Human Sexuality Terms From Chapter 3 Of Human Sexuality In A World Of Diversity

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Clitoridectomy

Back 1

Surgical removal of the clitoris

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Ova

Back 2

Egg cells; sing., ovum

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Pudendum

Back 3

The external sexual structures of the female; from the Latin meaning "that which makes one ashamed," suggestive of ancient negative attitudes toward the female sexual structures

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Vulva

Back 4

Another term for the external sexual structures of the female

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Mons veneris

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A mound of fatty tissue that covers the joint of the pubic bones in front of the body, below the abdomen and above the clitoris; a Latin phrase meaning "hill" or "mount of Venus," the Roman goddess of love

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Labia majora

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Large folds of skin that run downward from the mons along the sides of the vulva; Latin for "large lips" or "major lips"

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Labia minora

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Hairless, light-colored membranes located between the labia majora; Latin for "small lips" or "minor lips"

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Clitoris

Back 8

A female sex organ consisting of a shaft and glans located above the urethral opening; extremely sensitive to sexual sensations

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Corpora cavernosa

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Masses of spongy tissue in the clitoral shaft that becoem engorged with blood and stiffen in response to sexual stimulation

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Prepuce

Back 10

The fold of skin covering the glans of the clitoris (or penis)

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Homologous

Back 11

Similar in structurel developing from the same embryonic tissue

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Analogous

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Similar in function

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Menstruation

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The cyclical bleeding that stems from the shedding of the uterine lining

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Urethral opening

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The opening through whcih urine passes from the female's body

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Cystitis

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An imflammation of the urinary bladder

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Introitus

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The vaginal opening

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Hymen

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A fold of tissue across the vaginal opening that is usually present at birth and remains at least partly intact until a woman engages in coitus; Greek for "membrane"

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Perineum

Back 18

The skin and underlying tissue that lies between the vaginal opening and the anus

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Crura

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Anatomic structures resembling legs that attach the clitoris to the pubic bone

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Vestibular bulbs

Back 20

Cavernous structures that extend downward along the sides of the introitus and swell during sexual arousal

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Bartholin's glands

Back 21

Glands that lie just inside the minor lips and secrete fluid just before orgasm

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Vagina

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The tubular female sex organ that contains the penis during sexual intercourse and through which a baby is born; Latin for "sheath"

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Douche

Back 23

Application of a jet of liquid to the vagina as a rinse

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Vaginitis

Back 24

Vaginal inflammation

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Cervix

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The lower end of the uterus; Latin for "neck"

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Os

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The opening in the middle of the cervix; Latin for "mouth"

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Pap test

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A test of a sample of cervical cells that screens for cervical cancer and other abnormalities; names after the originator of the technique, Dr. Geroge Papanicolaou

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Radiotherapy

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Treatment of a disease by x-rays or by emissions from a radioactive substance

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Uterus

Back 29

The hollow, muscular, pear-shaped organ in which a fertilized ovum implants and develops until birth

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Fundus

Back 30

The uppermost part of the uterus

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Endometrium

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The innermost layer of the uterus

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Endometriosis

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A condition caused by the growth of endomentrial tissue in the abdominal cavity or elsewhere outside the uterus and characterized by menstrual pain

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Myometrium

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The middle, well-muscled layers of the uterus

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Perimetrium

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The outer layer of the uterus

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Fallopian tubes

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Tubes that extend from the upper uterus toward the ovaries and conduct ova to the uterus; after the Italian anatomist Gabriel Fallopio

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Ectopic pregnancy

Back 36

A pregnancy in which the fertilized ovum implants outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube

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Ovaries

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Almond-shaped organs that produce ova and the hormones estrogen and progesterone

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Estrogen

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A generic term for female sex hormones or synthetic compounds that promote the development of female sex characteristics and regulate the menstrual cycle; from the roots meaning "generating" -gen) and "estrus"

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Progesterone

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A steroid hormone secreted by the corpus luterum or prepared synthetically that stimulates proliferation of the endometrium and is involved in regulation of the menstrual cycle; from the root pro-, meaning "promoting," and the words gestation, steroid, and one

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Follicle

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A capsule within an ovary that contains an ovum

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Hysterectomy

Back 41

Surgical removal of the uterus

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Complete hysterectomy

Back 42

Surgical removal of the ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix, and uterus

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Partial hysterectomy

Back 43

Surgical removal of the uterus, but not the ovaries and fallopian

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Secondary sex characteristics

