The ovaries (singular "ovary")
are female-only endocrine glands in the human body.
Endocrine glands differ from "exocrine" glands
in that exocrine glands have ducts (so may be referred to as "ducted")
whereas endocrine glands do not have ducts (and so may be referred to
as "ductless").
Each female has two ovaries, one on each side of the body. These
are small glands/organs located below the fallopian tubes on each side
of
the uterus.
They produce
ova (more colloquially known as "eggs") approx. once a month, from
approx. age 14 or 15 onward (though development can vary with genetics/family
history,
diet & nutrition, lifestyle, and
other environmental factors).
The ovaries also produce steroid hormones throughout
the life-cycle, but the amounts of hormoes produced change with the woman’s
age. Parts of the ovaries begin to decrease in size when a woman is in
her thirties, then they lose mass more rapidly after approx. age 45 on
average.
Oestrogen and progesterone regulate changes in the uterus throughout
the menstrual cycle and during pregancy.
For a diagram indicating
the locations within the body of each of the endocrine glands, visit:
Endocrine
Glands of the Human Body. This may be of particular interest
to students of courses in massage, reflexology,
beauty therapies, and other basic-level medical or clinical courses. |
