The female reproductive system consists of the primary as well as accessory sex organs. The primary sex organs in females are a pair of ovaries, which produce ova or egg and they also secrete female sex hormones like progesterone and Estrogen. The other accessory sex organs include the uterus, fallopian tubes, cervix, and vagina. The external genitalia comprises the labia minora, labia majora and clitoris. The mammary glands are not considered genital organs but are important glands in the female reproductive system.
What are the parts of the female reproductive system?
The female reproductive anatomy includes both external and internal parts.
External parts
The function of your external genitals is to protect the internal parts from infection and allow sperm to enter your vagina.
•Mons Pubis
•Labia majora
•Labia minora
•Clitoris
•Vaginal opening
•Hymen
•Opening to your urethra
Internal parts
•Vagina
•Cervix
•Uterus
•Fallopian tubes
•ovaries
Female external genitalia (vulva)
Labia majora: Your labia majora (“large lips”) enclose and protect the other external reproductive organs. During puberty, hair growth occurs on the skin of the labia majora, which also contains sweat and oil-secreting glands.
Labia minora: Your labia minora (“small lips”) can have a variety of sizes and shapes. They lie just inside your labia majora and surround the opening to your vagina (the canal that joins the lower part of your uterus to the outside of your body) and the urethra (the tube that carries pee from your bladder to the outside of your body). This skin is very delicate and can become easily irritated and swollen.
Clitoris: Your two labia minora meet at your clitoris, a small, sensitive protrusion that’s comparable to a penis in men or people assigned male at birth (AMAB). A fold of skin covers your clitoris called the prepuce and is very sensitive to stimulation.
Vaginal opening: Your vaginal opening allows menstrual blood and babies to exit your body. Tampons, fingers, sex toys, or a penis can go inside your vagina through your vaginal opening.
Hymen: Your hymen is a piece of tissue covering or surrounding part of your vaginal opening. It’s formed during development and present during birth.
Opening to your urethra: The opening to your urethra is the hole you pee from.
Internal organs
•Vagina: Your vagina is a muscular canal that joins the cervix (lower part of the uterus) to the outside of the body. It can widen to accommodate a baby during delivery and shrink to hold something narrow like a tampon. It’s lined with mucous membranes that help keep it moist.
•Cervix: Your cervix is the lowest part of your uterus. A hole in the middle allows sperm to enter and menstrual blood to exit. Your cervix opens (dilates) to allow a baby to come out during childbirth Your cervix is what prevents things like tampons from getting lost inside your body.
•Uterus: Your uterus is a hollow, pear-shaped organ that holds a fetus during pregnancy. Your uterus is divided into two parts: the cervix and the corpus. Your corpus is the larger part of your uterus that expands during pregnancy.
•Ovaries: ovaries are small, oval-shaped glands that are located on either side of your uterus. Your ovaries produce eggs and hormones.
•Fallopian tube: These are narrow tubes attached to the upper part of your uterus and serve as pathways for your egg (ovum) to travel from your ovaries to your uterus. Fertilization of an egg by sperm normally occurs in the fallopian tubes. The fertilized egg then moves to the uterus, where it implants into your uterine lining.
