Vagina (vagina), uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries are the internal sexual organs of a woman. As practice shows, many women do not know the exact information about the structure of their sexual system as a whole, nor about how the vagina is arranged in particular.
How is the vagina?
So, what is the placement and structure of the female vagina. The vagina is a small pelvic organ, in front of it is located the urethra and bladder, behind - the rectum. The lower part of the vagina is limited by the vestibule of the vagina (small labia, clitoris and hymen (from virgins) or its remains (in women who live sexually)), the upper part through the cervix is connected to the uterus itself.
The structure of the female vagina is simple. In fact, the vagina is a narrow muscular canal, inside which there is a large number of folds, stretching which explains its high elasticity. The upper part of the vagina is slightly curved, it is more elastic than the lower one.
The device of the vagina is the same for all women, in the meantime as its dimensions are strictly individual. The average length of the vagina is 8 cm, but due to the inherent characteristics of the structure of the reproductive system of each woman, this indicator can be within 6-12 cm. The thickness of the vaginal walls, as a rule, does not exceed 4 mm.
Structure of the vagina
The structure of the anterior and posterior walls of the vagina is as follows:
- inner layer (mucous membrane);
- middle layer (set of thin muscle fibers);
- outer layer (connective tissue).
The inner layer of the vagina is lined with a folded epithelium, due to which its high elasticity is ensured. Such an elastic structure allows the vagina to stretch to considerable dimensions during childbirth . In addition, the "ribbing" of the vagina enhances the whole range of sensations during sexual intercourse. It should be noted that such folding is observed only in women of reproductive age.
The device of the middle layer of the vagina is defined by longitudinally directed smooth muscles, which in the upper vaginal section smoothly pass into the muscles of the uterus, and in the lower part - they have special strength and are weaved into the muscles of the perineum.
The structure of the outer layer of the vagina is a loose connective tissue, through which the vagina separates from organs that are not associated with the female's reproductive system: in front - from the lower part of the bladder, from behind - from the rectum.
Vaginal function and vaginal discharge
All the features of the structure of the female vagina determine its functional significance:
- the vagina is directly involved in sexual intercourse, promotes the movement of sperm to the cervical canal ;
- Menstrual blood is released through the vagina;
- it is the only channel for passage of a natural secret from the overlying internal genital organs;
- the vagina directly participates in the generic process, through it, as through the birth canal, and the child advances;
- it performs a certain protective function, thanks to a special device of the vagina, the risk of injury and infection of the overlying genitalia is reduced;
- the presence of nerve endings in the vagina makes him one of the erogenous zones of a woman, and, according to research conducted, it is on the front
The wall of the vagina is the famous point G.
The structure of the walls of the female vagina also includes certain glands, the function of which is to secrete mucus for moisturizing and purifying the vagina. Outward mucus produced by a healthy vagina (namely, the vagina, not the uterus or the canal of its cervix), is excreted in scant amounts or not excreted at all (absorbed locally). The mucous membrane of the vagina suffers insignificant changes in the process of the menstrual cycle, depending on the phase of the cycle, the rejection of some of its epithelial layers occurs.