Vocabulary: Anatomy Female Reproductive System

Ovaries Female gonads in which ova are produced and that secrete estrogens and progesterone.

Ovarian follicles Structures within an ovary consisting of a developing egg surrounded by follicle cells.

Corpus luteum Yellowish remains of a burst ovarian follicle that secretes progesterone.

Ovulation Release of a mature ovum from an ovary.

Fimbriae Fingerlike projections at the end of a fallopian tube that partially surround an ovary.

Fallopian tubes Also ovarian tubes. Tubes connecting an ovary to the uterus and through which an ovum is transported. They are the place of fertilization.

Uterus Also womb. The hollow organ in females that receives, retains, and nourishes a fertilized ovum or egg.

Myometrium Middle layer of the uterus composed of interwoven muscle cells.

Endometrium Inner layer of the uterus that provides nourishment for a developing embryo and fetus and that sloughs off during the regular menstrual cycle.

Cervix Lower necklike portion of the uterus leading into the vagina.

Vagina Muscular tube in women that extends from the cervix of the uterus to the vaginal opening.

Vulva Female external genital organs, composed of the mons pubis, the labia majora, the labia minora, the clitoris, the urethral opening, the vaginal opening and the greater vestibular glands.

Mons pubis Fatty, rounded, hairy area at the top of the vulva.

Labia majora Outer, hairy skin folds of the vagina.

Labia minora Inner skin folds of the vagina.

Clitoris Small protruding mass of erectile tissue at the top of the labia minora.

Greater vestibular glands Pair of mucus-secreting glands that lubricate the lower portion of the vagina.

Hymen Thin membrane partially covering the external opening of the vagina.

Vocabulary: Menstrual Cycle

Menarche Beginning of menstruation or the first menstrual period.

Menopause Period in a woman's life when menstrual activity ceases.

Menstruation Also menses. Periodic (monthly) discharge of blood, secretions, tissue, and mucus from the endometrium in the absence of pregnancy.

Vocabulary: Gametes

Gonads Sex organs in which reproductive cells develop.

Gametes Reproductive or sex cells. They are different to any other cell in the body in which they only have half of the chromosomes than a normal somatic cell.

Ova Female gametes or eggs (singular: ovum).

Zygote Fertilized ovum. By successive mitosis, it will convert into an embryo, then a fetus, and finally a newborn.

Sperm Also spermatozoon. Mature male sex or reproductive cell. They need to be produced at a slightly lower temperature than the usual in the inside of the human body.

Acrosome Tip of the head of a sperm cell that contains enzymes to digest the membrane of an ovum.

Vocabulary: Pregnancy, Childbird and Nursing

Chorion The outermost membrane that surrounds the embryo/fetus during pregnancy. It is in contact with the amnion and generates the placenta.

Amnion Fluid-filled sac that surrounds a developing embryo/fetus. It provides room and cushioning to the embryo/fetus.

Placenta Temporary organ developed after the implantation of an embryo, when the chorionic villi invade the endometrium. It provides nutrients to a developing fetus, carries away wastes, and produces hormones such as estrogens and progesterone.

Umbilical cord Structure that connects the embryo/fetus to the placenta.

Alveolar glands Glands within the mammary glands that produce milk.

Lactiferous ducts Ducts that carry milk from the alveolar glands to the surface of the nipple of a breast.

Areola Circular, darkened area surrounding the nipple of each breast.
Nipple, a protuberance of the mamma or breast where, in the female, the milk ducts discharge.

Vocabulary: Hormonal Control of the Reproduction

Luteinizing hormone Hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary that stimulates, in women, ovulation and the release of estrogens and progesterone by the ovaries.

Follicle-stimulating hormone Hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland that stimulates the development of follicles in the ovaries of females.
Estrogens Female hormones secreted by the ovaries that bring about the secondary sex characteristics and regulate the female reproductive cycle.

Progesterone Female hormone secreted by the ovaries that makes the uterus more ready to receive a fertilized ovum and regulate the female reproductive cycle.

Prolactin Hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary that stimulates the mammary glands to produce milk during nursing.

Oxytocin Hormone produced by the hypothalamus and stored in the posterior pituitary that stimulates contraction of the uterus during childbirth and secretion of milk during nursing.

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Key vocabulary for the female reproductive system