The uterus of this model is 5.2 cm across, and each of its 2 ovaries is 2.4 cm long: 41 parts of one woman's pelvic organs, each with its name.
The female reproductive anatomy of this model has 41 parts: the uterus and its cervix, 2 ovaries, 2 uterine tubes, the vagina, 16 ligaments and folds, and 4 uterine vessels. The bones of the female pelvis are drawn as glass around them, inside the outline of the body. The organs are those of one adult woman, 166.6 cm tall.
The 41 parts of the model
| Group | Parts | What it holds |
|---|---|---|
| Uterus and cervix | 7 | Body, fundus, horns, lower segment, cervix and its 2 openings |
| Walls of the uterus | 2 | Anterior and posterior wall |
| Ovaries | 2 | Left and right ovary |
| Uterine tubes | 8 | Isthmus, ampulla, infundibulum and fimbriae on each side |
| Vagina | 2 | Vagina and its junction with the cervix |
| Ligaments | 14 | 7 pairs, from the round ligaments to the mesovarium |
| Broad ligament and pouch | 2 | Broad ligament and uterovesical pouch |
| Uterine vessels | 4 | Uterine artery and vein on each side |
The walls of the uterus and the broad ligament start switched off, because they cover the parts under them. Switch them on in the list of groups. Tap any part and press "Fade the rest" to see it alone inside the pelvis.
What each organ does
The ovaries make the egg cells. The National Cancer Institute counts about 700,000 egg cells in the two ovaries at birth and about 400,000 at puberty, and none are made after birth. From puberty, one follicle usually ripens each month.
The uterine tubes carry the egg to the uterus. The egg can be fertilized for only 24 to 48 hours, and that usually happens in the tube. The journey down the tube takes about 7 days.
The uterus is a hollow organ with a thick wall of muscle. Gray's Anatomy places it deep in the pelvis, between the bladder in front and the rectum behind. The lining of the uterus has 2 layers: one is shed at menstruation, and the deeper one rebuilds it.
The cervix is the lower, narrow part of the uterus. It projects into the vagina, which leads to the outside of the body.
| Organ | Size in the adult | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ovary | About 3.5 cm long, 2 cm wide, 1 cm thick | National Cancer Institute |
| Ovary | About 4 cm long, 2 cm wide, 8 mm thick; 2 to 3.5 grams | Gray's Anatomy |
| Uterine tube | About 10 cm long | Gray's Anatomy |
| Uterus | About 7.5 cm long, 5 cm broad, nearly 2.5 cm thick; 30 to 40 grams | Gray's Anatomy |
| Vagina | 6 to 7.5 cm along its front wall, 9 cm along its back wall | Gray's Anatomy |
| Vagina | About 10 cm long | National Cancer Institute |
The ligaments that hold the organs
The uterus is not fixed to bone. Folds of the lining of the abdomen and cords of fibrous tissue hold it and the ovaries in place.
| Ligament | What it joins |
|---|---|
| Broad ligament | The sides of the uterus to the side walls of the pelvis; the tubes and ovaries lie between its 2 layers |
| Round ligament | The upper corner of the uterus, through the groin, to the labium majus; 10 to 12 cm long |
| Ligament of the ovary | The lower end of the ovary to the upper corner of the uterus |
| Suspensory ligament of the ovary | The upper end of the ovary to the side wall of the pelvis; it carries the vessels of the ovary |
| Uterosacral ligament | The cervix to the front of the sacrum |
| Cardinal ligament | The side of the cervix and the top of the vagina to the side wall of the pelvis |
The mesosalpinx is the part of the broad ligament between the tube and the ovary. The mesovarium is a short fold that joins the ovary to the back of the broad ligament. The uterovesical pouch is the pocket between the front of the uterus and the bladder.
The uterine artery on each side is a branch of the internal iliac artery. It meets the artery of the ovary, which comes from the aorta, and the two supply the uterus.
The female pelvis
The pelvis of the model is 31.7 cm wide and 21.1 cm high. It has 8 parts: the sacrum, the coccyx, and the ilium, ischium and pubis of each side. Gray's Anatomy describes the female pelvis as more delicate than the male, with a shallower and wider cavity, a larger and more nearly circular upper opening, and a wider and more rounded pubic arch. The differences show as early as the fourth month before birth.
What the model leaves out
The model has no external organs, no breasts and no bladder or rectum. It does not draw the inside of the uterus or the 3 layers of its wall. The source names the 2 round ligaments with their sides exchanged, so each one is named here by the side it sits on. The organs are those of one adult woman, and their size and position differ from person to person.
The male organs are in the 3D male reproductive system. The bladder that lies in front of the uterus is in the 3D urinary system, and the pituitary gland that controls the ovaries is in the 3D endocrine system. The male pelvis is part of the 3D skeleton.