The ovaries are 2 small organs that are part of the female reproductive system where ova (eggs) mature. Each month, in women of childbearing age, one ovary releases an egg into the fallopian tube where it may be fertilized with sperm. If it's not fertilised, the egg passes into the womb and is lost when this sheds its lining as a monthly period. The ovaries also produce the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone. After menopause, the ovaries produce less of these hormones and no longer release an egg each month.
Attribution: BUPA