Chapter 3 FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
p. 22
both mother and daughter have the same body systems
but the little girl is unable to produce offspring until she passes through puberty
during puberty her reproductive organs will mature
p. 23
Female Reproductive Organs
Organs are located both inside and outside the body
protected by the
def. PELVIC GIRDLE – a ring of bone that protects
the female
reproductive organs located inside the body
Beginning at puberty
Ovaries produce female hormones and eggs
Estrogen
– responsible for the development of female traits
Progesterone
– prepares the uterus for possible pregnancy &
the breasts for supplying milk for a newborn baby
p. 23 – 24
QUIZ
– on the following for the girls but the boys may take for extra credit
MUST
be learned in the order that they occur
PATH OF THE EGG
2. Fallopian tube – passage way to the uterus
egg breaks down after 24 hours
3. uterus – does not
attach to the blood lining of the uterus
4. cervix – lower end
of the uterus
5. vagina – passage way out of the body during
menstruation
14 days
later
1. OVARY – egg matures and is released from a
follicle
2. Fallopian tube – egg is fertilized by a
sperm
3. uterus – fertilized egg attaches to the
blood lining
(takes
about 7 days)
nine
months of pregnancy while the baby develops
4. cervix – dilates during labor
5. vagina –
birth canal for the full term baby
QUIZ
- <separate quiz but need to know
diagrams on p. 24 & 25
Boys
may take this quiz for extra credit
p. 24
uterus or womb
hollow, pear shaped organ that lies between the two ovaries
about 3 inches long & the size of a girl’s fist
stretches as the baby grows then after birth
returns to original size in about 6 weeks
newborn baby / 18 – 20 inches in length
6 – 10 pounds
def. HYMEN – a ring of tissue inside the opening of the
vagina
common
for a girl to stretch or break her hymen during vigorous activities
THIS IS
NORMAL
a broken
hymen DOES NOT harm the function of the reproductive system
p. 25
1. def. vulva – outer opening of the vagina covered by two folds of skin
def.
clitoris – female genital at the top of the vulva filled w/nerve
endings
and blood vessels
very sensitive - in the male it is the GLANS (p. 18)
2. def. urethra - the opening through which urine leaves the
female body
3. def. anus – the opening through which solid
waste leaves the body
NOTE: a female infant or all females should never clean themselves from
back to front after a bowel movement
ALWAYS clean away from the center opening to the female body
at birth a girl is born with thousands of immature eggs inside her two ovaries
each egg lies within a def. follicle – a case of tissue
enclosing an egg
about a year after the girl’s growth spurt
her pituitary gland starts sending hormones to her ovaries
hormones signal the eggs to begin to mature
every month an egg and follicle in either the right or left ovary matures
when the egg is mature the follicle breaks open and
def. ovulation – the egg’s leaving of the ovary occurs
p. 26
when the egg moves away it enters the Fallopian tube on that side of the
body
def.
cilia –tiny hair like structures covering the surface of the
Fallopian tubes moves the egg into the tube and keeps the egg moving
inside the tube – movement is always toward the uterus
while
the egg is in the Fallopian tube def. fertilization – the joining of
A sperm with an egg may take place
a baby develops from a fertilized egg
all the eggs that enter the Fallopian tube do not become fertilized
if no sperm are present in the Fallopian tube
When an EGG IS FERTILIZED, it
moves to the uterus. The fertilized egg
attaches itself to the special lining of the uterus. The lining is needed to nourish the
developing baby, thus MENSTRUATION DOES NOT OCCUR.
Hormones monthly signal changes to take place in the uterus lining
1. cells in the lining increase in number
2. glands and blood vessels in the lining grow
blood vessels bring more blood to the lining
If the egg is NOT FERTILIZED
special lining is not needed
blood and tissue of the lining & the unfertilized egg
All pass from the body through the vagina
def.
menstruation – the flow of these materials from the body
def. menstrual period – the time during which a female is
menstruating
the length of the menstrual period varies from female to
female and from month to month
avg.
menstrual period is 5 days
can last from 2 days to as many as 8 days
THIS IS NORMAL
p. 27
def.
menstrual cycle – the time span between the beginning of
one menstrual period and the beginning
of the next
this
CYCLE is ABOUT 28 DAYS
no one can accurately predict when ovulation will occur
cycles vary from person to person
and from period to period
LOGGING A MENSTRUAL CYCLE WILL BE DONE IN CLASS ON THE
BACK OF THIS PAGE
Experiencing Menstruation
Two ounces of blood and tissue are lost
This process is a sign of HEALTH
Menstruation is a normal process
when there is no fertilized egg to grow in the specially prepared
lining of the uterus
the body has no use for the blood and tissue that are lost during
menstruation
p. 28
The First Period
def.
menarche – the female’s first period
usually very light
some girl’s experience slight discomfort during their first & following
periods
many girl’s are hardly aware that it is happening
after the first period
some girl’s go through 1 – 3 years of irregular cycles
some have regular periods right from the beginning
Premenstrual Tension
def.
changes in their bodies just before their period
but this can occur a few days to two weeks before the onset of menstruation
1. pain in the lower back
2. tenderness of the breasts
3. a “full feeling / bloating
4. mood changes
5. headaches
6. depression
7. irritability
8. food binging
most
women w/ PMS have some but not all of the symptoms
symptoms
seem to be lessened by
reducing
salt and caffeine
exercising
eating
a balanced diet
getting
adequate rest
SOME
HAVE LITTLE OR NO PREMENSTRUAL TENSION
Types of Sanitary Products
Pads or Napkins – worn outside the body
taped to wearer’s underpants
soaks up the flow and protects clothing
Changed several times per day
Dispose
roll up the pad in toilet tissue &
place in waste container
p. 29
tampons – inserted into the vagina to absorb the menstrual flow before
the flow leaves the body
a string on the end of the tampon is left out of the vagina to
allow for the removal of the tampon
should be changed frequently / every
few hours
disposed of in the toilet when it is removed
When Menstruation Stops
1.
def. menopause – the permanent end of menstruation
2. pregnancy – this is a temporary end until
after the baby is born
p. 30
Health Routine During Menstruation
1. Exercise
daily
exercise helps strengthen the muscles of the abdomen & back
girl’s
w/strong back & abdominal muscles often do not feel much
discomfort
before & during menstrual periods
2. Bathe daily
helps prevent the smell that develops from the blood & tissue that is
associated with the flow
3. Wipe from front to back after bowel movements
keep germs from the anus from entering the urethral & vaginal openings
which could cause an infection