Female Reproductive System Anatomy: External Genitalia
Last updated 2/2026
MP4 | Video: h264, 1920x1080 | Audio: AAC, 44.1 KHz, 2 Ch
Language: English | Duration: 44m | Size: 614.3 MB
The components of the pudendum (vulva) of female
What you'll learn
Outline the components of female reproductive system
Describe the anatomy of female external genitalia
Illustrate the different parts of female external genitalia
Define the functional anatomy of the different parts of female external genitalia
Requirements
Laptop, computor or iphone as well as internet connection
Description
Anatomy of Female Reproductive Organs
The reproductive organs in female are concerned with copulation, fertilization, growth and development of the fetus and its subsequent exit to the outer world.
The organs are broadly divided into
1- External genitalia
2- Internal genitalia
3- Accessory reproductive organs
- The external genitalia vulva or pudendum includes all the visible external genital organs in the perineum. The vulva is covered by skin. It is bounded anteriorly by mons pubis, posteriorly by the anal canal, laterally by the genito-crural fold.
- Vulva consists of the following
1. Mons pubis
2. labia majora
3. labia minora
4. hymen
5. clitoris
6. vestibule
7. vestibular bulbs.
8. urethra
9. Skene's glands (para-urethral glands)
10. Bartholin's glands
1- Mons pubis (mons veneris): It is the pad of subcutaneous adipose connective tissue lying in front of the pubis. It is covered by hair in the adult female. The hair pattern of most women is triangular with its base directed upwards.
2- Labia majora: these are two elevations of skin and subcutaneous tissue; one on each side of the vulva. They contain sweat glands. The outer surface is convex and pigmented and covered with hairy skin. The inner surface is covered by thin skin containing sebaceous glands but has no hair follicle. They join posteromedial in front of the anus to form the posterior commissure. Beneath the skin, there is dense connective tissue and adipose tissue. The adipose tissue is richly supplied with venous plexus which may produce hematoma, if injured during childbirth.
The labia majora are homologous to the scrotum in the male. They give attachment to the round ligament of the uterus at their upper borders.
3- Labia minora: These are two thin folds of skin, devoid of fat; one on either side just within the labia majora. They are exposed only when the labia majora are separated apart except in the parous women. The labia minora are formed of connective tissues containing numerous sebaceous glands, erectile muscle fibers, blood vessels and nerve endings but they do not contain hair follicles nor sweat glands. Anteriorly, they enclose the clitoris and unite with each other in front of and behind the clitoris to form the prepuce and frenulum respectively. Their posterior ends fuse in the midline to form a fold of skin known as fourchette. Between the fourchette and the vaginal orifice there is the fossa navicularis. They are usually lacerated during childbirth. They are homologous to the penile urethra in males.
4- Clitoris: It is a small cylindrical erectile body measures about 1.5-2 cm. It is attached to the under surface of the symphysis pubis by the suspensory ligament. It consists of two cylindrical corpora cavernosa (erectile tissue) situated in the most anterior part of the vulva. The clitoris formed from a glans, a body and two crura. The glans is richly supplied with nerves. Its vessels are connected with those of the vestibular bulb and are liable to injury during childbirth. Clitoris is homologous to the penis in the male but it differs in being it entirely separated from the urethra.
5- Vestibule: It is a triangular space bounded anteriorly by the clitoris, posteriorly by the fourchette and on either side by labia minora.
Vestibular bulb: These are bilateral elongated masses of erectile tissues situated beneath the mucous membrane of the vestibule. Each bulb lies on either side of the vaginal orifice in front of the Bartholin's gland and is incorporated with the bulbocavernosus muscle. They are homologous to the bulb of the penis and corpus spongiosum in the male. They are likely to be injured during childbirth with risk of hemorrhage
There are four openings into the vestibule.
1. Urethral opening: situated in the midline just in front of the vaginal orifice about 1-1.5 cm below the pubic arch.
2. The paraurethral ducts open either on the posterior wall of the urethral orifice or directly into the vestibule. Skene's glands are the largest paraurethral glands. Skene's glands are homologous to the prostate in the male. The two Skene's ducts may open in the vestibule on either side of the external urethral meatus.
3. Vaginal orifice: it is of various size and shape. It lies in the posterior end of the vestibule. It is enclosed by the labia minora in virgins and nulliparae.
It is incompletely closed by a mucous membrane, called hymen. The hymen varies in shape but is usually circular or crescentic in virgins. The hymen is usually ruptured at the consummation of marriage. During childbirth, the hymen is extremely lacerated and is later represented by cicatrized nodules of varying size, called the carunculae myrtiformes.
4. Opening of Bartholin' s ducts: There are two Bartholin glands (greater vestibular gland), one on each side in the superficial perinea! pouch, close to the posterior end of the vestibular bulb. They are pea-sized and yellowish white in color. Each gland has a duct which measures about 2 cm and opens into the vestibule outside the hymen at the junction of the anterior two-third and posterior one-third in the groove between the hymen and the labium minus. It secretes abundant alkaline mucus which helps in lubrication during sexual excitement.
They are homologous to bulbourethral glands in males. However, while Bartholin's glands are located in the superficial perineal pouch in females, bulbourethral glands are located in the deep perineal pouch in males.
- Blood supply
- Arteries
a. Branches of internal pudenda! artery-the chief being labial, transverse perinea!, artery to the vestibular bulb and deep and dorsal arteries to the clitoris.
b. Branches of femoral artery-superficial and deep external pudenda!.
Who this course is for
Medical students and gynacologestis, midwifes, nursing and those interisted in general knowledge
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