The vagina
Vagina · vagina
The stretchy muscular tube that runs from the cervix to the outside of the body.
What it does
The vagina is a muscular tube, usually seven to ten centimetres long, that runs from the cervix at the bottom of the womb to the outside of the body. It sits between the bladder in front and the rectum behind. Its folded walls can stretch a great deal and spring back. Menstrual blood leaves the body through it, and in birth it becomes the birth canal.
Surprising fact
The vagina keeps itself clean. Friendly bacteria called lactobacilli make lactic acid, which keeps it about as acidic as tomato juice and holds back unwelcome microbes.
Why it matters
"Vagina" is often used for the whole area, but the parts you can see outside are the vulva. In the 3D model the vagina is shown inside the pelvis; the vulva is part of the skin surface rather than a separate part.
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Sources
Drafted with AI help; awaiting a human fact-check against these sources.
Open in the 3D atlas · Suggest a correction · Not medical advice.
3D models: Z-Anatomy & BodyParts3D (CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2.1 JP). Card text CC BY 4.0.