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Female Reproductive System Terminology

Author: Sophia

what's covered

In this lesson, you will learn about female reproductive system terminology. You will learn new prefixes, combining forms, and suffixes that are helpful in building medical terms related to the female reproductive system. You will also practice using these word parts. Specifically, this lesson will cover:

1. Introduction to Female Reproductive System Terminology
2. Prefixes
3. Combining Forms
4. Suffixes

1. Introduction to Female Reproductive System Terminology

In this lesson, you will learn terminology related to the female reproductive system. You will learn about the male reproductive system in the next Challenge. You will have a specific lesson in this Challenge that focuses on those word parts and terms related to pregnancy, labor, and childbirth.

The female reproductive system produces hormones and matures eggs (called ova, singular ovum) during the monthly menstrual cycle (the monthly female reproductive cycle, which you will learn more about later in the course). Every month, an egg (ovum) is released from one of the female’s ovaries with the potential to become fertilized by male sperm. If fertilization occurs (fusion of an egg and sperm), female hormones stimulate the development of the fertilized egg (zygote) into an embryo (up to 8 weeks of development), then a fetus (beginning in the ninth week), and ultimately, a baby ready for delivery in about 40 weeks (OpenStax, n.d.).

did you know

Be careful in how you interpret the age of a fetus. There are two ways that this can be presented. One possibility is to give the actual time of development (e.g., two weeks since fertilization). However, people often don’t know the exact date that fertilization occurred, unless they are carefully tracking reproductive cycles to plan a pregnancy. Therefore, dates are often given based on the first day of the last menstrual period (LMP). Because ovulation (release of an egg) typically occurs about 14 days later, using LMP produces a gestational age that is about two weeks older than the actual number of days of development, with some variation due to individual variations in menstrual cycles (Committee Opinion No 700, 2017).

The figure below introduces major features of the female reproductive system to help you understand the related word parts. You will learn much more about the anatomy of the female reproductive system later in this Challenge.

The female reproductive system is labeled with the following structures: ovary, fimbriae, uterine tube (fallopian tube), uterus, fundus of uterus, endometrium, myometrium, vagina, cervix.

The figure shows the central uterus, which has a wide top that narrows to the cervix, which meets the narrow vagina. The thick, rounded top of the uterus is the fundus. The uterus has an endometrium that lines its interior surface. The muscular myometrium forms much of the middle of the uterus walls. Two uterine tubes, also called fallopian tubes, are present. Each tube extends out to the side, one to the left and one to the right, then curves down and back toward the uterus to meet an ovary. The part of the uterine tube that faces an ovary has fimbriae (singular fimbria), which are fringe-like projections to gather an egg. In this illustration, a small, rounded egg is embedded in the endometrium of the uterus.

2. Prefixes

The table below shows common prefixes that you will encounter as you learn about the female reproductive system. Remember that many other prefixes are also used, including prefixes that you have already learned.

Term	Definition	Example	Definition of Example
A-, an-	Absence of, without	Amenorrhea	The absence of menstruation (the typically monthly shedding of the endometrial lining that lines the interior of the uterus)
Dys-	Abnormal, difficult	Dysmenorrhea	Painful menstruation, often with cramps
Endo-	Within	Endometriosis	A painful condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus
Oligo-	Small amount, few, scanty	Oligomenorrhea	Infrequent or very light menstruation

3. Combining Forms

Many combining forms that you have already learned are relevant to learning about the female reproductive system. The table below focuses on examples of combining forms that describe female reproductive system structures.

