Female Reproductive System Essay

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Pelvic Inflammatory Disease in the Female Reproductive System Unlike most organ systems in the human body, the reproductive system seems to snooze until the individual hits puberty (Marieb & Hoehn, 2013) – when the system reveals its true purpose: sexual reproduction. In the female reproductive system, the primary sex organs, also known as gonads, are the ovaries. The ovaries produces gametes: ova, which are homologous to the sperm produced by the male’s reproductive system. The female internal sex organs include the ovaries and the duct system. The duct system’s accessory ducts are the uterine tubes, the uterus, and the vagina – these are connected from the ovaries to the external genitalia. Ovaries also produce steroid sex hormones: estrogens and progesterone. These hormones have roles in the development and function of the reproductive organs, sexual behavior and drives, and the growth and development of many other organs and tissues. Specifically, …show more content…

Because there is no fertilization, the corpus luteum will then be stimulated to degenerate, as will its hormonal output. In the case of an ectopic pregnancy, where the oocyte is fertilized but is blocked by the scar tissue, the corpus luteum will normally response by persisting “until the placenta is ready to take over its hormone-producing duties in about three months” (p.971). In this ectopic pregnancy, however, the placenta will be inhibited because the embryo will grow in the fallopian tubes until the tubes cannot stretch, unlike the uterus, and eventually ruptures. The ruptured fallopian tube can cause internal bleeding and is life-threatening to the woman. In an article by Tay, Moore, and Walker (2000), “ectopic pregnancy causes major maternal morbidity and mortality with pregnancy loss, and its incidence is increasing

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