UNIT 6: REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

Human reproduction is sexual because a male and female gamete are needed.

Males and females produce cells, which are specialised in reproduction. These cells are called gametes.

Female gamete: ovule

Male gamete: spermatozoa

The male reproductive system is made up of the testes, the penis, the accessory glands and the vas deferens.

1. The testes are two oval-shaped organs that produce spermatozoa (male reproductive cells).
2. The accessory glands are the prostate and the seminal vesicles.
3. The accessory glands produce fluids that mix together with the spermatozoa to form semen.
4. The vas deferens are two tubes that connect the testes to the accessory glands.

 

The female reproductive system is made up of the ovaries, the Fallopian tubes, the uterus, the vagina and the vulva.

1. The ovaries are two oval shaped organs that produce ovules (female reproductive cells).
2. The Fallopian tubes connect the ovaries to the uterus and the ovules travel through them.
3. The uterus is a hollow organ with muscular walls, which expand during pregnancy.
4. The vagina connects the uterus to the exterior of the body.
5. The vulva is the external part and the labia protect the openings of the vagina and the urethra.

 

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Puberty is a period of time (it normally happens between the ages of 11 and 17) that humans go through when their reproduction system is activated and they develop secondary sex characteristics. 

The menstrual cycle is a process that lasts around twenty-eight days and is made up of ovulation, preparation of the uterus and menstruation.

1. During ovulation, the ovary releases an ovule, which enters the Fallopian tube.
2. Sixteen days after ovulation, the preparation of the uterus happens for the possible fertilisation of the ovule.
3. During menstruation (between three to six days), the ovule, the lining of the uterus and blood are eliminated from the body if the ovule hasn´t been fertilised.

Fertilisation happens when a spermatozoon and an ovule join together to create a zygote.

The development of the embryo lasts approximately nine months or forty weeks.

Birth happens when the baby and the placenta leave the mother´s body.