Term	Definition	Example	Definition of Example
Cervic/o	Cervix (neck; not specifically the cervix in the reproductive system)	Cervical cancer	Cancer arising from the cervix, often associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection
Colp/o	Vagina	Colposcopy	A procedure using a lighted magnifying instrument to examine the cervix and potentially remove tissue for biopsy
Endometri/o	Endometrium	Endometriosis	A painful condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus
Episi/o, vulv/o	Vulva (The external part of the female genitalia, which includes the labia majora, labia minora, clitoris, and the opening of the vagina)	Episiotomy	An incision in the perineum (region separating the genitals and anus; in women, between the vaginal opening and the anus); intended to facilitate childbirth; not routinely recommended (Mayo Clinic staff, 2022; Merriam Webster, n.d.a.)
Hyster/o	Uterus	Hysterectomy	Surgical removal of the uterus, which may include the cervix, ovaries, uterine tubes (fallopian tubes), and other surrounding structures
Mamm/o, mast/o	Breast	Mammogram	An X-ray image of the breast used to detect and diagnose breast abnormalities
Men/o	Menstruation	Menopause	The end of menstrual cycles in a woman’s life, marking the end of reproductive years
Metr/i, metr/o	Uterus	Metrorrhagia	Bleeding from the uterus at any time other than normal menstruation
Oophor/o	Ovary	Oophorectomy	Surgical removal of one or both ovaries
Salping/o	Uterine tube/fallopian tube	Salpingectomy	Surgical removal of one or both uterine tubes (fallopian tubes)
Vagin/o	Vagina	Vaginitis	Vaginal inflammation (Mayo Clinic, 2021)

think about it

Have you heard the terms hysteria or hysterical? Hysteria means having emotional excess or excitability, which can include sensory disturbances. Do you see the similarity between hysteria and hyster/o? The reason is that the Greeks thought that hysteria was a uniquely female phenomenon related to having a womb (uterus) (Merriam-Webster, n.d.b. and Merriam-Webster, n.d.c.). Although that idea was clearly incorrect and it is wrong to link a uterus with the idea of hysteria, the similarity caused by the word origin remains.

try it

Let’s try some examples. Consider the following words:

salpingo-oophorectomy (remembering that you have already learned about salpingectomy and oophorectomy)
mastectomy

What is a use of cervic/o that applies to a different body system? (Hint: Consider the axial skeleton.)

Cervical vertebrae. Cervical means neck, not just the female cervix. Therefore, you may see the term in contexts other than the female reproductive system.

Based on the word parts, what does salpingo-oophorectomy mean?

Salping/o means uterine tube (fallopian tube), oophor/o means ovary, and -ectomy means surgical removal. Therefore, salpingo-oophorectomy means the surgical removal of a uterine tube and its corresponding ovary, or sometimes both uterine tubes and ovaries.

Based on the word parts, what does mastectomy mean?

Mast/o means breast, and –ectomy means surgical removal. Therefore, mastectomy means the surgical removal of a breast (or breasts).

did you know

Episiotomies used to be routinely performed during childbirth. It was thought that a carefully-performed surgical tear was better than a natural tear, preserving tissues and promoting healing. However, episiotomies are no longer recommended for routine use. Instead, they are recommended for specific situations, such as when a baby requires assistance for delivery (Mayo Clinic staff, 2022).

4. Suffixes

In addition to prefixes and combining forms, there are many suffixes that are useful in discussing the female reproductive system. Some useful suffixes are presented in the table below, which includes some familiar suffixes and some new suffixes.

Term	Definition	Example	Definition of Example
-al	Pertaining to	Vaginal	Pertaining to the vagina
-cleisis	Surgical closure	Colpocleisis	Procedure in which the walls of the vagina are sewn together to prevent displacement of pelvic organs (prolapse, which refers to other organs as well; Cleveland Clinic, 2022a)
-pexy	Surgical fixation, suspension	Hysteropexy	A procedure to fix the uterus in place to preserve, rather than remove, a prolapsed uterus (Oh and Jeon, 2022)
-rrhagia	Excessive flow	Menorrhagia	Excessive menstrual bleeding
-rrhea	Flow, discharge	Dysmenorrhea	Painful menstruation, often with cramps
-salpinx	Uterine tube/fallopian tube	Hydrosalpinx	A condition in which fluid blocks a uterine tube (fallopian tube; Cleveland Clinic, 2022b).
-tomy	Incision, cut into	Laparotomy	A surgical procedure with a large incision in the abdomen to access the abdominal organs

try it

Let’s try an example.

What do the word parts in cervical mean?

Cervic/o means neck, and –al means pertaining to. Cervical means pertaining to the cervix.

Some additional useful terms related to the female reproductive system are below.

