THE FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

Medical Science 2 Leader: Members: Felicitas, Carla Belangel, Nicole Cosare, Bernadette Dagala, Andie Daquioag, Leah Gonzales, Celina Salgado, Darryl Tobias, Katrina Velasquez, Alixson Yulo, Samantha

The Female Reproductive System The female reproductive system is designed to carry out several functions. FUNCTIONS: -produces the female egg cells necessary for reproduction, called the ova or oocytes -transport the ova to the site of fertilization. Conception, the fertilization of an egg by a sperm, normally occurs in the fallopian tubes. After conception, the uterus offers a safe and favorable environment for a baby to develop before it is time for it to make its way into the outside world. If fertilization does not take place, the system is designed to menstruate (the monthly shedding of the uterine lining). -it produces female sex hormones that maintain the reproductive cycle. During menopause the female reproductive system gradually stops making the female hormones necessary for the reproductive cycle to work. When the body no longer produces these hormones a woman is considered to be menopausal. What parts make-up the female anatomy? The female reproductive anatomy includes internal and external structures. The function of the external female reproductive structures (the genital) is twofold: To enable sperm to enter the body and to protect the internal genital organs from infectious organisms. The main external structures of the female reproductive system include:

Labia majora: The labia majora enclose and protect the other external reproductive organs. Literally translated as "large lips," the labia majora are relatively large and fleshy, and are comparable to the scrotum in males. The labia majora contain sweat and oil-secreting glands. After puberty, the labia majora are covered with hair. Labia minora: Literally translated as "small lips," the labia minora can be very small or up to 2 inches wide. They lie just inside the labia majora, and surround the openings to the vagina (the canal that joins the lower part of the uterus to the outside of the body) and urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body). Bartholins glands: These glands are located next to the vaginal opening and produce a fluid (mucus) secretion. Clitoris: The two labia minora meet at the clitoris, a small, sensitive protrusion that is comparable to the penis in males. The clitoris is covered by a fold of skin, called the

prepuce, which is similar to the foreskin at the end of the penis. Like the penis, the clitoris is very sensitive to stimulation and can become erect. The internal reproductive organs include:

Vagina: The vagina is a canal that joins the cervix (the lower part of uterus) to the outside of the body. It also is known as the birth canal. Uterus (womb): The uterus is a hollow, pear-shaped organ that is the home to a developing fetus. The uterus is divided into two parts: the cervix, which is the lower part that opens into the vagina, and the main body of the uterus, called the corpus. The corpus can easily expand to hold a developing baby. A channel through the cervix allows sperm to enter and menstrual blood to exit. Ovaries: The ovaries are small, oval-shaped glands that are located on either side of the uterus. The ovaries produce eggs and hormones. Fallopian tubes: These are narrow tubes that are attached to the upper part of the uterus and serve as tunnels for the ova (egg cells) to travel from the ovaries to the uterus. Conception, the fertilization of an egg by a sperm, normally occurs in the fallopian tubes. The fertilized egg then moves to the uterus, where it implants to the uterine wall.

LAYERS OF THE UTERUS

Endometrium -The lining of the uterine cavity is called the "endometrium". It builds a lining periodically which is shed or reabsorbed if no pregnancy occurs. Shedding of the functional endometrial lining is responsible for menstrual bleeding. Myometrium -The uterus mostly consists of smooth muscle, known as "myometrium." The innermost layer of myometrium is known as the junctional zone, which becomes thickened in adenomyosis. Perimetrium -The loose connective tissue around the uterus.

What happens during the menstrual cycle? Females of reproductive age (anywhere from 11-16 years) experience cycles of hormonal activity that repeat at about one-month intervals. The average age is 12, but every girl's body has its own schedule. (Menstru means "monthly"; hence the term menstrual cycle.) With every cycle, a womans body prepares for a potential pregnancy, whether or not that is the womans intention. The term menstruation refers to the periodic shedding of the uterine lining. The average age of menopause is 51 years old. But there is no way to predict when an individual woman will have menopause or begin having symptoms suggestive of menopause. The age at which a woman starts having menstrual periods is also not related to the age of menopause onset. Most women reach menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, but menopause may occur as earlier as the 30s or 40s or may not occur until a woman reaches her 60s. As a rough "rule of thumb," women tend to undergo menopause at an age similar to that of their mothers. The average menstrual cycle takes about 28 days and occurs in phases: the follicular phase, the ovulatory phase (ovulation), and the luteal phase. There are four major hormones (chemicals that stimulate or regulate the activity of cells or organs) involved in the menstrual cycle: follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estrogen, and progesterone. FSH is primarily responsible for stimulating growth of the ovarian follicle, which includes the developing egg, the cells surrounding the egg that produce the hormones needed to support a pregnancy, and the fluid around the egg. As the follicle grows, an increasing amount of the

