27. The Reproductive System

Where are the ovaries located in the female reproductive system?

Within the endometrium, the ________ layer is shed during menstruation and the ______ layer contains stem cells.

Which of the following ligaments does not attach to the ovaries?

a. Lateral cervical ligaments

b. Broad ligament

c. Ovarian ligament

d. Suspensory ligament

e. All of these attach to the ovaries

Gina Marciano, a 44-year-old mother of eight children, visited her physician complaining of a 'bearing down' sensation in her pelvis, low backache, and urinary incontinence. A vaginal examination showed that the external os of her cervix was just inside the vaginal orifice and her perineum exhibited large keloids (masses of scar tissue). What do you think Gina's problem is and what caused it? (Be anatomically specific.)

Name the female gonad, and describe its two major functions.

The uterine wall and the vaginal wall share some superficial similarities. For example, in both structures, the middle layer is composed of:

Crystal had both her left ovary and her right uterine tube removed surgically at age 17 because of a cyst and a tumor in these organs. Now, at age 32, she remains healthy and is expecting her second child. How could Crystal conceive a child with just one ovary and one uterine tube, separated on opposite sides of the pelvis?

Mammary glands are actually modified ___________.