Anatomy of the Female Reproductive System - Video Tutorials & Practice Problems
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1
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The Ovaries
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Let's begin our section on female reproductive anatomy by talking about the ovaries. So the ovaries are paired organs, so there are 2 of them, and they produce and store oocytes, which are immature eggs. And the ovaries basically flank the uterus. So there's one on either side. So you can see one here and here. And before we go forward, I do want to clarify something. So pretty much all images of the uterus, uterine tubes, and ovaries depict them the way that we have shown here where it looks like the uterine tube and the ovary are actually connected. However, that is not the case. In real life, the ovary and the uterine tube do not actually touch. So the uterine tube and the ovary are both suspended within the peritoneal cavity by a separate series of ligaments, and we will talk about that in a future video. So please keep in mind that even though in a lot of the images that we have included and are gonna be in your textbook, even though it looks like these structures are connected, they actually are not in real life. All right. So let's get into the anatomy of an ovary. So each ovary contains 3 major structures. So the first is the inner medulla, which is just the innermost part of the ovary, and this will house the blood vessels and nerves. Next up is the outer cortex, which is the outer part of the ovary, and this will, house follicles as well as the forming gametes or the reproductive cells. And, of course, in this case, the reproductive cells are gonna be those oocytes. And then, finally, there are the ovarian follicles. So the ovarian follicles are kind of sac like structures that basically consist of the oocyte which will be enclosed within layers and layers of cells. And we will talk about what kind of cells in our physiology section. So if you look at our image here, you can see this section in the middle comprised mainly of blood vessels. So that is our inner medulla. And then you can see the structure here on the outside with all those little eggs and follicles that is the outer cortex. And then these structures here are the ovarian follicles. Now we're gonna talk about this much more in our physiology section, but just to give you an idea of what you're looking at here because because it can be a little confusing, basically what happens is that these follicles start off quite small and they get larger and larger as more and more cells build up inside of them and so they're going to get larger and larger which is called ripening. So the the follicles here are basically ripening, they're getting larger and larger and eventually they get so large that they're gonna burst open. And that is when ovulation takes place. So you can see this little egg is now leaving the ovary and entering the peritoneal cavity there. And then eventually, that will heal so you can see that that that little, opening is getting smaller and smaller and eventually it will heal completely. What's pretty cool is that actually in older women, you can see that the surface of the ovary is gonna be covered in, like, little scars and pockmarks from how often this has occurred. So, again, we'll talk about that in more detail coming up, but just to give you an idea of what you're looking at there. Alright. So those are the ovaries and I'll see you guys in our next video. Bye bye.
2
example
Anatomy of the Female Reproductive System Example 1
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42s
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Okay. So oocytes develop within the blank and just looking at the answer choices here I can already eliminate c and d because I know that oocytes develop within the ovary and the uterus and the cervix are not ovaries so those are out. And then looking at the answer choices we are left with the inner medulla is going to be that inner portion of the ovary that mainly houses blood vessels and nerves so there is no oocyte production happening there. So a is out and we are left with b the ovarian follicles. So those ovarian follicles are those kind of sac like structures located on the outer cortex and these are the locations where oocytes develop. So our answer is b, the ovarian follicles.
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Problem
Problem
Where are the ovaries located in the female reproductive system?
A
Inferior to the vagina.
B
Near the cervix.
C
Within the uterus.
D
On either side of the uterus.
