Reproductive System Essay

Submitted By Kirsten-Nicolar
Words: 402
Pages: 2

The female reproductive system likewise contains two main divisions: the vagina and uterus, which will receive the semen, and the ovaries, which produces the ova. The vagina is attached to the uterus through the cervix, while the uterus is attached to the ovaries through the Fallopian tubes. At certain intervals, the ovaries release an ovum, which passes through the fallopian tube into the uterus.
The reproductive function of the uterus is to accept a fertilized ovum which passes through the utero-tubal junction from the fallopian tubes. It implants into the endometrium, and derives nourishment from blood vessels which develop exclusively for this purpose. The fertilized ovum becomes an embryo, attaches to a wall of the uterus, creates a placenta, and develops into a fetus(gestates) until childbirth. Due to anatomical barriers such as the pelvis, the uterus is pushed partially into the abdomen due to its expansion during pregnancy.
The ova, which are the female sex cells, are much larger than the spermatozoon and are normally formed within the ovaries of the female fetus before its birth. They are mostly fixed in location within the ovary until their transit to the uterus, and contain nutrients for the later zygote and embryo. Over a regular interval, in response to hormonal signals, a process of oogenesis matures one ovum which is released and sent down the Fallopian tube.
The fertilization of the ovum with the sperm occurs at the ampullary-isthimic junction only. The ovum meets with Spermatozoon, a sperm may penetrate and merge with the egg,