So you think you know yourself pretty well? How about what's going on inside of you? It's useful to know the names for the specific parts of your body as well as the basic purpose of each part. Even if it seems a bit technical or slightly icky at first, when it comes to your 'private parts,' it's better to know the facts then to stay in the dark.

You may have questions, particularly if you haven't yet had anatomy lessons at school, or you're a little shy about asking your parents. No worries, there's nothing to be embarrassed about – it's all natural and actually pretty straightforward and interesting.

Here's a short glossary to get you started with the basics about the intimate parts of your body.

Bartholin glands: A pair of oval glands, each about the size of a pea, located at the entrance to your vagina. Located under the skin, you can't see or feel them. These glands produce – or secrete – one or two drops of fluid during sexual arousal to lubricate the vagina.

Clitoris: The small sexual organ under a fold of skin at the top of the vulva; the external (or outside) part is about the size of a pea. It is the female equivalent of the male penis in that it's the main organ producing sexual pleasure during intercourse.

Fallopian tube: The tube that transports the egg from the ovary to the uterus. Fallopian tubes (of which there are two in the female body) are the place where the fertilisation of an egg – or ovum – can take place. 'Fertilisation' means the fusion of the ovum with a male sperm, which can then grow into an embryo, a foetus and finally a child.

Hymen: This is a thin, delicate membrane (called mucous membrane) that's similar to the skin on the outside of your body but much thinner and very flexible. Most commonly shaped like a half moon (though other shapes are normal), this fold of membrane surrounds or partially covers the external opening of your vagina leaving space or spaces for your period to flow through. It can be stretched or torn when a girl/woman has sexual intercourse for the first time, though non-sexual activities like strenuous exercise can also cause it to break. However, using a tampon is highly unlikely to do so. Once it's torn or broken, the hymen becomes an irregular ring of tissue around the vaginal opening.

Labium: (Latin for 'lips') The two lip-shaped pairs of fleshy folds of skin that surround the opening of the vagina. Each pair has its own name – labia majora (major) and labia minora (minor).

Mons pubis: (Latin for 'pubic mound' and pronounced manz pyoo-bis) The mound of fatty tissue that protects your pubic bone. During puberty, hair will begin to grow here, eventually covering the area.

Ovaries: A woman/girl has two almond-sized ovaries. Each ovary is attached to the fallopian tube, which is in turn connected to the uterus. Once a girl reaches puberty, she will have a monthly cycle known as ovulation; during ovulation the ovaries release a single egg (or ovum) into the Fallopian tube which moves it into the uterus.

Urethra:  This is the tube inside the body (both women and men) that urine (wee) passes down from – taking your wee from your bladder to outside of your body. In girls, it runs above the vagina. In boys the urethra runs inside the penis.

Uterus: The pear-shaped organ – also called the womb – that's roughly the size of the fist and can grow to the size needed for the development of a foetus.

Vagina: The reproductive organ that extends from the cervix to the vulva. It is an elastic muscular canal that also serves as the passage through which a baby is delivered in normal childbirth. The term 'vagina' is commonly incorrectly used to describe the vulva.

Vulva: Often mistakenly called the vagina, this is the area between your legs where the external parts of the reproductive system are. The vulva contains the clitoris, the labium, the mons pubis and the opening of the vagina. Your vulva also contains the opening of your urethra which is how you pass urine or wee.