Anatomy

Interior Female Reproductive System shown in detail with cervical crypts, vestibular glands, and labia. The image shows the uterus, uterine tubes, ovaries, vagina, and vulva

Interior Reproductive System

Interior Female Reproductive System shown in detail with clitoris, cervical crypts, vestibular glands, and labia. The image shows the uterus, uterine tubes, ovaries, vagina, and vulva

  • the interior reproductive system is contained within the pelvis

  • these organs include the vagina, uterus, cervix, uterine tubes, and ovaries

  • this system is the site of the menstrual cycle, sexual pleasure, reproduction, and it’s also the system that produces the hormones estrogen and progesterone during most of your adult life

  • hormone production occurs in the ovaries

  • the cervix is made up of small crypts that produce cervical secretions, which select, nourish, and transport sperm during the fertile phase

  • the vestibular glands are located at the vaginal opening to assist with arousal by producing a small amount of arousal fluid

  • the interior body of the clitoris is spread out on either side of the vaginal canal, with the descending segment reaching the surface of the skin underneath the clitoral hood.

  • The exterior glans is visible at the vulva

Side View of the Interior Reproductive System. Interior Female Reproductive System shown in detail with cervical crypts, vestibular glands, and labia. The image shows the uterus, uterine tubes, ovaries, vagina, and vulva as well as the rectum bladder

  • the interior reproductive system is wedged between the bladder and the rectum

  • the health of these organs can affect the overall health of the reproductive tract

  • during pregnancy, these organs shift to make room for a growing fetus

Uterus Diversity

The hollow, pear-shaped organ in the pelvis. The uterus is where a fetus develops and grows. Also called a womb.
A congenital irregularity where a person has only one uterine tube and an abnormally shaped uterine cavity. It's a rare condition that causes pregnancy complications. Certain variations cause pelvic pain.
A uterus that dips inward at the top. It's a minor irregularity of the uterus that doesn't cause complications.
A uterus that is shaped irregularly. A bicornuate uterus is described as heart-shaped, appearing to have two sides instead of being one hollow cavity. It's a rare, congenital condition that can cause complications during pregnancy.
A typical shaped uterus with a wall of tissue creating two cavities. Some people may not even realize they have a septate uterus, even during pregnancy and childbirth.
A uterine malformation where there is a double uterus with two separate cervixes, and possibly a double vagina as well. Each uterus has a single horn linked to the ipsilateral uterine tube that faces its ovary.

The uterus is typically pear-shaped and hollow, and slightly wider on the top than on the bottom.

About 4% of uteruses have a different shape.

Vulva (Exterior)

The part of your genitals on the outside of the body — the labia, clitoris, vaginal opening, and the opening to the urethra.

The part of your genitals on the outside of the body — the labia, clitoral glans, vaginal opening, and the opening to the urethra and paraurethral glands.

Paraurethral Glands: Formerly known as the Skene’s glands, these glands located between the vaginal canal and urethra, are an important part of both urinary and sexual health. The external openings of the glands are present on either side of the lower end of the urethra within the vestibule. Ejection from the paraurethral glands is referred to as squirting.

Vulva (Interior)

Underneath the clitoral hood skin and deeper into the body, the clitoris is much larger than just the external glans. The parts of the clitoris are the crus, bulb of vestibule, and glans.

Image of clitoris on the interior of the body and formerly known as the Bartholin's glands, these glands are located on each side of the vaginal opening. They secrete fluid that helps lubricate the vagina and sexual arousal fluid.

Vestibular Glands: Formerly known as the Bartholin's glands, these glands are located on each side of the vaginal opening. They secrete fluid that helps lubricate the vagina and sexual arousal fluid.

Labia are the outer and inner folds of the vulva. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Inner labia may stick out through the outer labia in about half the population. There is no “excessively developed” (“hypertrophic”) labia, only normal human variation.

Labia Diversity

Illustration of several types of vulvas including ones where the inner labia stretch past the outer labia. All labia are normal and vary in color texture and shape
Image showing several different breast shapes and sizes as well as skin colors

Breast Diversity

  • Breasts are a unique feature that come in all shapes and sizes. Breast shape variation is typical and normal.

