Chapter 17: Structure and Function of the Female Reproductive System Flashcards
the female reproductive system is a group of organs and glands that produce _____ (singular _____), or egg cells (female sex cells)
ova; ovum
the _____ (also known as the female _____) are two small, solid, oval structures in the pelvic cavity that produce _____ and secrete female hormones.
ovaries; gonads; ova
the the monthly cycle of egg production, one ovary usually releases only one mature ovum. In most women, the ovaries alternate this release, called _____, each month.
ovulation
within the ovaries are sex cells, also known as _____.
gametes
before released from an ovary, the cells develop in a part of the ovary called the _____ _____.
graafian follicle
these sex cells have the potential to become fertilized and develop. In their immature stage, they are called _____
oocytes
once mature (normally 5-7 days), they are known as ova. The ovum is then released from the graafian follicle to the _____ _____ or ____ ____, the tube that leads from each ovary to the uterus.
uterine tube; fallopian tube
the _____ is the female reproductive organ in which a fertilized ovum implants and develops.
uterus
when the ovum is not fertilized, the lining of the uterus is released during the monthly cycle, known as _____.
menstruation
at the end of its development, the infant is born through the ______, or birth canal (the canal leading from the uterus to the vulva), in a routine delivery.
vagina
sometimes the infant is delivered surgically through the abdomen in a _____ _____.
caesarean delivery.
the female breast, the ____ ____, is also part of the female reproductive system as an accessory organ, providing milk to nurse the infant (lactation) after birth
mammary gland
female reproduction is controled by hormones, such as _____ and _____
estrogen; progesterone
at birth, most females have A LOT of immature ova (oocytes) in each ovary. Many of these disintegrate before the female reaches _____, the stage at which ovulation and _____ (first menstrual flow or _____) occurs (usually between 10 or 14 years of age).
puberty; menarche; menses
_____ is the cyclical release of the uterine lining usually occurring every 29 days.
menstruation
most women menstruate monthly (except during pregnancy) for about 30 to 40 years. ______ signals the end of the ovulation.menstruation cycle and therefore, the end of the childbearing years.
menopause
after release, the ovum next enters one of the two uterine, or fallopian, tubes, which have fingerlike end calle _____ that sweep the ovum further down int the tube, where it may be fertilized by a sperm.
fimbriae
once inside the uterus, a fertilized ovum attaches to the uterine wall, where it will be nourished for about 40 weeks of development (_____).
gestation
the upper portion of the uterus, the _____, is where a nutrient-rich organ (the _____) grows in the uterine wall.
fundus; placenta
the middle portion of the uterus is called the _____.
body
the body of the uterus leads to a narrow region, the _____.
isthmus
the neck, or lower region, of the uterus is the _____, a protective body with glands that secrete mucous substances into the vagina.
cervix
the opening of the cervical canal into the vagina is called the _____ _____.
cervical os