Human+Reproductive+System

Section 1 Human Reproductive Systems __ Human Male Anatomy __ The main purpose of the reproductive process is for the sperm to meet with an egg in the female’s ovaries. In order for this process to be carried out properly, the sperm needs to be created. The place in which it is formed and prepared is the testes. These testes are located inside the scrotum outside the abdomen because they require a colder temperature to create sperm. The scrotum then changes form at different times to better circulate the testes. Inside these testes there is a complex system of tubes which contain cells that produce the sperm. A sexually mature male can produce on average 300 million sperm cells per day. These sperm are highly adapted for making their way to the female’s sex cells. The sperm travels through the epididymus, a tube in the testes. They can be stored at these tubes for up to months at a time. Once the sperm are needed for use, they travel to the vas deferens which then send them to ejaculatory tubes and eventually the urethra leading out of the penis. These sperm have assistance in their travel with such liquids like semen. __ Puberty in Males __ Peberty is the release of hormones into the body in the early teenage years. These changesin the body make the appearance and the size of the body change. They also mature the body so that it is ready for sexual reproduction. These changes are brought about by hormones in certain glands in the body. Once these glands send out these howmones it causes the body to grow and mature rapidly into a more adult like body. __ Human Female Anatomy __ The main purpose of the female reproductive systems is to produce eggs, which are the female sex cells. These eggs are designed to receive sperm and then the mother’s reproductive organs will house the fertilized egg. Egg production takes place in the ovaries which are on each side of the woman’s lower abdomen. An oviduct is a long tube that connects the ovary to the uterus and transports the eggs from the ovaries to the uterus for fertilization. All mammals have a uterus for the development of a fetus. The human uterus is located between the rectum and the urinary bladder. The human uterine wall is composed of three layers, the first of these is an outer layer of connective tissues; a thick muscular middle layer is the second, and the last is a thin inner lining called the endometrium. The lower end of the uterus is called the cervix, it narrows into a small opening called the vagina that leads to the outside of the female’s body. __ Puberty in Females __ Puberty in females (like in males) is triggered when the hypothalamus signals the pituitary gland to produce and release the hormones FSH and LH. Although these are the same hormones produced in females and males, in females the FSH hormone stimulates the development of follicles in the ovary. FSH also causes the ovaries to release estrogen. Estrogen is the steroid hormone that is responsible for the secondary sex characteristics of females. This plays into the increasing length of the arm bones, leg bones, and broadening of the hips. Another change that takes place is the increase of body hair, especially in the underarm and pubic areas. And increase fat deposits in the thighs buttocks and breasts. __ Production of Eggs __ The females are born with all of the eggs that they need their whole lives. The eggs travel down the fallopian tubes to the uterus in order to be fertilized. Contain 40,000 eggs when they are born. __ How Eggs are Produced __ Eggs are created from meiosis, just like sperm cells. On average 400 eggs are ovulated throughout the females lifetime. __ Sex Cells __ Like other animals human sex cells are made through meiosis, males produce millions of sperm cells every day. While a female produces one mature egg every month.