Generality
The system of the internal organs of female reproduction includes the ovaries, the fallopian tubes and the uterus, all located in the pelvis (under the abdomen).
An adult ovary weighs approximately 15 g and is joined to the lateral wall of the pelvis and to the uterus by means of ligaments, along which the arteries, veins, lymphatic vessels and nerves run.
Ovary
The ovary can be divided into three distinct areas:
- The most developed portion is the cortical, which contains the oocytes, each of which is enclosed in a follicle. During a woman's reproductive life it is possible to observe in the cortical follicles in various stages of development or regression.
- The medulla is located below the cortex, towards the center of the ovary.
- The hilum, a kind of entry and exit cracks through which vessels and nerves pass.
The ovaries can be palpated during a physical examination and can also be visualized by means of an ultrasound scan or a CT scan (computerized axial tomography).
Their main function is to secrete steroid hormones, so called because they all derive from cholesterol, which is their only precursor. They regulate the development and extrusion of the egg cell, a process called ovulation.
Secondly, the steroid hormones are released into the bloodstream and act on various organs such as the uterus, the fallopian tubes, the vagina, the breast, the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland (structures in turn secreting hormones), the adipose tissue, bones, kidney, liver and vascular system. Many of these effects exercised at a distance, but not all, are closely related to the reproductive function.
The fundamental female reproductive unit is represented by the single ovary follicle, which is a germinal cell, that is, capable of being fertilized.
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To learn more, read: Female Genital Apparatus "
