Structure of Female Reproductive System

To understand reproduction and how your body works, you need to learn more about the female reproductive system. The female reproductive system is a cluster of organs that functions in a way to enable your body for reproduction, pregnancy, and childbirth. Progesterone and Oestrogen are two female sex hormones that are produced by your reproductive system.

To get a better view of this system, you must have to understand its external and internal organs. Both internal and external organs comprise the female reproductive system to support reproductive and sexual activities. Hence, it is significant to take good care of your reproductive system once you start growing. You can always consult your parents, school counsellor, or gynaecologist about personal hygiene and a healthy lifestyle.

There are two major functions of the external female reproductive system. First, it protects the internal organs in the reproductive system from infectious organisms. Second, it enables the male gamete or sperm to enter the body. So, what are these external organs?

The primary external organs of the female reproductive system are:

Labia Majora: Also known as the large lips. This is the most external part of the reproductive system that is enclosed and protects the other external organs of the system. While you are growing or in your puberty phase, you can observe some hair growth on the skin of this part that contains sweat and oil-secreting glands.

Labia Minora: You can also call this part the small lips because it lies just beneath the labia majora. This part can have a wide range of shapes and sizes that surround the openings of the vagina and urethra. You can observe the skin of this part is very sensitive and can be easily irritated and swollen.

Bartholin’s Glands: These glands are located near the opening of each side of the vagina to produce a mucus secretion.

Clitoris: It is the small, sensitive protrusion where the two labia minora meet. It is covered by a fold of skin, which is known as the prepuce which is similar to the foreskin at the end of the penis in boys. Just like the penis, this part is also very sensitive to stimulation.

To enhance your comfort and have healthy external organs of the reproductive system, you must always utilize products that are safe, natural, eco-friendly, toxin-free, hygienic, and organic.

You must know that every internal organ of the female reproductive system has some specific function that supports reproduction. You can get a better idea about the internal organs and their functions when you go through the below list:

Vagina: This is the outermost internal organ of the female reproductive system. It starts from the uterus towards the vulva, which is the external genitalia. The major function of this organ is to enhance menstruation and sexual intercourse and to support childbirth. The actual position of the vagina is posterior to the urinary bladder and anterior to the rectum. As it facilitates childbirth, this organ is also known as the birth canal.

A hymen is a very thin piece of skin-like tissue that partly encloses the opening of the vagina. As every girl is different, so are their hymen. Mostly, hymens got stretched or torn in women while experiencing their first sexual intercourse. They may bleed a little after this stretch. However, there are a lot of women who don’t have any change in their hymen even after the first sexual intercourse. Many girls who are into sports have stretched their hymen already even before they experience their first intercourse.

Uterus: This part is also known as the womb and has the shape and size of a pear. You must be amazed to know that this part comprises muscular walls and endometrial lining, which extends and diminishes with each menstrual cycle. This endometrial lining gets thicker after ovulation to prepare for a fertilized egg. If no fertilization occurs, this lining sheds after two weeks. The breaking down of this lining occurs in the form of blood that leaves your body through the vagina. You must have heard of this process, which is known as menstruation or period. You must follow a certain hygienic regime to maintain your healthy lifestyle. You must use organic sanitary pads like Bamboo sanitary pads to get hassle-free, odour-free, infection-free, plastic-free, and fragrance-free menstruation.

If fertilization occurs, the fertilized egg will then implant into the lining of the uterus and begin to grow to become an embryo. This embryo then grows into a foetus that receives its nutrients and oxygen from the placenta via the umbilical cord.

Ovaries: Mostly, females have two ovaries that are located on each side of the uterus. The shape and size of these ovaries are similar to almonds. Every ovary has two main functions. First to produce hormones and second to release eggs. There are around seven lakhs oocytes that are immature eggs in both ovaries. During puberty, these eggs mature inside the ovary follicles and every month, one mature egg is released by the ovaries. This process is known as ovulation.

Fallopian Tubes: These tubes are narrow and attached to the upper part of the uterus. Through these narrow tubes, ova travel from the ovaries to the uterus. Most of the time, these tubes serve as the part where fertilization of an egg by a sperm occurs. After fertilization, the fertilized egg then travels to the uterus where it attaches to the endometrial lining.

Now, when you know all about the female reproductive system and the functions of all organs, you are all set to take good care of your vaginal health. Just remember, it is always better to have a friendly chat with an adult friend or your parents if you are confused about vaginal hygiene or its health.