Female Reproductive System. Today you’ll learn about the organs that make up the female reproductive system and how they function. During puberty, females

Female Reproductive System

Today you’ll learn about the organs that make up the female reproductive system and how they function. During puberty, females become capable of becoming pregnant and having a baby. Each of the organs you’ll learn about today plays a role.

The external female reproductive organs—the labia majora, labia minora, clitoris, urinary opening, and vaginal

opening—are collectively referred to as the vulva.

Female Reproductive Organs - External

The mons pubis is the fatty tissue covering the pubic bone.


The labia majora (outer lips) and the labia minora (inner lips) are folds of skin that surround and protect the other external reproductive parts: the clitoris, vaginal opening, and urethral

opening.


The clitoris is about the size of a pea and is full of sensitive nerve endings. Its purpose is to

provide sexual pleasure.


Below the clitoris is the urinary opening. Urine leaves the body through this opening.


Below the urethral opening is the opening to the vagina—a muscular tunnel that is about 4 inches long. The vagina connects the female’s external and internal

sex organs. This is where menstrual fluid leaves the body. It’s where the male’s penis is inserted during intercourse. It’s also the passage through which a baby is

born, so it’s sometimes called “the birth canal”.


The internal female reproductive organs include the vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes and

ovaries.

The uterus is a pear-shaped organ, about the size of a fist. It is one of the strongest muscles in the body. It’s where a

fertilized egg grows and develops while a woman is pregnant.

Female Reproductive Organs - Internal

The ovaries are almond-sized organs that make female hormones and hold the female’s eggs. At birth, the

ovaries contain more that 300,000 egg cells.


The fallopian tubes come out of each side of the uterus. An egg travels from an ovary through a fallopian tube into the uterus. Fertilization happens when a male sperm enters the female egg

while it is in the fallopian tube.


The cervix is the end of the uterus that opens into the vagina. During pregnancy, it stays

tightly closed to help protect the fetus.


Turn to “Female Reproductive Organs” on page 6.

Take a card that will either have a term, or a definition on it. Find right term or definition to match your card. Sit in a desk next to that person. When everyone

is done we will go through the worksheet together based on your definitions.

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Female Reproductive System. Today you’ll learn about the organs that make up the female reproductive system and how they function. During puberty, females