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Female Reproductive System (Slideshow)
This slideshow explains how the female reproductive system works.
The Female Reproductive System
Like other living things, human beings reproduce. It's what keeps the population going.
In humans, this happens when the male and female reproductive systems work together to make a baby.
The Female Reproductive System
The female reproductive system includes a group of organs in a woman's lower belly and pelvis.
The Female Reproductive System
It's called the reproductive system because it supports the development and growth of a baby.
The Female Reproductive System
This system is also responsible for a girl's monthly period, called menstruation.
The Female Reproductive System
The female reproductive system has several parts. The uterus is where a fetus, or baby, grows. It is a hollow, pear‑shaped organ with a muscular wall.
The Female Reproductive System
There are two ovaries, one on either side of the uterus. Ovaries make eggs and hormones like estrogen and progesterone. These hormones help girls develop, and make it possible for a woman to have a baby.
The ovaries release an egg as part of a woman's cycle. When an egg is released, it's called ovulation. Each egg is tiny – about one‑tenth the size of a poppy seed.
The Female Reproductive System
Fallopian tubes go from the uterus to the ovaries. During ovulation, an ovary releases an egg into the fallopian tube next to it.
The Female Reproductive System
The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that opens into the vagina. During childbirth, the cervix expands about 4 inches (10 centimeters) so the baby can travel from the uterus through the vagina and into the world.
The Female Reproductive System
The vagina is a tube that connects the uterus to the outside of the body. The entrance to the vagina is on the outside of the body. It's called the vaginal opening.
The Female Reproductive System
The vaginal opening is a hole between a woman's legs, below her urethra (where pee comes out) and above her anus (where poop comes out). Here you can see how the vagina connects to the uterus.
The Female Reproductive System
During sex, sperm cells travel through the vagina to the uterus and fallopian tubes.
In the fallopian tube, the sperm meets the egg that was released from the ovary during ovulation.
The Female Reproductive System
If a sperm cell fertilizes the woman's egg, it's the first step in reproduction (getting pregnant).
The Female Reproductive System
If all goes well, in 9 months, a baby will be born.