hormone estrogen is produced by the cells in the follicle and released into the bloodstream. Estrogen causes the endometrium (lining of the uterus) to thicken before ovulation occurs. The higher blood levels of estrogen will also tell the hypothalamus and pituitary gland to slow the production and release of FSH. LH also helps to increase the amount of estrogen produced by the follicle cells. However, its main function is to cause ovulation. The sharp rise in the blood level of LH that triggers ovulation is called the LH surge. After ovulation, the group of hormone-producing follicle cells become the corpus luteum, which will produce estrogen and large amounts of another hormone, progesterone. Progesterone causes the endometrium to mature so that it can support implantation of the fertilized egg or embryo. If implantation of a fertilized egg does not occur, the levels of estrogen and progesterone decrease, the endometrium sloughs off, and menstruation occurs.

Follicular phase This phase starts on the first day of your period. During the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, the following events occur:

Two hormones, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) are released from the brain and travel in the blood to the ovaries. The hormones stimulate the growth of about 15-20 eggs in the ovaries each in its own "shell," called a follicle. These hormones (FSH and LH) also trigger an increase in the production of the female hormone estrogen. As estrogen levels rise, like a switch, it turns off the production of follicle-stimulating hormone. This careful balance of hormones allows the body to limit the number of follicles that complete maturation, or growth. As the follicular phase progresses, one follicle in one ovary becomes dominant and continues to mature. This dominant follicle suppresses all of the other follicles in the group. As a result, they stop growing and die. The dominant follicle continues to produce estrogen.

Ovulatory phase The ovulatory phase, or ovulation, starts about 14 days after the follicular phase started. The ovulatory phase is the midpoint of the menstrual cycle, with the next menstrual period starting about 2 weeks later. During this phase, the following events occur:

The rise in estrogen from the dominant follicle triggers a surge in the amount of luteinizing hormone that is produced by the brain.

This causes the dominant follicle to release its egg from the ovary. As the egg is released (a process called ovulation) it is captured by finger-like projections on the end of the fallopian tubes (fimbriae). The fimbriae sweep the egg into the tube. Also during this phase, there is an increase in the amount and thickness of mucus produced by the cervix (lower part of the uterus.) If a woman were to have intercourse during this time, the thick mucus captures the man's sperm, nourishes it, and helps it to move towards the egg for fertilization.

Luteal phase The luteal phase begins right after ovulation and involves the following processes:

Once it releases its egg, the empty follicle develops into a new structure called the corpus luteum. The corpus luteum secretes the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Progesterone prepares the uterus for a fertilized egg to implant. If intercourse has taken place and a man's sperm has fertilized the egg (a process called conception), the fertilized egg (embryo) will travel through the fallopian tube to implant in the uterus. The woman is now considered pregnant. If the egg is not fertilized, it passes through the uterus. Not needed to support a pregnancy, the lining of the uterus breaks down and sheds, and the next menstrual period begins.

Breast Anatomy Adipose tissue A collection of fat cells which the female breast is mostly made up of. It protects the breast from injuries. Nipple Round pigmented protrusion on the breast that contains 15-20 pores through which the milk flows. Areola An area of skin that that surrounds the nipple. It is darker than the rest of the breast skin. Montgomerys glands Seen as small bumps that are scattered on the surface of the areola. During pregnancy, the glands enlarge and secrete a lubricating and protective substance that discourages bacterial growth. Lactiferous ducts Small tubesthattransport milk from the mammary gland lobules to the nipple. It has a wide, sac-like area found underneath the areola called the ampulla or lactiferous sinus. Coopers (suspensory) ligaments Dense strands of connective tissue that attach the breast to the chest wall tosupport its weight and keep it from sagging. Mammary gland lobes The mammary gland contains 15-20 irregularly shaped lobes, separated by dense connective tissues that act as support. Each lobe includes alveolar glands and a lactiferous duct. Mammary gland lobules Each mammary gland lobe is further divided into 20-40 lobules. It contains 10-100 alveoli. (Alveoli epithelial grape-like cluster of cells where milk is produced.)

