Female Internal Genital Organs I

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Female Internal Genital Organs I

By peace | January 9, 2006

A female’s internal reproductive organs are the vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries.

The vagina is a muscular, hollow tube that extends from the vaginal opening to the uterus. The vagina is about 3 to 5 inches (8 to 12 centimeters) long in a grown woman. Because it has muscular walls, it can expand and contract. This ability to become wider or narrower allows the vagina to accommodate something as slim as a tampon and as wide as a baby. The vagina’s muscular walls are lined with mucous membranes, which keep it protected and moist. The vagina serves 3 purposes: It’s where the penis is inserted during sexual intercourse, and it’s also the pathway that a baby takes out of a woman’s body during childbirth, called the birth canal, and it provides the route for the menstrual blood (the period) to leave the body from the uterus.

The vagina is a remarkable organ. Not only is it capable of great distension, but it keeps itself clean. The cells which form its walls are 30 cells deep, lying on each other liket he bricks of ahouse wall. In the reproductive years, the top layer of cells is constantly being shed into the vagina, where the cells are acted upon by a small bacillus which normally lives there, to produce lactic acid. The lactic acid then kills any contaminating germs which may happen to get into the vagina.

In childhood, the wall of the vagina is thin, and the production of lactic acid does not take place. However, this is of little importance, because the vagina is not usually contaminated at this age. In old age, the lining becomes thin once again, and few cells are shed. Because of this, little or no lactic acid is formed, and contaminating germs may grow. This sometimes results in inflammation of the vagina.

The vagina connects with the uterus, or womb, at the cervix (which means neck). The cervix(picture on the left) has strong, thick walls. The opening of the cervix is very small (no wider than a straw), which is why a tampon can never get lost inside a girl’s body. During childbirth, the cervix can expand to allow a baby to pass.

The uterus (picture on the right) is shaped like an upside-down pear, with a thick lining and muscular walls – in fact, the uterus contains some of
the strongest muscles in the female body. These muscles are able to expand and contract to accommodate a growing fetus and then help push the baby out during labor. When a woman isn’t pregnant, the uterus is only about 3 inches (7.5 centimeters) long and 2 inches (5 centimeters) wide.

Normally the uterus lies bent forward at an angle of 90 degree to the vagina, resting on the bladder. As the bladder fills, it rotates backwards; as it empties, teh uterus falls forward. In about 10% of women the uterus lies bent backwards. This is called retroversion. In the past it was considered a seious condition, causing backache, sterility and many other complaints. There were many operations for its cure.

Today it is known that unless the retroversion is due to infection or to a peculiar condition called endometriosis, it is unimportant and is not the cause of the symptoms which were attributed to it. Surgery is not needed, and the patient can be reassured that the position of the uterus is normal for her.

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