the ovary. When your ovary releases an egg it is caught by one of the fimbriae and transported along the fallopian tube. The egg is moved along your fallopian tube by the wafting action of cilia - hairy projections on the surfaces of cells in the tube - and the contractions made by the tube. It takes the egg about five days to reach your uterus and it is on this journey that fertilisation may happen if a sperm penetrates the egg and fuses with it. However, as an egg only lives for about 24 hours after ovulation, fertilisation usually occurs in the top third of the fallopian tube.
Your uterus Your uterus or womb is a muscular organ which is about the size and shape of a house hold light bulb in women who have never been pregnant. Its job is to house a fertilised egg while it develops. The main part of the uterus (which sits in the pelvic cavity) is called the body of the uterus, while the lower part is the cervix and the upper part is called the fundus. The fallopian tubes connect with the upper part of the womb. Your womb is made up of an inner layer known as endometrium or lining of the womb. Once an egg is fertilised it burrows into the endometrium, where it will stay while it grows. Your uterus then expands during pregnancy to make room for the growing fetus (baby). The part of the wall of the fertilised egg that has burrowed into the endometrium will develop into the afterbirth or placenta. If an egg isn’t fertilised during your monthly cycle, the endometrial lining simply comes away as your period. The myometrium is the main part of your womb and is all muscle. It plays an important role during birth, contracting rhythmically to push the baby through the birth canal (vagina) and out of the body.
Your pituitary gland This is a small gland at the base of your brain. It’s in charge of releasing a variety of hormones that are vital for sexual reproduction. At the beginning of each menstrual cycle your pituitary gland produces follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) that encourages the growth of the follicles. After about six days one follicle will start to dominate the others and grow more quickly, whilst the others start to shrink. The follicle produces the principle female hormone oestrogen, which has effects on many tissues within the body and is very important to women’s health. One thing oestrogen does is to cause the lining of your womb to thicken. Levels of oestrogen in the blood increase up to the time of ovulation (around day fourteen) while the follicle continues to grow. At this point, again in response to a second pituitary hormone (luteinizing hormone or LH), the follicle bursts (ovulation) and the egg is carried along the fallopian tube towards your uterus.

Page last updated December 2011

Wellbeing of Women