Adnexa: Accessory structures of the uterus, such as the uterine tubes (fallopian tubes) and ovaries.
Anovulation: Absence of ovulation.
Contraception: Intentional prevention of pregnancy.
Dyspareunia: Painful sexual intercourse.
Fistula: An abnormal passageway between two organs or an internal organ and the body surface. Although uncommon, a vaginal fistula can develop between the vagina and another organ, such as the urinary bladder, colon, or rectum.
Infertility: The inability to conceive.
Mastitis: Inflammation of the breast that tends to occur when a woman is lactating.
Menometrorrhagia: Excessive and prolonged uterine bleeding occurring at irregular and/or frequent intervals.
Menarche: The first occurrence of menstruation.
Oligomenorrhea: Infrequent or very light menstruation.
Polymenorrhea: Frequent menstruation in which menstrual cycles are shorter than 21 days in length.
Sexual intercourse: Sexual contact between individuals that includes insertion of a penis into a vagina.
Tubal ligation: Surgical closure or blocking of the uterine tubes (fallopian tubes) to prevent pregnancy; a type of sterilization (a procedure that prevents pregnancy).

terms to know

The table below lists terms that are especially important or that may be difficult to pronounce. Audio is provided to help you learn how to say these terms.

Term	Definition	Audio
Oophorectomy	Surgical removal of one or both ovaries
Salpingectomy	Surgical removal of one or both uterine tubes (fallopian tubes)
Salpingo-oophorectomy	Surgical removal of a uterine tube and its corresponding ovary

summary

In this lesson, you had an introduction to female reproductive system terminology. After a brief overview of the female reproductive system, you learned about prefixes, combining forms, and suffixes. This terminology will help you understand a variety of female reproductive system conditions and procedures.

Source: THIS TUTORIAL HAS BEEN ADAPTED FROM “OPEN RN | MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY – 2e” BY ERNSTMEYER & CHRISTMAN AT OPEN RESOURCES FOR NURSING (Open RN). ACCESS FOR FREE AT https://wtcs.pressbooks.pub/medterm/ LICENSING: CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTION 4.0 INTERNATIONAL.

REFERENCES

28.3 Fetal Development. (n.d.). OpenStax. 28.3 Fetal Development - Anatomy and Physiology 2e | OpenStax

Committee Opinion No 700: Methods for estimating the due date. (2017). Obstetrics and Gynecology, 129(5), e150–e154. doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000002046

Vaginitis. (2021, December 22). Mayo Clinic. Vaginitis - Symptoms & causes - Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic staff. (2022, August 2). Mayo Clinic. Episiotomy: When it's needed, when it's not - Mayo Clinic

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.a.). Perineum. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved July 30, 2025, from www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perineum

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.b.). Hysteria. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved August 2, 2025, from www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hysteria

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Hysterical. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved August 2, 2025, from www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hysterical

Colpocleisis. (2022a, June 22). Cleveland Clinic. Colpocleisis: What To Expect, Technique & Recovery

Oh, S., & Jeon, M. J. (2022). How and on whom to perform uterine-preserving surgery for uterine prolapse. Obstetrics & Gynecology Science, 65(4), 317–324. doi.org/10.5468/ogs.22003

Hydrosalpynx. (2022b, November 11). Cleveland Clinic. Hydrosalpinx: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment

