The ovaries

The ovaries are 2 small, oval-shaped organs which are part of the female reproductive system. They are in the lower part of the abdomen, which is known as the pelvis.

Other organs are very close to the ovaries (see diagrams below). These include:

• the ureters, which drain urine from the kidney to the bladder
• the bladder
• the lower part of the bowel (the rectum)
• the omentum (a membrane which surrounds all of the pelvic and abdominal organs and keeps them in place). It is also called the peritoneum.
• a collection of lymph nodes.

Each month, in women of childbearing age, one of the ovaries produces an egg. The egg passes down the fallopian tube to the womb (uterus). If the egg is not fertilised by a sperm it passes out of the womb and is shed, along with the lining of the womb, as part of the monthly period.

The ovaries also produce the female sex hormones, oestrogen and progesterone. As a woman nears the ‘change of life’ or menopause the ovaries make less of these hormones and periods gradually stop.