Obstetrics and gynaecology are two disciplines which are inextricably linked, although have rather different emphases. Obstetrics deals with pregnancy and labour and as such is concerned primarly with monitoring a normal physiological event to ensure that if problems do arise they can be dealt with promptly. Gynaecology is the speciality which deals with diseases of the female reproductive organs / genital tract. Given their closely related anatomical territory the two subjects are typically studied together both at the undergraduate and post graduate level.
The organs covered under the remit of gynaecology are the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, vagina and vulva. Technically speaking the cervix and fallopian tubes are parts of the uterus but tend to be regarded as discrete organs from the clinical perspective.
Much of the physiology that underlies gynaecology is that of the menstrual cycle.
The bulk of the field of obstetrics lies beyond the remit of biomedical scientist cut up so many aspects of the obstetrics section will be brief. The main areas of overlap are ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancies and placental disease.