Advanced Health Assessment of Women Clinical Skills and Procedures 4th Edition Carcio and Secor Test Questions and Textbook

General Overview
A. In females, the urinary and reproductive systems are completely 
separate, unlike in males.
B. The internal female reproductive organs are located in the lower 
pelvis and are safely tucked inside the bony pelvis, behind the 
pubic bone.
C. External genitalia collectively include the mons pubis, the labia 
majora, the labia minora, the vestibule, the clitoris, and the vaginal orifice 
(Figure 1.1).
D. The structures of the peritoneum are listed and compared in Table 1.1.
II. Ovaries
A. Description
1. Each ovary lies in a depression in the lateral pelvic wall, on either 
side of the uterus.
2. Ovaries are small and almond shaped.
3. They vary considerably in size among women, but usually 
measure between 3 and 5 cm long, 1.5 and 3 cm wide, and 1 and 
1.5 cm thick—about the size of a thumbnail.
4. They are pinkish white to gray.
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4 I: FEMALE REPRODUCTION
5. They are not directly attached to the uterus and fallopian tubes. 
The ovaries lie suspended in a strong, flexible structure called the 
round ligament, which anchors them to the uterus.
6. The uterine tubes, which consist of the oviducts and the fallopian 
tubes, are not directly connected to the ovaries. They open into the 
peritoneal cavity, which is near the ovaries
B. Function
1. The ovaries house the female sex gametes.
2. The ovaries are counterparts to the testes in the male, in that they 
secrete sex hormones: estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
3. The ovaries produce an ovum (egg) during ovulation in response 
to hormonal stimulation.
III.Fallopian tubes
A. Description
1. The fallopian tubes extend outward from both sides of the 
uterus and act as a connecting tunnel between the ovary and the 
uterus.
Frenulum of clitoris
Labia minora
Skene duct
Vestibule
Hymen
Posterior commissure
Anus
Fossa navicularis
Vaginal orice
Urethral orice
Labia majora
Prepuce of clitoris
Anterior commissure
Mons veneris
FIGURE 1.1 External female genitalia.
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 1: URINARY AND REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEMS 5
2. They are approximately 13 cm (5 in.), rubbery, and less than half 
the diameter of a pencil (0.05–1.0 cm).
3. They have two layers—inner and outer serous layers—that 
surround the layers of involuntary muscle.
4. The fallopian tubes are narrow and muscular (acting as oviducts) 
and lined with cilia.
5. They consist of four sections:
a. Interstitial section, which lies within the uterine wall
b. Isthmus
(1) The isthmus is the narrowest section closest to the uterus.
(2) It opens into the cavity of the uterus.
(3) It has a thick muscular wall.
c. Ampulla
(1) The ampulla is the longest section, about two thirds of the 
tube’s total length.
(2) It widens progressively to the wide distal opening in the 
infundibulum.
(3) It is thin walled.
(4) It is the site of fertilization