Female Breast Developmental Stages Stage 1 (Pre-adolescent) Only the tip of the nipple is raised Stage 2 Buds appear, breast and nipple raised, and the areola enlarges Stage 3 Breasts are slightly larger with glandular breast tissue present Stage 4 The areola and nipple become raised and form a second mound above the rest of the breast Stage 5 Mature adult breast; the breast becomes rounded and only the nipple is raised

Benefits of breastfeeding: 1. Breast milk is packed with disease-fighting substances that protect your baby from illness. -Stomach viruses, lower respiratory illnesses, ear infections, and meningitis occur less often in breastfed babies and are less severe when they do happen -Breastfeeding for at least 6 months offer the most protection -The main immune factor at work here is a substance called secretory immunoglobulin A (the substance guards against invading germs by forming a protective layer on the mucous membranes in your baby's intestines, nose, and throat). 2. Breastfeeding can protect your baby from developing allergies -Scientists think that immune factors such as secretory IgA (only available in breast milk) help prevent allergic reactions to food by providing a layer of protection to a baby's intestinal tract. -Babies who are fed formula rather than breast milk don't get this layer of protection, so they're more vulnerable to inflammation, allergies, and other eventual health issues. 3. Breastfeeding may boost your child's intelligence -Various researchers have found a connection between breastfeeding and cognitive development. -Another study of almost 4,000 children showed that babies who were breastfed had significantly higher scores on a vocabulary test at 5 years of age than children who were not breastfed. 4. Breastfeeding may protect your child from obesity -Breast milk contains less insulin than formula. (Insulin stimulates the creation of fat.) -Breastfed babies have more leptin in their system, a hormone that researchers believe plays a role in regulating appetite and fat. 5. Breastfeeding may lower your baby's risk of SIDS -The researchers concluded that exclusive breastfeeding at 1 month of age cut the risk of SIDS in half. -SIDS = Sudden Infant Death Syndrome 6. Breastfeeding can reduce your stress level and your risk of postpartum depression -Many women report feeling relaxed while breastfeeding. That's because nursing triggers the release of the hormone oxytocin. -Oxytocin released while nursing also helps your uterus contract after birth, resulting in less postpartum bleeding. 7. Breastfeeding may reduce your risk of some types of cancer -Numerous studies have found that the longer women breastfeed, the more they're protected against breast and ovarian cancer.

___________________________________________________________________________ The Tanner Stages Because the onset and progression of puberty are so variable, Tanner has proposed a scale, now uniformly accepted, to describe the onset and progression of pubertal changes. Boys and girls are rated on a 5 point scale. Boys are rated for genital development and pubic hair growth, and girls are rated for breast development and pubic hair growth. Pubic hair growth in females is staged as follows: Stage I (Preadolescent) - Vellos hair develops over the pubes in a manner not greater than that over the anterior wall. There is no sexual hair. Stage II - Sparse, long, pigmented, downy hair, which is straight or only slightly curled, appears. These hairs are seen mainly along the labia. This stage is difficult to quantitate on black and white photographs, particularly when pictures are of fair-haired subjects. Stage III - Considerably darker, coarser, and curlier sexual hair appears. The hair has now spread sparsely over the junction of the pubes. Stage IV - The hair distribution is adult in type but decreased in total quantity. There is no spread to the medial surface of the thighs. Stage V - Hair is adult in quantity and type and appears to have an inverse triangle of the classically feminine type. There is spread to the medial surface of the thighs but not above the base of the inverse triangle. In young women, the Tanner stages for breast development are as follows: Stage I (Preadolescent) - Only the papilla is elevated above the level of the chest wall. Stage II - (Breast Budding) - Elevation of the breasts and papillae may occur as small mounds along with some increased diameter of the areolae. Stage III - The breasts and areolae continue to enlarge, although they show no separation of contour. Stage IV - The areolae and papillae elevate above the level of the breasts and form secondary mounds with further development of the overall breast tissue. Stage V - Mature female breasts have developed. The papillae may extend slightly above the contour of the breasts as the result of the recession of the aerolae.

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