Reproductive Anatomy
Female Anatomy
The female reproductive tract is made up of the ovaries, oviduct (fallopian tube), uterus, cervix, vagina and vulva. The ovaries produces the eggs and the female hormones, estrogen and progesterone. At birth, the female is born with all of the eggs she will ever have in life. At ovulation, the egg is released from the follicle (fluid-filled “blister”) on the ovary into the fallopian tube (oviduct). Once the egg is released from the follicle, it then moves down the fallopian tube were it joins the sperm at the site of fertilization located in the ampulla region of the oviduct. During pregnancy, the uterus, which is made up of two uterine horns and a body, is the site were fetal development occurs. At kidding, the uterine muscles contracts and pushes the kids out of the uterine tract. The cervix is the opening to the uterus which is sealed by a substance called the mucus plug. This plug fills and seals the cervical canal during pregnancy which prevents harmful pathogens from entering the uterine body which could be harmful to the growing fetuses. The organ of mating and the site of semen deposition is the vagina, while the external (outside) part of the reproductive tract is called the vulva. To read about male anatomy, see: http://www.extension.org/pages/19265/anatomy-male-anatomy or, to read more about reproduction, return to the table of contents at: http://www.extension.org/pages/19565/goat-reproduction.
Reference: http://www.luresext.edu/goats/training/reproduction.html