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Traits that distinguish the sexes from one another but are not directly involved in reproduction

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Mammary glands

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Milk-secreting glands

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Areola

Back 46

The dark ring on the breast that encircles the nipple

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Mammogram

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A spcial type of x ray test that detects cancerous lumps in the breast

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Mastectomy

Back 48

Surgical removal of the entire breast

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Lumpectomy

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Surgical removal of a lump from the breast

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Malignant

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Lethal; causing or likely to cause death

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Cysts

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Saclike structures filled with fluid or diseased material

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Benign

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Doing little or no harm

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Fibroadenoma

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A benign, fibrous tumor

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Ovulation

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The release of an ovum from an ovary

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Corpus luteum

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The follicle that has released an ovum and then produces copious amounts of progesterone and estrogen during the luteal phase of a woman's cycle

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Endocrine gland

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A ductless gland that releases its secretions directly into the bloodstream

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Menarche

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The first menstrual period

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Hypothalamus

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A structure near the center of the brain that is involved in regulating body temperature, motivation, and emotion

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Pituitary gland

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The gland that secretes growth hormone, prolactin, oxytocin, and others

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Hormone

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A substance secreted by an endocrine gland that regulates various body functions; from the Greek horman, meaning "to stimulate" or "to goad"

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Testes

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The male gonads

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Testosterone

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The male sex hormone that fosters the development of male sex characteristics and is connected with the sex drive

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Prolactin

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A pituitary hormone that stimulates production of milk

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Oxytocin

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A pituitary hormone that stimulates uterine contractions in labor and the ejection of milk during nursing

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Gonadotropins

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Pituitary hormones that stimulate the gonads; Literally, "that which 'feeds' the gonads"

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Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)

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A gonadotropin that stimulates development of follicles in the ovaries

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Luteinizing hormone (LH)

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A gonadotropin that helps regulate the menstrual cycle by triggering ovulation

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Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gn-RH)

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A hormone secreted by the hypothalamus that stimulates the pituitary to release gonadotropins

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Proliferative phase

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The first phase of the menstrual cycle, which begins with the end of menstruation and lasts about nine or ten days; the phase during which the endometrium proliferates

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Ovulatory phase

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The second stage of the menstrual cycle, during which a follicle ruptures and releases a mature ovum

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Zygote

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A fertilized ovum (egg cell)

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Mittelschmerz

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Pain that occurs during ovulation; German for "middle pain," reflecting the fact that the pain occurs midway between menstrual periods

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Secretory phase

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The third phase of the menstrual cycle, which follows ovulation; also referred to as the luteal phase, after the corpus luteum, which begins to secrete large amounts of progesterone and estrogen after ovulation

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Menstrual phase

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The fourth phase of the menstrual cycle, during which the endometrium is sloughed off in the menstrual flow

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Menopause

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The cessation of menstruation

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Perimenopause

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The beginning of menopause, as characterized by 3 to 11 months of amenorrhea or irregular periods

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Climacteric

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A long-term process, including menopause, that involves the gradual decline in the reproductive capacity of the ovaries

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Osteoperosis

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A condition caused by estrogen deficiency and characterized by a decline in bone density, such that bones become porous and brittle; from the Greek osteon, meaning "bone," and the Latin porus, meaning "pore"

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Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)

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A diagnosis used by the American Psychiatric Association to describe cases of PMS that are characterized by severe changes in mood and impairment of functioning at work, at school, or in social relationships

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Dysmenorrhea

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Pain or discomfort during menstruation

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Primary dysmenorrhea

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Menstrual pain or discomfort that occurs in the absence of known organic problems

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Secondary dysmenorrhea

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Menstrual pain or discomfort that is caused by identified organic problems

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Prostaglandins

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Hormones that cause muscle fibers in the uterine wall to contract, as during labor

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Mastalgia

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A swelling of the breasts that sometimes causes premenstrual discomfort

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Amenorrhea

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The absence of menstruation

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Primary amenorrhea

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Lack of menstruation in a woman who has previously menstruated

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Anorexia nervosa

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A psychological eating disorder characterized by intense fear of putting on weight and refusal to eat enough to maintain normal body weight

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Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

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A combination of physical and psychological symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depression, irritability, weight gain from fluid retention, and abdominal discomfort) that regularly afflicts many women during the four-to six-day interval that precedes their menses each month