Structures of the Female Reproductive System Flashcards
What are the ovaries?
small glands connected to the fallopian tubes
What do the ovaries do?
they produce the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone as well as ova
What are the fallopian tubes?
funnel-shaped passages next to the ovary
What are fimbriae?
finger-like projections that sweep the eggs released by the ovaries into the fallopian tubes
What is the uterus and what does it do?
it is a hollow cavity that exists to house a developing fertilized egg
What are the layers of the uterus?
the perimetrium which lines the outside, the myometrium which is the middle layer that is made up of smooth muscle, and the endometrium which is the inner layer
What layer of the uterus is shed during a woman’s period?
the endometrium
What is the cervix?
the lower, narrow end of the uterus that forms a canal between the uterus and the vagina
What is the vagina?
an elastic, muscular tube that connects the cervix of the uterus to the exterior of the body
What is the purpose of the vagina?
to act as the receptacle for the penis during sexual intercourse and to serve as the birth canal of the fetus during childbirth
What is the role of the testicles?
to store and produce millions of sperm cells and hormones
What is the vas deferens?
a muscular tube that passes upward alongside the testicles and transports the semen
What is the epididymis?
a set of coiled tubes that connects to the vas deferens
What is the scrotum?
a thin external sac located under the penis
What is contained inside the scrotum?
the epididymis and the testicles
