Ovaries
The two ovaries are where a woman’s eggs are stored and where they mature. They are located in the lower part of the abdomen. If you want to get a sense of where your ovaries are located, put your finger on your navel and move it in a direct line to the top of your leg. When you have moved your finger one-half of the way there, your finger is over your ovary. There is one ovary on each side—one on the left and one on the right. Each ovary is about the size of an almond.
A baby girl has 1 million immature eggs in her ovaries when she is born.
Fallopian Tubes
A fallopian tube opens into each side of the uterus to allow an egg to pass from the ovary to the uterus. One end of each tube opens into the uterus; the other end opens very close to an ovary. When an egg is released, it can easily enter the open end of a fallopian tube. Each tube has fine hair like fringes (cilia) that sweep a mature egg from the ovary into the tube. The contractions of the fallopian tube and the movements of the cilia move the egg toward the uterus.
Usually, the fallopian tubes are where the sperm and egg join. Sperm that are deposited in the vagina can swim through the cervix, through the uterus, and into the fallopian tube. If the egg meets sperm and joins with a sperm, this is called fertilization.
The egg is the largest human cell. It is about the size of the dot of this “i.” The eggs are stored in areas of the ovary called follicles. Each follicle holds one immature egg. A number of follicles grows each month. Only one or, rarely, two, will reach maturity and release an egg each month. This happens during the years a woman can get pregnant. This process is called ovulation, and it begins at puberty.
Ovaries also make hormones that are needed for ovulation and a girl’s growth during puberty. The hormones made in the ovaries are estrogen and progesterone. These and other hormones influence the process of ovulation, the passage of the egg to the uterus, and the eventual elimination of the lining through menstruation every month. This pattern is called the menstrual cycle. It does not occur during pregnancy but will continue throughout a woman’s reproductive years.
Some women can feel their ovaries become tender during ovulation. The medical name for this is Mittelschmerz. All women are aware of the elimination of the unfertilized egg and the lining of the uterus. This monthly event is called menstruation.
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