The following outlines aspects of the female reproductive system, including the internal and external organs, the menstrual cycle, the egg, and reproductive hormones. The menstrual cycle is a monthly ...

But science is beginning to learn that various chemicals in the female reproductive system can facilitate – or sabotage – that sperm’s chance for victory. And it appears to happen at an early stage in ...

During mammalian reproduction, millions of sperm undertake a journey that only one will finish. This journey to fertilization has been commonly viewed as a race: a sea of sperm competing to get to the ...

Scientists are making inroads in understanding one of the central mysteries of human reproduction: Why do women’s eggs deteriorate as they age? The broad strokes have been well-known — the ticking of ...

The cellular biology of reproduction is often depicted as an epic journey, in which millions of intrepid sperm fight to be the first to claim the ultimate prize: the chance to fertilize the egg, which ...

Menopause is known to mark a major transition in women’s bodies, but its effects on the reproductive system as a whole is ...

Getting the job done. A female Asian water dragon (Physignathus cocincinus) produced a daughter (left) without the assistance of a male. Skip Brown/Smithsonian’s National Zoo An Asian water dragon ...