4
concept
The Uterine Tubes
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3m
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this video, we're going to be talking about the uterine tubes, also known as the fallopian tubes. So the uterine tubes are the initial or first part of the female duct system and they are going to be the structure that receives the ovulated oocyte and each uterine tube has 3 regions. So the first region is called the infundibulum and the infundibulum is the opening of the uterine tube into the peritoneal cavity. And infundibulum is a term used pretty commonly in anatomy and it's usually used to indicate that something has, like, a funnel like shape or a funnel like structure. So I always think of how infundibulum has the word fun in it just like funnel does and that kind of helps me remember that. Now the margin of the infundibulum or the end of it is going to be surrounded by ciliated projections called fimbri. So if you look down at our image here, you can see we have these, orange regions, those are the infundibulum, and then these little projections on the end are the fimbrae. And so remember, the ovary and the uterine tube are not actually connected. So what's happening here is the ovary will be, you know, suspended within the peritoneal cavity and the fimbrae will kind of drape over it and during ovulation the fimbri actually do this little waving motion and that creates a current in the fluid of that peritoneal cavity and so when the oocyte enters that fluid it gets kind of sucked up into the uterine tube through that current. It's pretty cool, right? So that's how the infundibulum works. Now, our middle portion of the tube is the ampulla and the ampulla is also the widest part of the uterine tube. And, again, ampulla is a term used pretty commonly in anatomy usually to indicate an expanded or wide structure. So I always think of how, like, an amp in music is, you know, it's gonna make your music louder and bigger and that's kind of what ampulla indicates. It's like the biggest or widest portion of a structure. So the ampulla is typically going to be the site of fertilization. So if you look at our image here, these portions in blue are the ampulla and you can see we have an egg and some sperm, meeting up there and getting fertilized and then that fertilized egg is traveling down the uterine tube. So we'll label that as our ampulla, and there are several reasons why the ampulla tends to be the site of fertilization. One just comes down to, like, basic timing. What we often see is that by the time an oocyte has been ovulated and is traveling up the tube this way, sperm have often kind of come up the uterus and become begun traveling up the tube from this direction and they just tend to kind of meet in the middle there. What we also see is that the uterine tube, particularly the ampulla, will be having, like, kind of little micro contractions that help propel the egg and sperm toward each other, again, having them just meet in the middle there. And also the mucosal lining of the ampulla, will have secretions that actually aids in sperm viability and motility, so that can kind of aid in that process as well. So, again, it does not have to be the site of fertilization but it commonly is. And then our final portion of the uterine tube is the isthmus, and the isthmus is the narrow portion of the uterine tube. And, again, isthmus is used pretty commonly in anatomy to indicate, like, a narrowing or the most narrow part of a structure, and this will be the part of the tube that actually empties into the superior lateral or top side portion of the uterus. So these sections here, this very narrow section there is the isthmus. We will go ahead and label that. Alrighty. So those are the urine tubes, and I will see you guys in our next video. Bye bye.
5
example
Anatomy of the Female Reproductive System Example 2
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1m
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Okay so which structure is typically the site of fertilization? So keep in mind that fertilization is largely just down to timing. So often what we see is that from the time an oocyte has been ovulated and entered the uterine tube and begun traveling down firm have entered the uterus and then entered the uterine tube and begun traveling up, and they just tend to meet in the middle which would be the ampulla. There are some additional anatomical reasons as to why the ampulla tends to be the site of fertilization though. So the smooth muscle contractions of the uterine tube particularly within the ampulla tend to kind of propel the egg and the sperm toward each other. We also know that the ampulla is the widest part of the uterine tube, ampulla meaning like an expanded structure, and so the egg and sperm literally just have more wiggle room to kind of do their thing and the mucosal lining of the ampulla actually secretes a substance that can help with sperm viability and motility. So For all of those reasons the ampulla tends to be the site of fertilization, and there you go.
