in trees and other plants. the part of the flower that produces the ovules and becomes the fruit at maturity.

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
ovary (noun)
1.
one of the typically paired essential female reproductive organs that produce eggs and in vertebrates female sex hormones
2.
the enlarged rounded usually basal portion of the pistil or gynoecium of an angiospermous plant that bears the ovules and consists of one or more carpels - see flower illustration
ovary (Wikipedia)
Ovary
Ovary nih.jpg
The ovaries form part of the female reproductive system, and attach to the fallopian tubes
Gray589.png
Blood supply of the human female reproductive organs. The left ovary is the oval shaped structure visible above the label "ovarian arteries".
Details
SystemFemale reproductive system
Arteryovarian artery, uterine artery
Veinovarian vein
Nerveovarian plexus
LymphParaaortic lymph node
Identifiers
Latinovarium
MeSHD010053
TAA09.1.01.001
FMA7209
Anatomical terminology

The ovary is an organ found in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary (from Latin ovarium, meaning 'egg, nut') found on the left and right sides of the body. The ovaries also secrete hormones that play a role in the menstrual cycle and fertility. The ovary progresses through many stages beginning in the prenatal period through menopause. It is also an endocrine gland because of the various hormones that it secretes.

« Back to Glossary Index