Reproduction In Humans (Females). Flashcards
(36 cards)
What do the ovaries produce and what do these things do inside the body?
- The ovaries produce female sex cells, ova.
- The ovaries also produce the female hormones, oestrogen, which produces secondary sexual characteristics, such as the development of breasts, and progesterone, which prevents the release of ova during the pregnancy.
What is the purpose of the fimbriae?
The fimbriae help sweep the ovum into the oviduct.
What are the fimbriae (singular fimbria)?
At the end of the oviduct is a funnel-shaped structure with projections called the fimbriae (singular fimbria).
What does the oviduct (fallopian tube) do?
The oviduct collects the ovum released by the ovary.
What does the movement of cilia and muscles in the oviduct do?
The movement of cilia and muscles sweep up the egg towards the uterus, increasing its chances of meeting with a sperm.
Define fertilisation.
When the nucleus of the male sex cell has fused with the nucleus of the female sex cell, fertilization is complete.
Where is the uterus located and what can it do?
The uterus is located behind the urinary bladder and can grow to accommodate a growing fetus during pregnancy.
Define menstruation (easy definition).
Menstruation is the passing out of the unfertilized egg and the lining of the uterus with some blood.
What are the cervix’s three purposes?
- The ring of muscles in the cervix closes off the uterus from the vagina.
- During childbirth the cervix can dilate to become bigger to accommodate the passage of the baby.
- The cervix keeps the uterus firmly closed during pregnancy and only relaxes when the baby is being born.
What does the elastic tissue in the vagina do?
The vagina expands to become bigger to accommodate an erect penis or the exit of a baby during childbirth
What does the wall of the vagina contain?
The wall of the vagina contains elastic tissue.
What does the epithelium in the vagina lining do?
The epithelium produces acids that prevent the growth and multiplication of micro-organisms, such as bacteria.
What does the vagina produce during sexual intercourse?
The vagina produces fluid which increases during sexual arousal to ensure comfort during sexual intercourse.
The external genital organ is known as the vulva. What does the vulva consist of?
This consists of the larger outer lips (labia majora), inner smaller lips (labia minora), and the clitoris.
What do the labia majora and labia minora lips do?
The lips protect the openings of the vagina and the urethra.
Define ovulation.
Ovulation is the release of an egg (ovum) from the ovary each month. The ovum is released on day 14 of the cycle.
What is meant by the menstrual cycle?
The menstrual cycle is a 28-day cycle in women including ovulation and menstruation.
Fill in the missing answers:
When a girl reaches _______, her menstrual/monthly cycle begins. It will continue except during ________ until the woman is about __ or __ years old. The monthly cycle prepares the uterus to receive a _______ ____. If fertilization does not take place, the ________ _______ and ______/_____ ovum pass out as the “____” (another name for it is _______). The cycle is repeated until an ovum is _______.
When a girl reaches puberty, her menstrual/monthly cycle begins. It will continue except during pregnancies until the woman is about 50 or 60 years old. The monthly cycle prepares the uterus to receive a fertilized ovum. If fertilization does not take place, the prepared lining and unfertilized/dead ovum pass out as the “flow” (period). The cycle is repeated until an ovum is fertilized.
Define puberty.
This is the time when girls develop into young women and boys become young men.
Name the 4 secondary sexual characteristics in girls.
- Pubic hair grows.
- The breasts develop.
- The hips widen.
- Her menstrual cycle begins.
What happens after the ovum is fertilized?
- Once an ovum is fertilized, it starts to divide into many cells.
- The ball of dividing cells takes a few days to travel down into the uterus.
- In the uterus, the embryo becomes attached to the lining inside the uterus (womb) and this is called implantation.
- The fertilized ovum now receives nutrients from the mother.
- It carries on dividing as it grows into a human embryo.
Define implantation.
In the uterus, the embryo becomes attached to the lining inside the uterus (womb) and this is called implantation.
What is the placenta’s purpose?
Nutrients (e.g. glucose) and oxygen from the mother’s blood diffuse through the placenta into a tube called the umbilical cord which carries them to the embryo.
What is the purpose of the amniotic bag/bag of waters?
During pregnancy, the fetus is enclosed by a bag of fluid called the amniotic bag/bag of waters and here it has space to grow and move and is protected from mechanical shock.