6
concept
The Uterus
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this video we're going to be talking about the uterus. So the uterus is a hollow thick walled muscular organ in the pelvic cavity of females and its purpose is to receive, retain, and nourish a fertilized ovum or a mature egg. So we're just gonna move on down to this image and start labeling parts of the uterus and we're gonna begin over here talking about, kind of, the major portions of uterine anatomy. So we're going to begin with the uterine body. And the uterine body is really just the major portion of the uterus. It's just the vast majority of this organ is going to be referred to as the uterine body. Right below that, we have the isthmus of the uterus. And just like we saw in our last video, isthmus here refers to a narrowing region. So this is a narrow region of the uterus between the body and the cervix. So that is what that refers to here. And then finally, we have the cervix, which is sometimes called, like, the neck of the uterus. So that is located right here and it basically projects into the vagina. So this is the structure that separates the the uterus from the vagina, basically. So that's kind of the major breakdown, of the anatomical sections of the uterus. Now, moving up here, we have the fundus of the uterus. So this is a rounded region or the upper kind of rounded region that is superior to the entrance of the uterine tube. So the entrance of the uterine tube would be right here and this region is directly superior or above that and, as we mentioned, the uterus is a hollow organ so it has a lumen and lumen, like we always see in anatomy just refers to, like, a cavity. So the lumen is just the hollow or empty cavity within the uterus. Alright. So now kind of scooching down to talk more about the anatomy of the cervix. So first up, we have this opening right here which opens up basically from the cervix into the uterus, and that is known as the internal os. And I know that os is kind of a weird word. We usually think of bones when we hear os, so we think of, like, osteology or osteoporosis. But in gynecology, specifically, os refers to an opening. So the internal os is just the opening between the cervix and the uterus. And then I'm gonna just jump down to this one over here because this is the external os. So the external os is just the opening between the cervix and the vagina. So we have our internal and our external os or the internal and external openings basically of the cervix. And then right in the middle of those we have the cervical canal which is the actual cavity of the cervix. And the cervical canal is going to create a very thick mucus that basically plugs the external os and that prevents bacteria from entering the uterus during most times of the menstrual cycle. That mucus will thin out quite a bit, when ovulation is taking place to allow sperm to enter the uterus. But for the majority of the month, the uterus would be pretty protected from bacteria thanks to that nice thick mucus plugging up the external loss. Alright. So that is the anatomy of the uterus, and I will see you guys in the next one. Bye bye.
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example
Anatomy of the Female Reproductive System Example 3
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Okay so the narrowing portion of the uterus just above the cervix is the what. So looking at the answer choices here, remember that isthmus literally means narrowing so anytime we see the word isthmus we're going to be talking about a narrow part of a structure and that is true in the uterus, it's true in the uterine tubes, we have an isthmus in our colon and in our ureters. So isthmus literally just means narrowing portion so our answer there is going to be b. Looking quickly at our other answer choices remember lumen just means like the cavity of something so the lumen of the uterus is like the cavity of the uterus where a fetus would hypothetically grow. The cervical canal is basically the actual canal that makes up the cervix itself. It would not be located above it of course and then the fundus is kind of that rounded top portion of the uterus. So our answer here is going to be B, the isthmus is the narrowing portion of the uterus. And there you go.
8
concept
The Uterine Wall
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In this video, we're going to be going over the uterine wall. So the uterine wall is made up of 3 layers and if you look at these you can see how they all end in and metrium literally just means uterus, so that's why they all have the same suffix. So first up, we have the perimetrium which is the outer layer and peri is a prefix that just means surrounding. So this is the layer that surrounds the uterus. So if you look at our image this kind of dark pink layer on the outside there is our perimetrium. Next up we have our myometrium which is the middle layer. So I always think of the m in myometrium and the m in middle going together. And the myometrium is composed of interlacing bundles of smooth muscle. And, of course, the uterus has to have, very strong muscles to aid in the contractions that would push out a fetus. So if you look here, this kind of muscular middle layer there is our myometrium. And then finally, we have the endometrium which is the mucosa mucosa that lines the uterine cavity. So that's kind of light pink layer right up against the lumen or the cavity of the uterus is the endometrium. And the endometrium itself actually has 2 layers. So first up is the functional layer and the functional layer is the layer that undergoes cyclic changes in response to ovarian hormones. A different way to say that is that this is gonna be the layer of the endometrium that gets shed during menstruation or during the period. So if you look at our image here, we have a little zoom in on the endometrium. Just to kind of orient you to the image a little bit further, this right here would be the myometrium and then this would be, like, the cavity or the lumen of the uterus there. So this, layer here in this in this very kind of light pink peach color is the functional layer and, again, that would get shed during a woman's period. And right below that is the basal layer and the basal layer contains stem cells that will form a new functional layer when the old one sheds. So to give you a better idea of what the, what this would look like throughout the uterine cycle, we have this little graph here, and this graph is basically showing the entire endometrium, so the functional layer and this kind of dark pink basal layer here throughout the uterine cycle. So beginning at day 1, first day of the period, you've got ovulation happening around day 14, and then the entire thing is ending around day 28. You can see how at day 1 or the beginning of the period, the functional layer is declining as that is getting shed and and exiting the body. And then right after the period around days 56, that functional layer is basically gone, and we're left with just mostly basal layer. And then throughout the rest of that uterine cycle, that basal layer and the stem cells in that layer are going to build that functional layer back up until it's restored to its original size by the end of that cycle. So that is how the endometrium would change throughout the entire uterine cycle, and we will go over that more in our physiology section later on. Alright. So that is the uterine wall, and I will see you guys in our next video. Bye bye.