  • Breasts continue to change throughout the menstrual life cycle. The adult breast contains lobule glands that remain in a mature but inactive state until pregnancy.

  • It’s common to have hair on breasts, inverted nipples, stretch marks, sagging breasts, and small oil secreting bumps around the nipple called areolar glands.

Illustration of a pale persons breast with lobules and milk ducts shown as well as the breast lymph
Illustration depicting a person with vitiligo's breast on the inside with adipose fat tissue shown along with the other features of the breast like the lobules and milk ducts
Detailed anatomy of the clitoris showing the true size of clitoral nerves and the interior clitoral body

Clitoris

The clitoris is an erogenous organ capable of erection under sexual stimulation. The clitoris develops from the genital tubercle of the fetus, and it plays an important role in orgasm and sexual response.

This clitoris cross section shows the dorsal nerves as well as the veins and arteries that carry blood to the area. the corpus cavernosum is also shown

  • the clitoris is a much larger internal structure than what we can see on the outside

  • the sensation in the clitoris comes from the dorsal nerves (yellow) which extend from the descending segment of the clitoral body underneath the clitoral hood

  • veins and arteries bring blood to the clitoris, causing the tissues to engorge

  • glans clitoris is the external part, but note that the nerves and vasculature run on the surface for several centimeters underneath the clitoral hood

  • the cross section of the clitoral body is important to share because it is rarely shown in medical literature

This side view of the clitoris shows it inside the pelvic bone structure including nerves and vasculature as well as showing the sexual arousal glands in context of the clitoral body

  • When aroused,the clitoral body fills with blood, causing it to expand and become firmer to the touch.

  • Other parts of the anatomy like the labia will also become engorged during stimulation

  • The Corpus cavernosum is a mass of erectile tissue with large interspaces capable of being expanded with blood. It forms the bulk of the body of the clitoris and the penis.

This image shows the difference between a flaccid unaroused clitoris and an aroused clitoris which engorges with blood
Image showing the different kinds of cervical crypts and the cervical canal

The Cervix

“The cervix is a precision organ as complex as the eye”
— Erik Odeblad

  • The cervix is the lower part of the uterus in the interior reproductive system. The cervix is usually 2 to 3 cm long (~1 inch) and roughly cylindrical in shape, which changes during the menstrual cycle and during pregnancy.

  • The narrow, central cervical canal runs along its entire length, with several hundred crypts (glands) lined by different cells which make cervical fluid (P, S, L, G). The canal connects the uterine cavity and the vagina.

  • The ectocervix is the portion of the uterine cervix extending into the vagina. This is the part of the cervix that one can touch during cervical position checks.

Cervix depicted with the 4 main types of crypts which make different kinds of cervical fluid secretions
Image depicting the way that fertile quality cervical fluid selects, nourishes, and transports sperm to the uterus. It is equivalent to seminal fluid.

The cervix produces cervical secretions which open or close it. Fertile fluid aids in sperm selection, nourishment, and transport, and infertile fluid closes the cervix with an impenetrable mucus plug, preventing sperm from entering the uterus.

Illustration depicting how sperm cannot enter the cervix when infertile mucus plug is present
Endosex variations of the clitoris and penis are broken down by their main components and so are large / phalloclitorises and hypospadiases penises.

Endosex and Intersex Variation

Erectile structures of the human body share the same core components which are arranged differently.

All erectile structures start from the same fetal genital tubercle. It develops into the clitoris, the penis, or intersex variations of genitalia.

Image depicting the common innervation connections for endosex presentations like having a female and male reproductive system and genitals

Homology of Innervation

  • Innervation of the genitals is similar in people with penises or clitorises

  • The main nerve that stimulates the clitoris and tip of the penis is called the pudendal nerve

  • The pelvic nerve and hypogastric nerve also innervate other parts of the genitals like the vagina, cervix, shaft of the penis, and prostate

  • The cervix is triple innervated and even has a separate connection that bypasses the spinal cord and goes directly to the brain, known as the vagus nerve

Want to learn more about anatomy?

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