Grades 4-5-6 n Appendix D

Appendix D Female Reproductive System Terms

1. Bladder: This hollow sac holds urine until it is time to urinate. It is not part of the reproductive system.

2. Breast: All people have breasts; however, during puberty, the breasts and nipples of people with female bodies become larger. This happens when the breasts develop glands that will be able to produce milk for feeding babies if the person becomes pregnant. People with male bodies can also have some breast development, called gynecomastia, which should resolve within two years.

3. Cervix: This is the tight opening at the lower end of the uterus. It keeps germs out of the uterus and opens to let the baby out at birth.

4. Clitoris: This sensitive, erectile organ is similar to the penis in the way it becomes engorged during sexual stimulation. It is located at the front of the vulva where the labia minora meet.

5. Fallopian tubes: These two narrow tubes are passageways from the uterus toward each of the ovaries. After ovulation, the egg is pulled into the tube and travels down the tube toward the uterus. If penis-in-vagina sexual intercourse has occurred, sperm travel up the tube toward the egg. Fertilization must take place in the tube in order to be successful. The Fallopian tubes are only a few hairs’ breadth in diameter, so they can be easily damaged or blocked by infections, and infertility can result.

6. Genitals or genitalia: This is a generic term for the external reproductive organs of people and animals. The genitals of people with female bodies are called the vulva and include the labia minora, labia majora, clitoris, and vaginal opening.

7. Hymen: This flap of skin partially covers the opening to the vagina in someone who has not had penis-in-vagina sexual intercourse. It usually tears during the first intercourse, but may be torn during physical activity. The hymen does not usually prevent the use of tampons.

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8. Labia: These are two pairs of skin folds on either side of the openings to the urethra and vagina. The larger, outer labia are called labia majora and the smaller, inner labia are called the labia minora. Labia come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and skin colors.

9. Menstrual cycle: It is the monthly cycle of hormone fluctuations which regulate ovulation and menstruation. Varying levels of estrogen and progesterone cause the lining of the uterus to be shed and to thicken again. At ovulation, the lining gets even thicker. If fertilization does not take place, the lining is not needed, so it breaks down and leaves the body as menstrual flow, or menses.

10. Menstruation: This is the discharge of blood and tissue from the uterus through the vagina. Menstruation begins during puberty and continues until menopause, except when the person is pregnant. Menstruation typically occurs every twenty-eight days and lasts from three to seven days. It is also called a “period” or menses.

11. Ovaries: These two female sex glands produce the ova, or egg cells, and the female hormones, estrogen and progesterone. Beginning in puberty, one of the ovaries releases an egg each month during the menstrual cycle. The ovaries alternate turns. Occasionally, the ovaries may release more than one egg at a time. Once ovulation begins, a person is capable of becoming pregnant if they have penis-in-vagina sexual intercourse.

12. Ovulation: The process of releasing an egg cell from the ovary is called ovulation. This typically occurs every twenty-eight days. The two ovaries alternate releasing the egg cell. It usually occurs fourteen days after the first day of the previous menses. Ovulation may be irregular during puberty, resulting in irregular menstrual cycles.

13. Ovum or egg cell: The female germ cell (ovum or egg cell) is released from the ovary once a month beginning during puberty. The ovum has a life span of two or three days during which it may be fertilized. If the egg cell is not fertilized, it passes out of the body and menstruation will begin. If the egg cell is fertilized by a sperm cell during penis-in-vagina sex, a new cell is formed that could grow into a baby during a nine-month pregnancy.

14. Sexual intercourse: Vaginal sexual intercourse involves the insertion of an erect penis into a vagina. Having penis-in-vagina sexual intercourse may result in pregnancy. Anal sex (penis-in-anus) and oral sex (mouth-to-genitals) are other forms of sexual intercourse that can result in sexually transmitted infections, but not pregnancy.

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15. Urethra: This is the tube that carries urine from the urinary bladder out of the body. Because the urethra is very short in female bodies, it is common for germs to enter the urethra and cause urinary tract infections. It is not part of the reproductive system, but is the front of the three openings in the vulva.

16. Uterus: This hollow, muscular, pear-shaped organ is where the developing embryo, then fetus, grows if a person is pregnant. It is also where the lining grows and is discharged during menstruation.

17. Vagina: This stretchy, three-inch tube leads from the outside of the body inside to the opening of the uterus. It is the middle of the three openings in the vulva. The vagina is the exit for menstrual flow or for a baby to be born. It is the receptacle for the erect penis during penis-in-vagina intercourse.

18. Vulva: This is a collective term for the external female genital area between the legs of a female-bodied person.

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