9
example
Anatomy of the Female Reproductive System Example 4
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55s
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This one asks us the endometrium undergoes monthly changes under the influence of which hormones? So the shedding of the endometrial lining or the uterine cycle is going to be primarily affected by the primary sex hormones for females which are estrogen and progesterone so our answer here is going to be b. Looking at the other answer choices we know that oxytocin is not considered a sex hormone so it's not going to be having any major influence on the uterine cycle. And while female bodies do produce testosterone like we've talked about and testosterone can affect female reproductive physiology in several different ways. For example it plays an important role in sexual arousal and follicle development. Testosterone does not directly affect the uterine cycle in any way. That's just going to be our primary sex hormones for females which are estrogen and progesterone. And there you go.
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Problem
Problem
Within the endometrium, the ________ layer is shed during menstruation and the ______ layer contains stem cells.
A
Functional; myometrium.
B
Functional; basal.
C
Perimetrium; myometrium.
D
Basal; functional.
11
concept
Vascular Supply of the Uterus
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1m
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this video, we're just going to cover some of the key points that you may need to know about the vascular supply to the uterus. So the uterine artery provides blood to the uterus and you can see the uterine artery over here and where it enters the uterus there. So we're gonna label that as our uterine artery. Alright. So that is the main blood supply to the uterus. Now the uterine artery sends branches into the uterine wall, so those branches are the straight arteries which will go to the basal layer of the endometrium as well as the spiral arteries which will go to the functional layer of the endometrium. So if you look at our image here and these are named pretty intuitively so you can see this nice straight artery right there down in the basal layer. That's going to be our straight artery. And then you can see this lovely spiral right there which extends up kind of further into that functional layer that is going to be the spiral artery and these are important because the vasoconstriction of the spiral arteries is what causes the shedding of the functional layer during menstruation or during a woman's period. So basically, right before the period takes place, we're gonna see some vasoconstriction of those spiral arteries, which essentially cuts off, oxygen supply and nutrient supply to the functional layer of the endometrium, which basically causes it to die off, which allows it to get shed during menstruation. And we'll talk about that a bit more in the physiology section as well. Alright, so that is our quick little video on the vascular supply of the uterus and I'll see you in the next one. Bye bye.
