3.44 Female Reproductive System

The female reproductive system is where a baby will gradually grow. Discover how sperm enters into the female reproductive system, where eggs are produced and later fertilized, and the uterus where a baby is nurtured until its birth.

Female Reproductive System

The female reproductive system is what makes girls develop into women. If they choose, women are able to reproduce by growing babies.

The internal body parts involved in the female reproductive system are:

• Ovaries
• Fallopian tubes
• Uterus
• Vagina

There are also external body parts associated with the female reproductive system, including the vulva, labia, and clitoris. However, in this lesson we are only going to explore those parts located completely inside the female body.

1. Main points:

The female reproductive system, responsible for development into womanhood and the ability to reproduce, includes internal parts like the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, and vagina.

2. Questions:

• Content Analysis: What are the internal parts of the female reproductive system?
• Contextual Analysis: How do these internal parts contribute to a woman’s reproductive capabilities?
• Linguistic Analysis: What words in the text emphasize the role of the female reproductive system in development and reproduction?

3. Further Discussion:

Why is it important to understand the functions of the different parts of the female reproductive system?

4. Answers:

• Content Analysis: "The internal body parts involved in the female reproductive system are: Ovaries, Fallopian tubes, Uterus, Vagina."
• Contextual Analysis: These parts work together to enable women to "develop into women" and "reproduce by growing babies."
• Linguistic Analysis: Words like "develop," "reproduce," "growing babies," and "internal body parts" emphasize the role of the female reproductive system.

Internal Parts

The ovary is an organ that contains thousands of tiny eggs. In fact, these eggs are so tiny, you need a microscope to see them. Now, these eggs, if fertilized by a male’s sperm, have the potential to grow into a baby. From the time a girl is born, her ovaries already contain all the eggs she will ever have. The ovaries do not make eggs but simply store them during a woman’s lifetime.

An easy way to remember the function of an ovary is to simply remember its shape. An ovary looks like an egg lying on its side, and that’s exactly what the ovary is: an egg warehouse.

Another job of the ovaries is to release hormones. During puberty, a lot of these hormones are released, which cause breasts to develop and menstruation, also known as a period to begin. Later, if a woman becomes pregnant, these same hormones help the woman to grow a baby.

The fallopian tubes are thin, tunnel-like structures that connect the ovary to the uterus. Remember the eggs inside the ovary? Well, once puberty begins, hormones trigger the body to release an egg, about one every month. The ejected egg is caught by the finger-like extensions on the end of the fallopian tube. The fallopian tube then gently pushes the egg towards the uterus.

An upside-down, pear-shaped organ called the uterus, also known as the womb, makes a lining where a fertilized egg can grow into a baby. The function of the uterus is to grow a baby. In anticipation of possibly growing a baby, the uterus builds up a fluffy, blood-filled lining of tissue every month.

If an egg is fertilized by a male’s sperm, the egg will implant into this fluffy layer and begin to morph into a baby. However, if the egg is not fertilized, then the uterus will shed this fluffy, blood-filled lining. After the shedding is complete, the uterus will begin to build up a new lining.

The walls of the uterus are made of muscle, which enables the uterus to change shape. Without a baby, the uterus measures about the size of a business card. With a baby, the uterus can get as large as a watermelon!

Lastly, the vagina is the large, tunnel-like structure that connects the uterus to the outside of the body. Basically it connects the internal female body parts to the external female body parts.

1. Main points:

The female reproductive system includes the ovaries (egg storage and hormone release), fallopian tubes (egg transport), uterus (fertilized egg development), and vagina (connecting the uterus to the external body). The ovaries contain all the eggs a woman will have, and the uterus builds a lining each month for potential fertilization.

2. Questions:

• Content Analysis: What are the functions of the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, and vagina in the female reproductive system?
• Contextual Analysis: How do these parts work together in the process of reproduction?
• Linguistic Analysis: What words in the text describe the roles and characteristics of these reproductive organs?

3. Further Discussion: Why is the hormonal function of the ovaries important for a woman’s reproductive health?

4. Answers:

• Content Analysis: "Ovaries… store eggs… release hormones… Fallopian tubes… connect the ovary to the uterus… Uterus… where a fertilized egg can grow into a baby… Vagina… connects the uterus to the outside of the body."
• Contextual Analysis: The ovaries release eggs, which travel through the fallopian tubes to the uterus, where fertilization can occur, and the vagina serves as the passageway connecting the internal to the external.
• Linguistic Analysis: Words like "store," "release," "connect," "grow," and "change shape" describe the roles and characteristics of these reproductive organs.

Lesson Summary

In summary, the ovaries store eggs and release the hormones necessary for puberty and pregnancy. The fallopian tubes connect the ovaries to the uterus. The uterus makes a lining where a fertilized egg can grow into a baby. If an egg is not fertilized, the uterus sheds its lining through the vagina, the large, tunnel-like structure that connects the uterus to the outside of the body.