Lesson 10 The Reproductive System Flashcards
What happens when the endocrine system begins to develop the reproductive system?
A sudden change in hormone production to begin puberty. These same hormones are responsible for sex drive and secondary sex characteristics, including facial and genital hair, distribution of body fat, and breast development. The hormones, which also affect emotions in both sexes, are produced in the sexual organs themselves and in endocrine glands outside the reproductive system
Name the reproductive organs of men.
In men, the main reproductive organs include the penis, testes, ducts, and accessory sex glands (the seminal vesicles, bulbourethral glands, and prostate).
Where are the testes kept?
In the scrotum.
What do the muscles of the scrotum do?
The muscle fibres in the scrotum regulate the temperature of the testes, important to the survival of the sperm.
What is the safe temperature range for sperm?
Unless kept at 37.4 F (3 C) lower than the core body temperature, the sperm will die.
Describe sperm production.
Sperm production, from beginning to end, takes about 72 days, and they are produced at a rate of 300 million per day. When a sperm matures, it begins to move through a series of ducts in the reproductive system, mixing with different fluids to become semen. The prostate gland contributes to the composition of semen by releasing a slightly acidic fluid with enzymes that gives semen its milky appearance and aids in sperm motility and viability.
What is the life expectancy of ejaculated sperm?
48 hours. After the age of 55, however, fewer sperm are viable for insemination.
How long can men maintain their reproductive capacity?
70 or 80 years.
Describe the major reproductive organs of the woman.
In women, the ovaries, uterus, the Fallopian tubes, and vagina are the major reproductive organs.
Name the length of the reproductive cycle for the female.
The female reproductive system has a limited fertility period of 30 to 40 years.