12
concept
Support Structures
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3m
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Alright. So female anatomy is supported by a series of ligaments. And the largest of these is called the broad ligament and the broad ligament has 3 parts to it. So that it has the mesometrium, mesosalpinks, and mesovarium and lucky for us it actually has a very intuitive naming convention. So if you look at our image here all of these terms in blue boxes are part of our broad ligament and we're going to start over here with our mesometrium. And you guys remember that atrium means uterus so this is the part of the broad ligament that will be supporting the uterus laterally or on the side. You can see that here and here. So it's basically up against the uterine body there. Next up we have our mesosalpinks and salpinks means tube. So this is the part of the broad ligament that is supporting the uterine tube. You can see that here in this kind of lighter blue color directly underneath those uterine tube. And then finally, we have our mesovarium, and ovarian refers to the ovary. So this is the part of the broad ligament that supports the ovary specifically and you can see that in this dark blue here and here, those kind of little portions of the ligament. So I want you to think of the broad ligament as kind of like shrink-wrap. That's basically going to come together and cover the uterus, the uterine tubes, and the ovary and kind of hold them all together and also help to anchor and suspend them again laterally to the sides of the abdomen. And one thing I want you to note also as we go forward is that for any structure that is supporting the ovary specifically, we have put it in a box with a dotted line around it. So mesovarium, this green box, and this, yellow box are all going to be structures that support the ovaries whereas the boxes with a solid outline are all going to be supporting the uterus and the uterine tube, so just keep that in mind as we go through these. Alright. So now we're going to move over to this purple box down here and this is our round ligament. So the round ligament is shown here and here in purple and this ligament is going to be anchoring the uterus to the anterior body wall or to the front of the body. And you can actually see this, very nicely in pregnant people because as the uterus grows and moves upward into the abdominal cavity, that round ligament stretches quite a bit, and pregnant people often experience something called round ligament pain as a result of that stretching. You can kind of think of how the round ligament goes with those round pregnant bellies to kind of help you remember that. Alright. Moving to this yellow box here, we are looking at the ovarian ligament, which is depicted here and here in yellow. And the ovarian ligament is gonna be anchoring the ovary to the uterus. And then finally, we have, these ligaments in green here and here, and these are called the suspensory ligament. And the suspensory ligaments are going to be suspending the ovary laterally to the pelvic wall as well and kind of helping to anchor it and hold it in place on either side there. Alright. So those are the major support structures of the female anatomy and I will see you guys in the next one. Bye bye.
13
example
Anatomy of the Female Reproductive System Example 5
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31s
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Okay, so this one is asking us, the mesometrium provides support for which structure? So remember, mitrium means uterus, right? So the meso atrium is going to be providing support for the uterus. So based on that our answer is going to be c. Remember that support for the uterine tubes would be our mesosalpinx, support for the ovary would be the mesovarium, and the suspension of the ovary would be our suspensory ligament. So our answer here is c, the mesometrium provides support for the uterus and there you go.
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Problem
Problem
Which of the following is NOT one of the major support structures of the ovaries?
A
The ovarian ligament.
B
The round ligament.
C
The suspensory ligament.
D
The mesovarium.
15
concept
The Vagina
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3m
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this video, we're going to be talking about the vagina. So the vagina is the female organ of copulation and it is essentially a tube that extends from the cervix all the way to the body exterior and the vagina, of course, will be providing a pathway for the delivery of an infant as well as the passage of menstrual flow out of the body. So if we look down here, we have, just like we've been looking at, we have our uterus there. We have the cervix, and then right below the cervix, we have the vagina there. So I will label that as our vagina. Alright. So the vaginal wall consists of 3 layers. So first up, we have the adventitia and this is the fibroelastic outer layer, And you may have heard the term adventitia before. It usually describes the outermost layer of tubular organs, so it's used pretty commonly in anatomy for that. Our next layer is the muscularis and this is a smooth muscle middle layer and that smooth muscle will contract a little bit to help potentially expel a baby during childbirth. And then finally we have the mucosa which is an inner layer and that inner layer is marked with transverse ridges which can help to stimulate the penis. So if we look over here we have kind of a zoom in of the vaginal wall and we have this layer of advanced tissue that's our fibroelastic tissue that can help the vagina expand. Obviously, very useful for the birth of a baby, but also for inserting things into the vagina as well. We have that muscular middle layer, and then we have this inner mucosa here. We'll label that as our mucosa. And this mucosa is made up of a stratified squamous epithelium, which allows it to stand up to a lot of friction. Now, the vagina itself does not have any glands but it is lubricated by the cervical mucus glands kind of dripping down into it as well as mucosal fluid from the vaginal walls and this lubrication tends to be quite acidic which helps protect the vagina from infections and bacteria. However, it does become much more alkaline during certain parts of the uterine cycle. So, around the time of ovulation, this lubrication becomes much more alkaline which allows sperm to pass through the vagina unscathed. It also tends to be alkaline in younger females which is why often teenage girls are more predisposed to getting sexually transmitted infections compared to older females. Alright, and our last part of the anatomy here is our vaginal fornix and this is basically a like little recess or kind of like a little arch like structure, toward the upper end of the vaginal canal surrounding the cervix. And fornix is a term used in anatomy to usually refer to some kind of arch like structure. So you can see the, vaginal fornix here and here. So it's kind of just like a little dip that kind of comes up toward the cervix there. So we'll label that as the fornix. Alright. So that is the anatomy of the vagina and I will see you guys in our next one. Bye bye.
