Skip to main content
Human A&P BIO 304 · American River College ← Course home (Week 8)

BIO 304 . WEEK 8 . FRIDAY . LAB WORKBOOK

Female Reproductive System

Ovaries, uterus, the ovarian cycle, and hormonal control.

Print this page. You will draw your own diagrams from the directions below, then hand-label the structures listed. Drawing by hand is the integrity mechanism for this course.

← Back to syllabus hub

Part 1 of 2

Anatomy Lab

1A. What you will draw

The female reproductive system is built around a monthly cycle that prepares both an egg and a uterus for possible fertilization and pregnancy. Today you'll draw the system in sagittal section, then the hormonal cycle that drives it.

Box A. Female reproductive system (sagittal section)

Directions

  1. Draw a side view of the female pelvis.
  2. Center the uterus (pear-shaped, anteverted, lying over the bladder).
  3. On each side of the uterus, draw a fallopian tube (uterine tube, oviduct) extending laterally and curving toward an ovary. The end of each fallopian tube fans out into fimbriae over the ovary.
  4. Below the uterus, draw the cervix (lower narrow portion of the uterus) and the vagina extending down to the vaginal opening.
  5. Label uterus, fallopian tube, fimbriae, ovary, cervix, vagina.
  6. Inside the uterus wall, label endometrium (inner lining, sheds during menstruation) and myometrium (thick smooth muscle layer).

Box B. Ovarian and menstrual cycle

Directions

  1. Draw a horizontal timeline across 28 days. Mark Day 1 (start of menstruation) at the left and Day 28 at the right. Mark Day 14 as ovulation.
  2. Above the timeline, draw the ovarian cycle: Follicular phase (Days 1-13), Ovulation (Day 14), Lu#0B1530 phase (Days 15-28). Show: developing follicles (small to large) during the follicular phase, ovulation as a small explosion at Day 14, corpus luteum (yellow body) during the lu#0B1530 phase.
  3. Below the timeline, draw the uterine cycle: Menstrual phase (Days 1-5, endometrium sheds), Proliferative phase (Days 6-14, endometrium thickens), Secretory phase (Days 15-28, endometrium becomes vascular and gland-rich, ready for implantation).
  4. Above everything, sketch four hormone curves: FSH (peaks early follicular), LH (sharp surge at Day 14 triggering ovulation), Estrogen (rises late follicular, secondary peak in lu#0B1530 phase), Progesterone (low during follicular, rises in lu#0B1530 phase after ovulation).
  5. Note: if no pregnancy, the corpus luteum degenerates around Day 25-28, progesterone and estrogen drop, the endometrium sheds, and a new cycle begins.

1C. Structures to label (19)

After you finish each drawing, label every structure below directly on your sketch.

  1. Ovary
  2. Fallopian tube
  3. Fimbriae
  4. Uterus
  5. Endometrium
  6. Myometrium
  7. Cervix
  8. Vagina
  9. Follicular phase
  10. Ovulation
  11. Lu#0B1530 phase
  12. Corpus luteum
  13. Menstrual phase
  14. Proliferative phase
  15. Secretory phase
  16. FSH
  17. LH
  18. Estrogen
  19. Progesterone

Part 2 of 2

Physiology Lab

2A. Hormone-organ-action map

Fill in the table to map each hormone to its source, target, and main action during the cycle.

HormoneSourceTargetMain action
FSH
LH
Estrogen (early/follicular phase)
LH (mid-cycle surge)
Progesterone (lu#0B1530 phase)
Estrogen + progesterone (high level feedback)
Hormonal contraceptives (e.g., combined estrogen + progestin pills) prevent ovulation. Explain mechanistically: which hormones do they mimic, and how does that prevent the LH surge?
Menopause occurs when the ovaries stop responding to FSH and LH. Predict the changes in estrogen and progesterone, the FSH/LH levels (they go UP, due to loss of negative feedback), and explain why hot flashes and bone loss are common consequences.

2B. Synthesis questions

Answer each in 2 to 4 sentences. Use the language from this week's lecture and your drawings as evidence.

1. A patient is trying to conceive but has irregular ovulation. Predict the effect on her hormonal cycle and uterine lining, and explain why ovulation predictor kits (which detect LH) help with timing.
2. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) involves elevated androgens, irregular ovulation, and insulin resistance. Predict the patient's menstrual pattern and fertility, and explain why follicles fail to mature properly.
3. Ectopic pregnancy: a fertilized egg implants in the fallopian tube rather than the uterus. Predict the clinical course (early pregnancy symptoms followed by acute abdominal pain and bleeding) and explain mechanistically why the fallopian tube cannot support a growing embryo.

3. What to submit

Complete both the Anatomy Lab (your own drawings, hand-labeled, plus the structures list) and the Physiology Lab (activity and synthesis questions). Photograph or scan every page and upload to Canvas before the deadline listed on the schedule. Hand-drawn, hand-labeled work is the integrity mechanism for this course. Typed or AI-generated diagrams are not accepted.