Reproduction Anatomy of the Female Vaginal Canal

Hello and welcome to my post. Over the last few days, I have been discussing the reproductive system and anatomy, and in my previous posts, I explained the male reproductive system, I also went further to explain spermatogenesis, the male gametogenesis. You can take time to read those posts, I am sure you will find them relevant. today, I will be going to the opposite sex of what I discussed, which is the female reproductive organ. I always tell people that everything about us females is complex from our emotions even to our reproductive anatomy. It is good that you know that we will be having some homologous counterparts in the male when it comes to anatomy but in physiology, there will be a completely different study. We will be studying Oogenesis and Folliculogenesis.

https://commons.wikimedia.org

Towards the genital region of the females, there are three openings, which are the Anus (the distal part of the digestive system which allows for the passage of waste product) The vaginal orifice is the opening to the Vaginal while the Urethra Orifice is the opening to the Urethra (the Urethra is a part of the Urinary system). The Urethra Orifice and the Vaginal Orifice are enclosed in the Vestibule. The vagina is a muscular layer that is useful with child birthing, and the Uterus and the vagina are divided by an area known as the cervix and which gives a horn shape towards the uterus known as the fornix. The Uterus has a tube coming out of it, known as the fallopian tube/uterine tube which is divided into the left and the right fallopian tube. The Fallopian tube has a fingerlike structure at its distal end known as the fimbriae which makes contact with the ovary while intersecting the uterus. The fallopian tube is made up of the Ampulla, Isthmus, Infundibulum, and the fimbriae. I have talked aboout the fimbriae. The Isthmus is the clossest to the uterus, the bulging part of the fallopian tube is known as the Ampulla, and the region close of the fimbriae is known as the infundibulum. Just like the male has the testes, females have the ovary which is responsible for creating hormones that include Estrogen and progesterone and are responsible for folliculogenesis and Oogenesis which is responsible for egg creation for fertilization. The Uterus wall includes the Endometrium, Myometrium, and the Perimetrium. The outer layer is the perimetrium while the innermost layer is the endometrium, and as you would think, the myometrium is the middle wall of the uterus. The eggs from the uterus are ovulated into the fallopian tube, and when the sperm cell gets to the vagina, they get to the Uterus, then to the fallopian tube to reach the secondary Oocyte, then a blastocyst go through the fallopian tube then it goes to the Uterine wall were the blastocyst get implanted. There are five ligaments that connect with the uterus and they are the round ligament, which anchors the anterior surface of the uterus to the anterior wall of the abdomen, The suspensory ligament anchors the fallopian tube to the left abdominal wall, the uterosacral ligament anchors the fallopian tube to the sacrum, the broad ligament which lies between the fallopian tube and inferior to the ovary. It anchors the fallopian tube relative to floor of the pelvic bone. It has three seperate regions which are the Mesosalpinx, Mesovarium, and Mesometrium. The Mesosalpinx is the closest to the fallopian tube, The Mesovarium sorrounds the very while the mesometrium anchors the uterus. The ovarian ligament is the final ligament and it holds the ovary. It holds the ovary to the uterus. The cervix is important in childbirth, and during labor, the infant would move from the uterus with the head, pushing through the opening of the cervix which is the cervical carnal. When there is push at the cervical carnal, oxytocin is released.

Let's not forget that the vaginal is contained within the vulva, which is the external genitalia, visible to the eyes. The vulva is made up of the Mons pubis, the Urethra, the Clitoris, The hymen, The Labium Minus (Labia Minora - plural), and the Labium majus (labia majora - plural). The clitoris is the female homologous structure similar to the glans penis. They both have lots of nerve endings and the clitoris is the most erogenous zone in the female genitalia. The hymen is the mucosal covering of the Vaginal Orifice (although a lot of people still argue about the function of the vagina), and the mons pubis is where hair grows in the female genital region and is caused by androstenedione which is made by the ovaries. The greater vestibular gland is responsible for lubricating the vagina during sexual arousal and sexual intercourse. The secretion is made up of squalene and fluid filtrated from plasma. The labial majora is the bulging in the vulva that has the skin covering. It is the external part of the vagina, inside the vulva is the labial minora, which has a different texture from the labial majora.

Conclusion

The female genital openings only have one of the three that play a role in reproduction, others are used in excretion. In my next post, I will be talking on Oogenesis, and Folliculogenesis. We will also discuss the zygomatic cleavage.

---

---

Reference

---

---

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537132/

https://teachmeanatomy.info/pelvis/female-reproductive-tract/fallopian-tubes/

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-ap2/chapter/anatomy-and-physiology-of-the-female-reproductive-system/

https://teachmeanatomy.info/pelvis/female-reproductive-tract/vagina/

https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/female-reproductive-organs

https://teachmeanatomy.info/pelvis/female-reproductive-tract/the-vulva/

https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/women-s-health-issues/biology-of-the-female-reproductive-system/female-external-genital-organs

https://teachmeanatomy.info/pelvis/female-reproductive-tract/cervix/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/female-reproductive-system

https://teachmeanatomy.info/pelvis/female-reproductive-tract/ligaments/