22.3: Female Reproductive System (External)

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Rosanna Hartline
West Hills College Lemoore

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Female Reproductive System (External)

External Female Genitalia

Diagram and image of female external genitalia. Clitoral Hood labia majora litoris Minora Opening Vaginal Opening Perineum Anus Clitoris Labia perineum Anus Mons pubis Urethral Opening VI-liva Vaginal Opening Location of Possible Episiotomy

Above: External female genitalia. On the diagram on the right, locations of possible episiotomies are shown. An episiotomy is a surgical cut made to widen the vaginal opening during a difficult childbirth to prevent tissues from tearing.

Structure	Location	Function
anus	posterior to the vulva	removal of feces
clitoris	medial structure; superior to urethral opening; covered by clitoral hood; made of highly sensitive erectile tissue	a highly sensitive bulbous erectile structure; covered by the prepuce (aka clitoral hood); homologous to glans penis in male
labia majora	two fatty folds that extend posteriorly from the mons pubis; lateral to urethral opening and vaginal opening	homologous to the male scrotum; contain pubic hair, sudoriferous and sebaceous glands
labia minora	two smaller parallel folds; lateral to urethral opening and vaginal opening but medial to labia majora	contain sebaceous glands but no hair, covers clitoris
mons pubis	fatty pad superior to the rest of the vulva	cushions and protects pubic symphysis during sexual intercourse
perineum	region between the vulva and the anus	supports urinary, genital, and gastrointestinal structures
urethral opening	medially located; inferior of clitoris and superior of vaginal opening	removal of urine
vagina orifice (opening)	entry point into internal female genitalia	entry point for copulation and exit for childbirth
vulva	the external female genitalia	removal of urine, copulation, childbirth

Breasts

The female reproductive system is designed not only to nurture developing embryos/fetuses in utero, but also to provide nutrients after childbirth. The breasts contain specialized mammary glands for providing nutrients to continue nurturing offspring.

Diagram of mammary glands and structures of the breasts. Adipose tissue Pectoralis major Pectoralis Lobe Of mammary gland minor Intercostal muscles Ribs 0 Lobules of mammary glands Fascia 0

Above: Structures of breasts, mammary glands, and lactiferous ducts.

Human breast milk contains a variety of nutrient compounds, including proteins, fats, sugars, amino acids, nucleotides, vitamin A, B vitamins, and vitamin D, as well as non-nutritive, but biologically important, components such as hormones, growth factors, antibodies, cytokines, chemokines, stem cells, and macrophages. Alveoli cells are specialized cells that are primarily responsible for producing and secreting a large proportion of the components of breast milk. Alveoli cells are clustered into lobules, which are further clustered into lobes. During lactation (the process of secreting breast milk), milk travels from the lobes, to the lactiferous ducts, to the lactiferous sinuses, and to the nipple for delivery to the offspring. Areolar glands are present surrounding the nipple on the areola to help lubricate and protect the nipple during breastfeeding.

Structure	Description/Function
alveoli	milk-secreting cells
areola	pigmented tissue surrounding the nipple; muscles within the areola aid in lactation and milk delivery
areolar glands (Montgomery glands)	these are sebaceous glands; protect the nipple; lubricates the nipple
lactiferous ducts	drain milk from lobules
lactiferous sinus	empty milk into nipples
lobes of mammary glands	bunches of lobules of mammary glands
lobules of mammary glands	small divisions of lobes of mammary glands that contain alveoli
mammary glands	modified sweat glands that produce milk in a process called lactation
nipple	surrounded by pigmented areola
suspensory ligaments	connective tissue; provides structure/support for breast tissues

Image of areola, areola glands, and nipple.

Above: External breast structures.

Attributions (All Female Reproductive Sections)

"Anatomy 204L: Laboratory Manual (Second Edition)" by Ethan Snow, University of North Dakota is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
"Digital Histology" by Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology and the Office of Faculty Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and the ALT Lab at Virginia Commonwealth University is licensed under CC BY 4.0
"Female Areola.jpg" by Electric one is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
"Female Reproductive System" by Dongho Kim is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
"Medical gallery of Blausen Medical 2014" by Blausen.com staff is licensed under CC BY 3.0
"Wiki Images" by https://www.scientificanimations.com/wiki-images/ is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0