Female Genitalia Flashcards
What are the 4 components of the female genitalia?
Mons pubis
Clitoris
Labia majora & minora
Vestibule
What is the mons pubis?
- a fatty mound
- anterior to pubic symphysis
- cushions pubic symphysis and vulva during intercourse
What is the clitoris?
- a V shaped erectile organ (homologous to male penis)
- at the meeting point of labia minora anteriorly
- the prepuce (anterior junction of labia majora) forms hood of clitoris
Anatomical components:
- root
- body
- glans (highly innervated & covered by prepuce)
- 2 corpora cavernosa (engorge with blood during sexual arousal)
- 2 crura (connecting clitoris to ischiopubic rami, covered by ishiocavernosus mm)
What is the vestibule?
- the ‘entrance hall’ / recess containing openings of external urethra and vagina
Anatomical components:
- bulbs of the vestibule (paired masses of erectile tissue either side of vaginal orifice, engorge when aroused to squeeze external urethral orifice shut)
- greater vestibular glands (female homologue of bulbourethral glands, release mucous into vestibule during arousal)
What is the function of the bulbs of the vestibule?
- engorge during sexual stimulation to squeeze external urethral orifice shut (located on either side of vaginal orifice)
What is the function of the greater vestibular glands of the vestibule?
- release mucous into vestibule during arousal (homologous to bulbourethral glands of penis)
What are the labia majora and minora?
Majora;
- folds of skin, subcutaneous tissue, smooth mm, sweat glands and sebaceous glands
- passes from mons pubis towards anus
- protects the vaginal and urethral openings
- contains termination of round ligament of uterus
- pudendal cleft: split between labia majora
- connect anteriorly at the prepuce (hood of clitoris) and posteriorly at the fouorchette
Minora:
- thin folds of fat free hairless skin
- enclosed in pudendal cleft
- surrounds vestibule
What is the arterial and venous supply of the external female genitalia?
Arterial:
- external pudendal (from femoral)
- internal pudendal (from internal iliac)
Venous:
- labial veins (to internal pudendal vein)
What is the innervation of the external female genitalia?
Sensory:
- anterior labial nerve (from ilioinguinal L1)
- genital branch of genitofemoral nerve (L1-2)
- perineal branch of posterior femoral cutaneous nerve (S1-3)
- posterior labial nerve (from pudendal S2-4-)
PNS motor:
- pelvic splanchnic S2-4
- increases vaginal secretions, erection of clitoris and bulbs of vestibule
What is the lymphatic drainage of the external female genitalia?
- superficial and deep inguinal
- internal iliac
What is the vulva?
The collective name for the external genitalia of the female anatomy (mons pubis, clitoris, labia majora and minora, vestibule)
What are the fourchette and the prepuce?
The anatomical areas where the labia majora meet
- the prepuce (anterior, hood of clitoris)
- the fourchette (posterior)
