The Female Body
The vagina is a thin walled-tube, 8 to 10 cm long. It lies between the bladder & the rectum & extends from the cervix to the body exterior. The urethra is embedded in its anterior wall. Often called the birth canal, the vagina provides a passageway for delivery of an infant & for menstrual flow. Since it receives the penis (& semen) during sexual intercourse, it is the female organ of copulation.
The highly distensible wall of the vagina wall consists of three coats:
An outer fibroelastic adventitia.
A smooth muscularis.
A mucosa marked by transverse ridges or rugae, which stimulate the penis during intercourse.
The epithelium of the mucosa is a stratified squamous epithelium ...
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healthy & free of infection, but it is also hostile to sperm. Although vaginal fluid of adult woman is acidic, it tends to be alkaline in adolescents, predisposing sexually active teenagers to sexually transmitted diseases.
In virgins, the mucosa near the distal vaginal orifice forms an incomplete partition called the hymen. The hymen is very vascular & tends to bleed when it is ruptured during the first coitus (sexual intercourse). However, its durability varies. In some females, it is ruptured during a sports activity, tampon insertion, or pelvic examination. Occasionally, it is so though that it must be breach surgically if intercourse is to occur. The upper end of the vaginal canal loosely surrounds the cervix of the uterus, producing a vaginal recess called the vagina fornix. The posterior part of this recess, the posterior fornix, is much deeper than the lateral & anterior fornices. Generally, the lumen of the vagina is quite small &, except where it is held open ...
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vestibular glands, homologous to the bulbourethral glands of the males. These glands release mucus into the vestibule & help to keep it moist & lubricated, facilitating intercourse.
Just anterior to the vestibule is the clitoris, a small, protruding structure, composed largely of erectile tissue, that is homologous to the penis of the male. It is hooded by a skin fold called the prepuce of the clitoris, formed by the junction of the labia minora folds. The clitoris is richly innervated with sensory nerve endings sensitive to touch, & it becomes swollen with blood & erect during tactile stimulation, contributing to a female’s sexual arousal. The clitoris has dorsal erectile ...
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The Female Body. (2005, June 6). Retrieved December 23, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Female-Body/28047
"The Female Body." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 6 Jun. 2005. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Female-Body/28047>
"The Female Body." Essayworld.com. June 6, 2005. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Female-Body/28047.
"The Female Body." Essayworld.com. June 6, 2005. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Female-Body/28047.
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