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example
Anatomy of the Female Reproductive System Example 6
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44s
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This one asks us, the vagina extends from the blank to the blank? So it might be easier to start over here with this blank because we all know that the vagina vagina begins b says fundus. We know that the fundus is the top portion of the uterus so the vagina is certainly not starting all the way up there so we can eliminate b. And then the internal os is basically the opening from the uterus into the cervix. That is also way too high up so we can eliminate c and our answer is d. The vagina extends from the cervix to the body's exterior. And there you go!
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Problem
Problem
The uterine wall and the vaginal wall share some superficial similarities. For example, in both structures, the middle layer is composed of:
A
Smooth muscle.
B
Fibroelastic tissue.
C
Mucosa.
D
Adipose tissue.
18
concept
External Genitalia
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3m
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In this video we're going to be talking about the female external genitalia which is also called the vulva. So very common misconception that the external genitalia of females is called the vagina but this entire region that I am highlighting right here is actually referred to as the vulva. We're just gonna start labeling parts of the anatomy here. We're gonna start here at the top with the mons pubis. So the mons pubis is just a fatty kind of rounded area overlying the pubic symphysis or those pubic bones and this area is typically going to be covered in pubic hair after puberty has taken place. Then moving over here we have the labia majora and the labia majora are just elongated, fatty folds of skin running posteriorly from the mons pubis down to the perineum. So these are the labia majora and typically those will be covered in hair after puberty as well. Coming in from the labia majora, we have our labia minora, and the labia minora are just thin folds of skin that are positioned within the labia majora. So we can see those here and here. And then within the labia minora we have our vestibule. So the vestibule is a little recess kind of enclosed within the labia minora, so right in here. And this contains the openings of the, urethra as well as the vagina which I will point to in just a moment. So, this entire area within the labia minora is called the vestibule. Now, moving down here, we have these two little glands and those are called the greater vestibule gland. And those kind of flank the vaginal opening there and they will release mucus into the vestibule and keep the entire vestibule nice and lubricated. Those glands are not always visible from an external view but this is the general location that they will be. Alright. So now moving up here we have the clitoris and the clitoris is a small protruding structure that is composed of erectile tissue. You guys may may remember that the clitoris is homologous to the male penis so this is the kind of erect structure within the female genitalia. And then right around that clitoris we have the prepuce of the clitoris So you can see that right here, also sometimes called like the clitoral hood, and this is a fold of skin that partially surrounds the clitoris. So then moving down here, if we look within our vestibule there we can see the urethral orifice so that is just where urine would exit the body and we have our vaginal orifice there and that of course is where babies can exit the body as well as menstrual flow would be exiting the body. And then around the vaginal orifice, we have the hymen. So the hymen is a very thin membrane, a very elastic tissue that kind of partially covers the vaginal opening. And honestly, the, the anatomy and elasticity of hymen varies hugely across females. So some females are born with a hymen that, pretty much covers the entire vaginal opening and some females are born with hymens that have such large openings that you can barely even see them. So there's just a ton of variability in the anatomy of that structure. Alright. So that is our external female genitalia and I will see you guys in our next one. Bye bye.
