Human Reproduction Flashcards
(32 cards)
Define puberty.
Puberty refers to the stage of human growth and development in which a person’s body becomes capable of reproduction.
Male gonads
2 testes
Genital ducts
Sperm ducts, epididymis, urethra
Accessory glands
Prostate gland, Cowper’s gland, seminal vesicles
External genitals
Penis, scrotum
Function of scrotum
- Located outside the main body cavity, so that testis temperature is maintained at about 2 °C below body temperature
- Development of sperms take place a temperature lower than body temperature
Function of testes
- Produce sperms and testosterone
- Receive blood from blood vessels in spermatic cord
- Leading from the end of each testis is the epididymis
Function of epididymis
- Narrow, coiled tube
* Stores inactive sperms from the testis before they enter the sperm duct
Function of sperm ducts
- aka vas deferens
- Each about 40 cm long
- Allow sperms to travel from epididymis to urethra
Function of prostate gland
- Located at the base of the urinary bladder, where the two sperm ducts join the urethra
- Secretes alkaline prostatic fluid which neutralises the acidity of the urethra and vagina
- Fluid contains anticoagulant enzymes and nutrients (citrate) for the sperms
Function of urethra
- A tube which passes from the bladder via the centre of the penis to the outside of the body
- Both semen and urine pass out of the body through the urethra
Function of penis
- Contains urethra and erectile tissue with numerous blood vessels
- During sexual arousal, the erectile tissue fills with blood from the arteries. As the tissue fills, the increasing pressure seals off the veins, causing the penis to engorge.
- The resulting erection enables the penis to be inserted into the vagina to deposit semen.
Function of ovary
•Produce eggs (ova) and hormones, oestrogen and progesterone
Function of oviduct
- Narrow muscular tube lined with a mucus-secreting layer of ciliated epithelium
- Conveys mature ovum from ovary to uterus
- Has funnel-like opening lying close to the ovary, making it easier for the ovum to enter the oviduct
- The ovum is usually fertilised in the oviduct
Function of uterus
- Thick-walled organ about 8 cm long and 5 cm wide
- Where the foetus develops during pregnancy
- Has elastic muscular walls which contract to push the foetus out during birth
- The soft, smooth inner lining or endometrium plays a part in embryo implantation The endometrium breaks down once every 28 days if no pregnancy occurs
Function of cervix
- A narrow ring of muscle that closes the lower end of the uterus
- Holds the developing foetus within the uterus, expanding only during labour to allow passage of the foetus
Function of vagina
- Muscular tube below the cervix
- Has a wall of smooth muscles lined with mucus-secreting epithelium
- Opens to the outside at the vulva
- Where semen is deposited during copulation •Serves as a birth canal
Male produces _______ sperms per day?
400 million
Average LENGTH of sperm is _______?
55 micrometers
Females have _____ ova in their ovaries at birth?
70 000
Only about _____ ova will mature in both ovaries?
500
Define menstruation.
The monthly discharge of blood from the uterus via the vagina.
Define ovarian cycle.
Sequence of changes in the ovary.
Define uterine cycle.
Changes that occur in the endometrium of a non-pregnant female.
