7.1 – Introduction to the Female Reproductive System
Learning Objectives
- Identify the anatomy and describe the main functions of the female reproductive system
- Analyze, translate, and define medical terms and common abbreviations of the female reproductive system
- Practice the spelling and pronunciation of female reproductive system medical terminology
- Identify the medical specialties associated with the female reproductive system and explore common diseases, disorders, diagnostic tests and procedures
Female Reproductive System Word Parts
Click on prefixes, combining forms, and suffixes to reveal a list of word parts to memorize for the female reproductive system.
Female Reproductive System Word Parts
Prefix
- peri– (surrounding)
- endo– (within, inside)
- a– (absence of, without)
- an– (absence of, without)
- dys– (painful, difficult, abnormal, laboured)
Combining Form
- arche/o (first, beginning)
- cervic/o (cervix)
- colp/o (vagina)
- endometri/o (endometrium)
- episi/o (vulva)
- gyn/o (woman)
- gynec/o (woman)
- hymen/o (hymen)
- hyster/o (uterus)
- mamm/o (breast)
- mast/o (breast)
- men/o (menstruation)
- metr/o (uterus)
- metr/i (uterus)
- oophor/o (ovary)
- pelv/i (pelvis, pelvic bones, pelvic cavity)
- perine/o (perineum)
- salping/o (fallopian tube)
- trachel/o (cervix)
- vagin/o (vagina)
- vulv/o (vulva)
Suffix
- –al (pertaining to)
- –atresia (occlusion, closure)
- –clesis (surgical closure)
- –ectomy (excision, surgical removal)
- –gram (the record, radiographic image)
- –graphy (process of recording, radiographic imaging)
- –itis (inflammation)
- –logist (specialist or physician who studies and treats)
- –logy (study of)
- –osis (abnormal condition)
- –pexy (surgical fixation, suspension)
- –plasty (surgical repair)
- –rrhaphy (suturing, repairing)
- –rrhea (flow, discharge)
- –salpinx (fallopian tube)
- –scope (instrument used for visual examination)
- –scopy (visually examining)
- –tomy (cut into, incision)
Activity source: Female Reproductive System by Kimberlee Carter licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Introduction to the Female Reproductive System
The female reproductive system produces gametes and reproductive hormones. In addition, the female reproductive system supports the developing fetus and delivers it to the outside world. The female reproductive system is located primarily inside the pelvic cavity. The female gonads are called ovaries and the gamete they produce is called an oocyte.
Media 7.1: CrashCourse. (2015, October 26). Reproductive system, part 1 – Female reproductive system: Crash Course anatomy & physiology #40 [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/RFDatCchpus
Female Reproductive System Medical Terms
Female Reproductive System Medical Terms (Text version)
Practice the following female reproductive system words by breaking into word parts and pronouncing.
- menarche
- men/arche
- beginning of menstruation
- cervicitis
- cervic/itis
- inflammation of the cervix
- endocervical
- endo/cervic/al
- pertaining to within the cervix
- colpocleisis
- colp/o/cleisis
- surgical closure of the vagina
- colpoperineorrhaphy
- colp/o/perine/o/rrhaphy
- suturing of the vagina and the perineum
- colpoplasty
- colp/o/plasty
- surgical repair of the vagina
- colporrhaphy
- colp/o/rrhaphy
- suturing of (a tear in) the vagina
- colposcope
- colp/o/scope
- instrument used to view the vagina and the cervix
- colposcopy
- colp/o/scopy
- process of viewing the vagina
- endometriosis
- endometri/osis
- abnormal condition of the endometrium
- endometritis
- endometr/itis
- inflammation of the endometrium
- episiorrhaphy
- episi/o/rrhaphy
- suturing of the vulva
- episioperineoplasty
- episi/o/perine/o/plasty
- surgical repair of the vulva and the perineum
- gynopathic
- gyn/o/pathic
- disease pertaining to the women
- gynecologist
- gynec/o/logist
- specialist or physician who studies and treats disorders and diseases of women
- gynecology
- gynec/o/logy
- study of women
- hymenectomy
- hymen/ectomy
- excision of the hymen
- hymenotomy
- hymen/o/tomy
- incision into the hymen
- hysterectomy
- hyster/ectomy
- excision of the uterus
- hysteropexy
- hyster/o/pexy
- surgical fixation of the uterus
- hysterosalpingo-oophorectomy