Terms to Know

-cleisis: Surgical closure.
-pexy: Surgical fixation, suspension.
-salpinx: Uterine tube (fallopian tube).
Adnexa: Accessory structures of the uterus, such as the uterine tubes (fallopian tubes) and ovaries.
Amenorrhea: The absence of menstruation.
Anovulation: Absence of ovulation.
Cervic/o: Pertaining to a neck (not specifically the cervix in the female reproductive system).
Cervical Cancer: Cancer arising from the cervix, often associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.
Colp/o: Pertaining to the vagina.
Colpocleisis: Procedure in which the walls of the vagina are sewn together to prevent displacement of pelvic organs (prolapse).
Colposcopy: A procedure using a lighted magnifying instrument to examine the cervix and potentially remove tissue for biopsy.
Contraception: Intentional prevention of pregnancy.
Dysmenorrhea: Painful menstruation, often with cramps.
Dyspareunia: Painful sexual intercourse.
Embryo: Organism during early stages of development (up to 8 weeks in humans).
Endometri/o: Pertaining to the endometrium.
Endometrial Lining: Layer of tissue forming the interior surface of the uterus.
Endometriosis: A painful condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus.
Endometrium: The inner lining of the uterus.
Episi/o: Pertaining to the vulva.
Episiotomy: An incision in the perineum intended to facilitate childbirth; not routinely recommended.
Fallopian Tube: Tubes that transport ova from the ovary to the uterus.
Fertilization: Fusion of egg and sperm, producing a zygote (fertilized egg).
Fetus: Developing unborn organism that has progressed past the embryonic stage; in humans, this stage begins at 9 weeks and continues until birth (typically around 40 weeks after the last menstrual period).
Fimbria: One of the fringe-like projections at the end of the fallopian tubes, near the ovaries, which help to guide the ovum into the tube after ovulation; usually seen as the plural (fimbriae).
Fistula: An abnormal passageway between two organs or an internal organ and the body surface. Although uncommon, a vaginal fistula can develop between the vagina and another organ, such as the urinary bladder, colon, or rectum.
Fundus: The thick, rounded top of the uterus.
Hydrosalpinx: A condition in which fluid blocks a uterine tube (fallopian tube).
Hyster/o: Pertaining to the uterus.
Hysterectomy: Surgical removal of the uterus, which may include the cervix, ovaries, uterine tubes (fallopian tubes), and other surrounding structures.
Hysteropexy: A procedure to fix the uterus in place to preserve, rather than remove, a prolapsed uterus.
Infertility: The inability to conceive.
Laparotomy: A surgical procedure with a large incision in the abdomen to access the abdominal organs.
Last Menstrual Period (LMP): Last menstrual period prior to pregnancy.
Mamm/o: Pertaining to the breast.
Mammogram: An X-ray image of the breast used to detect and diagnose breast abnormalities.
Mast/o: Pertaining to the breast.
Mastectomy: Surgical removal of a breast (or breasts.
Mastitis: Inflammation of the breast that tends to occur when a woman is lactating.
Men/o: Pertaining to menstruation.
Menarche: The first occurrence of menstruation.
Menometrorrhagia: Excessive and prolonged uterine bleeding occurring at irregular and/or frequent intervals.
Menopause: The end of menstrual cycles in a woman’s life, marking the end of reproductive years.
Menorrhagia: Excessive menstrual bleeding.
Menstrual Cycle: Monthly female reproductive cycle.
Menstruation: The shedding of the endometrial lining that typically occurs monthly.
Metr/i: Pertaining to the uterus.
Metr/o: Pertaining to the uterus.
Metrorrhagia: Bleeding from the uterus at any time other than normal menstruation.
Myometrium: The muscular middle layer of the uterus.
Oligomenorrhea: Infrequent or very light menstruation.
Oophor/o: Pertaining to an ovary or ovaries.
Oophorectomy: Surgical removal of one or both ovaries.
Ovary: Female organ that produces eggs and hormones.
Ovulation: The process by which a mature egg is released from a follicle in the ovary to enter a uterine tube (fallopian tube).
Ovum: An egg.
Perineum: Region separating the genitals and anus; in women, between the vaginal opening and the anus.
Polymenorrhea: Frequent menstruation in which menstrual cycles are shorter than 21 days in length.
Prolapse: Displacement of organs, moving down out of place.
Salping/o: Pertaining to a uterine tube (fallopian tube) or uterine tubes (fallopian tubes).
Salpingectomy: Surgical removal of one or both uterine tubes (fallopian tubes).
Salpingo-oophorectomy: Surgical removal of a uterine tube and its corresponding ovary, or sometimes both uterine tubes and ovaries.
Sexual Intercourse: Sexual contact between individuals that includes insertion of a penis into a vagina.
Sterilization: In the context of reproduction, a procedure that prevents pregnancy.
Tubal Ligation: Surgical closure or blocking of the uterine tubes (fallopian tubes) to prevent pregnancy; a type of sterilization.
Uterine Tube: Tubes that transport ova from the ovary to the uterus.
Uterus: A muscular, pear-shaped organ responsible for housing and nourishing a developing embryo and fetus.
Vagin/o: Pertaining to the vagina.
Vagina: A muscular canal serving as the entrance to the reproductive tract and the exit from the uterus during menstruation and childbirth.
Vaginal: Pertaining to the vagina.
Vaginitis: Vaginal inflammation.
Vulv/o: Pertaining to the vulva.
Vulva: The external part of the female genitalia, which includes the labia majora, labia minora, clitoris, and the opening of the vagina.
Zygote: Fertilized egg.