ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to sketch quickly the layout of the ovary and the rest of the reproductive tract. It examines the essential functions of the components of the reproductive tract. The chapter presents a list the major female sex hormones, the four stages of follicular development and the phases of the menstrual cycle. The female sex organs are located in the lower abdomen. The components of the female reproductive tract: Fallopian tubes, Fimbria, Uterus, Cervix and Vagina. The menstrual cycle is a periodic sequence of endocrine-driven events in non-pregnant, sexually mature women, directed towards the production and release into the reproductive canal of a fertilisable egg cell or ovum, and creation of an endometrium able to effect the successful implantation of a fertilised egg. There are four main stages of follicular development: the primordial follicle, early and late primary follicles, secondary follicles, and mature follicles.
