Anatomy of the Female Reproductive System

The uterus, cervix, and fallopian tubes are part of the internal female reproductive system. The fallopian tubes receive an ovum after ovulation and help move it and/or a fertilized embryo toward the uterus via ciliated cells lining the tubes and peristaltic movements of its smooth muscle. The uterus has a thick wall made of smooth muscle (the myometrium) and an inner mucosal layer (the endometrium). The most inferior portion of the uterus is the cervix, which connects the uterine cavity to the vagina. Externally, the cervix is lined by stratified squamous cells; however, the cervical canal is lined by columnar epithelium. The transition point is known as the squamocolumnar junction, which is the site of most cervical cancers. These organs are supplied by the uterine and ovarian arteries and innervated by the autonomic nervous system.

Ovaries are the paired gonads of the female reproductive system that contain haploid gametes known as oocytes. The ovaries are located intraperitoneally in the pelvis, just posterior to the broad ligament, and are connected to the pelvic sidewall laterally by the suspensory ligament of the ovary and to the uterus medially by the utero-ovarian ligament. These organs function to secrete hormones (estrogen and progesterone) and to produce the female germ cells (oocytes), which are expelled and then “captured” by the uterine tubes. The primary blood supply to the ovary is provided by the ovarian artery, a direct branch of the abdominal aorta; the ovarian artery anastomoses with the ascending branch of the uterine artery, providing excellent collateral blood flow.