The female reproductive cells are produced in the ovary, which is a ductless reproductive gland. On each side of the lower abdomen, a membrane holds them in place beside the uterus. The ovary is required for reproduction because it produces the female reproductive cells, or ova. The ovaries are almond-shaped organs that are connected to many pelvic anatomical systems. Each ovary is 3 cm in length, 2 cm in width, and 1 cm in thickness, making it smaller than its male counterpart, the testis.
Each ovary is stated to be adjacent to (laterally) the ovarian fossa, a small oval depression in the pelvic wall containing the obturator nerve and demarcated anteriorly by the external iliac artery, posteriorly by the internal iliac artery and the ureter.
The ovary is encased in a thick fibrous capsule known as tunica albuginea, which is covered on the outside by a single layer of cuboidal epithelium known as the germinal epithelium. The ovarian tissue is separated into two sections within the tunica albuginea: a central medulla and a peripheral cortex. The medulla houses the ovary’s blood arteries, lymphatics, and nerves. The cortex is made up of a ground substance that houses a large number of primordial follicles as well as their many stages of development: primary, secondary, and tertiary (Graafian) follicles. The corpus luteum and corpus albicans are residual tissues from ovulation (the periodic release of eggs from the ovaries into the abdominal cavity).
The ovary is a female’s major reproductive organ (gonad), with two main functions:
1. Maturation and periodic release of female gametes (ova).
2. Secretion of female sex hormones (mainly estrogen and progesterone).
Anatomy.co.uk. (n.d.). Ovary – Structure, Development, Function, Parts and Pictures. Anatomy.co.uk – Learn Human Anatomy and Physiology. Retrieved May 16, 2022, from https://anatomy.co.uk/ovary/
The female reproductive cells are produced in the ovary, which is a ductless reproductive gland. On each side of the lower abdomen, a membrane holds them in place beside the uterus. The ovary is required for reproduction because it produces the female reproductive cells, or ova. The ovaries are almond-shaped organs that are connected to many pelvic anatomical systems. Each ovary is 3 cm in length, 2 cm in width, and 1 cm in thickness, making it smaller than its male counterpart, the testis.
Each ovary is stated to be adjacent to (laterally) the ovarian fossa, a small oval depression in the pelvic wall containing the obturator nerve and demarcated anteriorly by the external iliac artery, posteriorly by the internal iliac artery and the ureter.
The ovary is encased in a thick fibrous capsule known as tunica albuginea, which is covered on the outside by a single layer of cuboidal epithelium known as the germinal epithelium. The ovarian tissue is separated into two sections within the tunica albuginea: a central medulla and a peripheral cortex. The medulla houses the ovary’s blood arteries, lymphatics, and nerves. The cortex is made up of a ground substance that houses a large number of primordial follicles as well as their many stages of development: primary, secondary, and tertiary (Graafian) follicles. The corpus luteum and corpus albicans are residual tissues from ovulation (the periodic release of eggs from the ovaries into the abdominal cavity).
The ovary is a female’s major reproductive organ (gonad), with two main functions:
1. Maturation and periodic release of female gametes (ova).
2. Secretion of female sex hormones (mainly estrogen and progesterone).
Sources:
Anatomy.co.uk. (n.d.). Ovary – Structure, Development, Function, Parts and Pictures. Anatomy.co.uk – Learn Human Anatomy and Physiology. Retrieved May 16, 2022, from https://anatomy.co.uk/ovary/
the Healthline Medical Network. (2018, January 21). Ovary Area, Function & Location | Body Maps. Healthline. Retrieved May 16, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/human-body-maps/ovary#1