01 / Location & anatomical relationships
At the lower end of the uterus, where it meets the vagina.
02 / Structure & organization
The cervix contains a canal connecting the uterine cavity with the vagina. Glandular epithelium lines much of the canal, while squamous epithelium covers the vaginally exposed surface. Cervical mucus changes with hormonal conditions.
03 / Function
It opens into the vagina.
04 / Mechanism
A narrow canal passes through the cervix. Its glands make mucus whose properties change with hormone signals. During childbirth, the opening can widen as part of the process that allows birth through the vagina.
Working together: reproductive system
Bodies develop in different ways. During puberty, hormones help reproductive organs mature. A pregnancy can begin when a sperm cell fertilizes an egg cell, and development continues in the uterus.
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Connect structure with function
The junction between epithelial types is a clinically important anatomical region. The cervix is part of the uterus, rather than a separate passage parallel to the vagina.
Check your understanding
Locate the cervix in relation to its neighbors. Explain how the structural features described above support its function, then distinguish it from a nearby structure with a different role.
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Continue with OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology for system-level study. This atlas is educational and has not undergone independent medical peer review.