19
example
Anatomy of the Female Reproductive System Example 7
Video duration:
58s
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Video transcript
Okay. So this one asks us which external female genital structure consists of fatty tissue covering the pubic synthesis and is often post puberty covered in pubic hair? So remember that pubic symphysis is the joint between the left and right pelvic bones and that fatty amount of tissue covering it is the mons pubis. So our answer here is d and there's a nice hint in the name there so pubis and pubic sound very similar. As a quick reminder, the labia majora are going to be the outer folds of skin within the vulva and those can be covered in pubic hair but they're not going to be overlying that pubic synthesis. The labia minora are the inner folds of skin, that are located directly within the labia majora and the clitoris is a female organ that has a small exposed portion toward the tip of the vulva but it is not going to be a mound of tissue that covers that pubic symphysis. So our answer here is d, the mons pubis.
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Problem
Problem
The term ‘vestibule’ in the context of female anatomy refers to the area enclosed within the:
A
Clitoris.
B
Labia minora.
C
Mons pubis.
D
Urethral orifice.
21
concept
Clitoral Anatomy
Video duration:
4m
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In this video, we're going to be going over clitoral anatomy. So the clitoris is richly innervated and because of that it contributes hugely to female sexual arousal. And as you may recall, the clitoris is homologous to the male peanut. So these stem from similar embryonic tissues and although they go on to form very different looking structures they're going to have very similar functions as you will see in just a second. And just like we did in our video on the penis, we have put little blue boxes around all of the homologous structures. So this right here is a clitoris. If you've never seen one, it can be a little bit odd looking but the clitoris is honestly kind of like an iceberg. So it has a little tiny exposed tip and then it is much larger beneath the surface, as you can tell. So we are gonna start here because you've actually already seen this part, in our video on the genitalia and that is the glands of the clitoris. So that is homologous to the glands of the penis. This is sometimes also called the head of the clitoris and this is just the exposed portion that you can actually see from an external view. And then to kind of help orient you to the rest of the image we've included this little outline of the external genitalia as well. You can see surrounding that gland we have the prepuce of the clitoris homologous to the prepuce of the penis or the foreskin. And then right here, we would have the labia minora approximately. And then within that, of course, is the vestibule. And then within the vestibule, we have the urethral orifice where urine exits the body as well as the vaginal orifice right there. So just to kind of give you an idea of what you're looking at there. Alright. And then here and here on either side of the clitoris, we have these paired erectile bodies, and those are the corpus cavernosa. And these are homologous to the corpus cavernosa of the penis so they're going to become engorged with blood and quite rigid during sexual stimulation. And then moving on down here and here we have the crus of the clitoris homologous to the crus of the penis and again same function so these will kind of help to anchor the clitoris to the pelvic floor muscles to stabilize the entire structure. And then finally here and here we have the bulbs of the vestibule and those are made up of erectile tissue. They are homologous with the bulb of the penis and they're going to engorge with blood during sexual stimulation. And what that does is it's actually going to kind of push the urethral orifice shut which prevents any bacteria from entering the urethra to help prevent UTIs and then that engorgement also helps to kind of grip onto the penis or whatever has been inserted into the vagina which can contribute to both female and male sexual arousal. And you may have noticed that there's no direct homologue of the corpus spongiosum and that's just because we don't really need one here. So remember, in the penis the corpus spongiosum is, it's erectile tissue that maintains kind of a spongy texture to help keep the urethra open, but here in the female anatomy we don't really have the same need. In fact, we want the urethra to close here so there is not a super clear direct homologue to that structure in the clearest. And then finally, I will leave you with one fun fact, which is that, to give you a sense of how richly innervated the clitoris is, our best estimate is that the glands of the clitoris, that little exposed portion, has about 10,000 nerve endings in it. And to give you some context, your entire hand has about 18,000. So that gives you a really good sense of how sensitive the clitoris is and why it it adds so much to female sexual arousal. Alright. So that is our lesson on clitoral anatomy, and I will see you guys in the next one. Bye bye.
