FEMALE ORGANS OF REPRODUCTION
The female organs of reproduction are divided into two groups, the internal and the external genitals. With them are usually considered certain other structures: the ureters, bladder, urethra, rectum and the perineum, because of their close proximity (Fig. [10].); and the breasts, because of their functional relation to the reproductive organs.
Internal Genitalia. The internal organs of generation are contained in the true pelvic cavity and comprise the uterus and vagina in the centre, an ovary and Fallopian tube on each side, together with their various ligaments, membranes, nerves and blood vessels and a certain amount of fat and connective tissue.
The uterus is the largest of these organs. In its nonpregnant state, it is a hollow, flattened, pear-shaped organ about three inches long, one and a quarter inches wide, at its broadest point, three-quarters of an inch thick and weighing about two ounces.
Fig. 10.—Anterior view of female generative tract, showing both external and internal organs. Drawn by Max Brodel. (Used by permission of A. J. Nystrom & Co., Chicago.)
Ordinarily it is a firm, hard mass, consisting of irregularly disposed, involuntary (unstriped or plain) muscle fibres and connective tissue, nerves and blood vessels. The arrangement of the uterine muscle fibres is unique, for they run up and down, around and crisscross, forming a veritable network. This strange arrangement of the fibres is favorable to the growth of the uterine musculature during pregnancy, and a factor in preventing hemorrhage after delivery.
The abundant blood supply to the uterus merits a word. It is derived from the uterine arteries, arising from the internal iliacs, and the ovarian artery from the aorta. The arteries from the two sides of the uterus are united by a branch where the neck and body of this organ meet, thus forming an encircling artery. A deep cervical tear during labor may break this vessel and a profuse hemorrhage occur as a result.
Fig. 11.—Diagrams of sections of virgin and multiparous uteri.