- hyster/o/salping/o/-oophor/ectomy
- excision of the uterus, uterine tubes, and ovaries
- hysterosalpingogram (HSG)
- hyster/o/salping/o/gram
- radiographic image of the uterus and uterine tubes
- hysteroscope
- hyster/o/scope
- instrument used for visual examination of the uterus
- hysteroscopy
- hyster/o/scopy
- visual examination of the uterus
- sonohysterography (SHG)
- son/o/hyster/o/graphy (SHG)
- process of recording the uterus by use of sound
- mammoplasty
- mamm/o/plasty
- surgical repair of the breast
- mammogram
- mamm/o/gram
- radiographic image of the breast
- mammography
- mamm/o/graphy
- radiographic imaging of the breast
- mastitis
- mast/itis
- inflammation of the breast
- mastectomy
- mast/ectomy
- surgical removal of the breast
- mastopexy
- mast/o/pexy
- surgical fixation of the breast
- mastalgia
- mast/algia
- pain in the breast
- dysmenorrhea
- dys/men/o/rrhea
- painful menstrual flow
- amenorrhea
- a/men/o/rrhea
- absence of menstrual flow
- menometrorrhagia
- men/o/metr/o/rrhagia
- excessive bleeding from the uterus at menstruation
- menorrhagia
- men/o/rrhagia
- excessive bleeding at menstruation
- metrorrhagia
- metr/o/rrhagia
- excessive bleeding from the uterus
- oligomenorrhea
- olig/o/men/o/rrhea
- scanty menstrual flow
- myometritis
- my/o/metr/itis
- inflammation of the uterine muscle
- perimetritis
- peri/metr/itis
- inflammation surrounding the uterus
- oophoritis
- oophor/itis
- inflammation of the ovary
- oophorectomy
- oophor/ectomy
- excision of the ovary
- pelviscopic
- pelv/i/scop/ic
- pertaining to visual examination of the pelvic cavity
- pelviscopy
- pelv/i/scopy
- visual examination of the pelvic cavity
- perineorrhaphy
- perine/o/rrhaphy
- suturing of (a tear in) the perineum
- salpingitis
- salping/itis
- inflammation of a fallopian/uterine tube
- salpingectomy
- salping/ectomy
- excision of the uterine/fallopian tube
- salpingo-oophorectomy
- salping/o/-oophor/ectomy
- excision of the uterine tube and ovary
- salpingostomy
- salping/o/stomy
- creation of an artificial opening in the uterine tube
- trachelectomy
- trachel/ectomy
- excision of the cervix
- trachelorrhaphy
- trachel/o/rrhaphy
- suturing of the cervix
- vaginitis
- vagin/itis
- inflammation of the vagina
- vaginosis
- vagin/osis
- abnormal condition of the vagina
- vulvovaginitis
- vulv/o/vagin/itis
- inflammation of the vulva and vagina
- vaginal
- vagin/al
- pertaining to the vagina
- vesicovaginal
- vesic/o/vagin/al
- pertaining to the bladder and the vagina
- vulvovaginal
- vulv/o/vagin/al
- pertaining to the vulva and vagina
- vulvectomy
- vulv/ectomy
- excision of the vulva
- hematosalpinx
- hemat/o/salpinx
- blood in the uterine/fallopian tube
- hydrosalpinx
- hydro/salpinx
- water in the uterine/fallopian tube
- pyosalpinx
- py/o/salpinx
- pus in the uterine/fallopian tube
- leukorrhea
- leuk/o/rrhea
- white discharge
- menopause
- men/o/pause
- cessation on menstruation
- menses
- men/ses
- the monthly bleeding from the uterus
- perimenopause
- peri/men/o/pause
- period of time before and after menopause
Activity Source: Female Reproductive System Medical Terms by Kimberlee Carter, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Image Descriptions
Figure 7.1 image description: This figure shows the structure and the different organs in the female reproductive system. The top panel shows the lateral view with labels (clockwise from top): uterus, ovary, fornix of uterus, cervix, rectum, vagina, anus, labium majora, labium minora, clitoris, urethra, mons pubis, pubic symphysis, bladder; and the bottom panel shows the anterior view with labels (clockwise from top): ovary, ovarian ligament, broad ligament, labia minora, labia majora, vagina, cervix, uterine tube, uterus, fimbriae. [Return to Figure 7.1].
Attribution
Except where otherwise noted, this chapter is adapted from “Female Reproductive System” in Building a Medical Terminology Foundation by Kimberlee Carter and Marie Rutherford, licensed under CC BY 4.0. / A derivative of Betts et al., which can be accessed for free from Anatomy and Physiology (OpenStax). Adaptations: dividing Female Reproductive System chapter content into sub-chapters.
haploid reproductive cells that contribute genetic material to form an offspring