22
example
Anatomy of the Female Reproductive System Example 8
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51s
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Alright, so male and female reproductive anatomy share some homologous structures. Which of the following structures does not have a direct homologue? So looking at these structures here I can see that the uterus is the only one that is specific to only one sex, that of course being females, So the uterus does not have a direct homologue. Looking at these other answers the prepuce of the clitoris is a homologue of the prepuce of the penis or the foreskin, right, so that has a homologous structure. The corpus cavernosa is present in both male and female anatomy and then the bulb of the vestibule is a homologue of the bulb of the penis so that is also a homologous structure and the only one here that is not is going to be the uterus which is specific to female anatomy. And there you go.
23
concept
Mammary Glands
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2m
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Alright. So we're gonna finish up female anatomy by talking about the mammary glands. So mammary glands are actually modified sweat glands located within the subcutaneous tissue of the breast anterior to the thorax muscles and when I say modified sweat glands that modification happens very early in embryonic development for both males and females and then in females mammary glands go on to become more developed due to their high estrogen and progesterone levels. But despite that, mammary glands only actually function in lactating females. So they will be producing milk in response to hormonal stimulation, particularly prolactin and oxytocin will play a big role in milk production. So each mammary gland contains between 15 25 lobes, so there's a good amount of variability across people there and these will kind of radiate and open at the nipple. You can see we have a lobe depicted here kind of enclosed in that dark purple line so this entire thing is a lobe and the lobes are separated by a fibrous connective tissue as well as fat, so they are quite distinct because of that very clear separation. And then within the lobes are units called lobules and we've shown those here as these little purple circles all kind of crammed together within that lobe and the lobules contain glandular alveoli and those are kind of hollow like sac like structures that actually produce the milk during lactation. So they are made of a modified epithelium that basically can synthesize and secrete milk. So we have our lobe, we have our lobules, and the milk has to actually get toward the nipple somehow and it's going to do that by traveling down this duct system that we have drawn here in blue and those are called the lactiferous ducts. So those ducts will act as a passage for milk to get to the nipple itself and then we also have this little orange structure right there that is called a lactiferous sinus. So that is basically a sinus cavity where the milk can accumulate during nursing. So to kind of put it all together, each mammary gland will have an average of about 20 lobes. Within those lobes are lobules. Within the lobules are the glandular alveoli, which produce milk. The milk will then travel down the lobe via the lactiferous ducts and it will collect in the lactiferous sinus right near the nipple until it is ready to be used by the infant. Alright, so those are mammary glands. Great job everybody with this entire lesson. It's been a long one to get through female anatomy, but you did fantastic. So I will see you in our next one. Bye bye.
24
example
Anatomy of the Female Reproductive System Example 9
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1m
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So this one asks us, in lactating females milk is produced where? So looking at these answer choices, we can really use the name of the anatomy to our advantage here. So anything labeled as a sinus or a duct is going to be a place where milk is basically just passing through, not really being produced. Right? So based on that we can basically take out lactiferous ducts. Those milk is not going to be produced in a duct. It's going to be passing through a duct and same goes for d, which is just the lactiferous sinus, which is going to be a location where, milk can collect but it's not going to be created in the sinus, which leaves us with a and c. And the answer is indeed glandular alveoli, that is where milk is produced, and the glandular alveoli are going to be located within the lobules. Right? Because again, the lactiferous sinus is simply a location where milk is passing In In lactating females milk is produced in the glandular alveoli which are located in the lobules. And there you have it.
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Problem
Problem
Mammary glands are actually modified ___________.
A
Lacrimal glands.
B
Sebaceous glands.
C
Mucous glands.
D
Sweat glands.
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