The female reproductive organs include several key structures, such as the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and vulva. These organs are involved in fertility, conception, pregnancy, and childbirth. The reproductive organs also have a significant influence on other aspects of health. For example, the ovaries create hormones that impact bone density, cholesterol levels, heart health, and mood.
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The cervix, womb and ovaries
Collectively, these parts are called the vulva. Rich with nerves, the vulva can provide sexual pleasure when properly stimulated. The vagina is a muscular tube about three to four inches long that ends the birth canal. The vaginal opening is visible from the outside but it is protected by the labia when a woman stands and during most activities. The labia majora are two folds of skin that extend from the front of the vaginal opening to the back of it. The outer surfaces of the folds have darker-colored skin and stronger hairs, while the inner folds are smoother. The labia majora join to form the cleft shape of the female genitals. This is also known as the pudendal cleft or the cleft of Venus, after the Roman goddess of love. Between the labia majora are the labia minora , two folds of skin that also extend down from the clitoris and around the vaginal opening. These vary in size from woman to woman.
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NCBI Bookshelf. The female sex organs make it possible for women to become pregnant and give birth to children. But they have other important jobs, too: They produce hormones, control the process of girls maturing into grown women, and make sex and sexual pleasure possible. Like men, women have external and internal sex organs. The external sex organs allow for sexual intercourse and sexual pleasure. The skin and mucous membranes on the external sex organs — especially on the head glans of the clitoris, the inner labia and the vaginal vestibule — have a lot of nerves and are very sensitive. As a result, touching and rubbing this area can cause sexual arousal and increased pleasure that may lead to orgasm.
The ovaries produce eggs ova. There are 2 of them, deep in the pelvis, one on each side of the uterus womb , close to the ends of the fallopian tubes. The ovaries at birth contain all the eggs they will ever have. Each month during ovulation, one egg matures and is released from an ovary. The egg travels down the fallopian tube toward the uterus. If the egg is fertilized by a sperm from the male reproductive system in the fallopian tube, the fertilized egg attaches itself implants to the lining of the uterus called the endometrium. Once implanted, the fertilized egg grows in the uterus, becoming an embryo and then a fetus.
