Female Genitourinary System - Overview Flashcards
What are the gonads (ovaries)?
The female reproductive organs
Where do the ovaries develop?
Develop high in posterior abdominal wall then descend before birth bringing vessels and nerves with them
Do the ovaries descend further than the testes in males?
No the ovaries stop at the lateral wall of the pelvic cavity and lie just inferior to the pelvis inlet within the peritoneum
How long at the ovaries?
3cm
What are the ovaries suspended in?
Mesovarium
What are the ovaries a site of?
Ovum release and the production and release of the female sex hormones (oestrogen and progesterone)
When does women’s ova begin to run out?
At approximately 50 years of age. The menstrual cycle become erratic and fertility declines
What does loss of ovaries result in?
Decrease amount of sex hormones
What happens to the body during menopause?
The sexual organs atrophy and breast tissues atrophies. The skin becomes thinner and hot flushes may occur
