Chapter 13 Study Guide Terms - Human Reproductive System Review Flashcards
(testes and ovaries) are the organs that produce reproductive cells. They also produce sex hormones.
Gonad
the chemical compounds that control the development and function of the reproductive system.
Sex Hormones
A narrow, tightly-coiled tube that is attached to each of the testicles (the male sex glands that produce sperm). Sperm cells (male reproductive cells) move from the testicles into this, where they finish maturing and are stored.
Epididymis
a duct that carries fluid through the penis. This is shared by the urinary and reproductive systems.
Urethra
the male organ for sexual intercourse. Its primary reproductive function is to transfer sperm from the male to the female reproductive tract.
Penis
The combination of sperm cells and fluids
Semen
produce a mucus-like fluid that contains the sugar fructose, which provides energy for the sperm.
Seminal vesicles
secretes a milky fluid that increases the pH in the female reproductive tract, providing an environment best suited for sperm.
Prostate gland
secrete a clear mucus fluid that aids in lubrication and neutralizes the acidity of any urine in the urethra.
Cowper’s glands, or bulbourethral glands
A single ovum develops within each follicle. Each month, a single follicle matures and then ruptures, releasing the ovum into the oviduct.
Ovulation
a muscular organ that holds and nourishes a developing fetus
Uterus
The lining of the uterus, which is richly supplied with blood vessels to provide nutrients for the fetus.
Endometrium
serves as an entrance for the erect penis to deposit sperm during sexual intercourse. it also serves as an exit for the fetus during childbirth.
Vagina
Stimulates the release of FSH and LH from the anterior pituitary [a hormone produced in the hypothalamus that stimulates the pituitary gland to release follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH)]
Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH)
hormone that acts on the hypothalamus to slow down the production of release factors that trigger FSH secretion. It acts on the anterior pituitary to inhibit the production of FSH. The result is a negative feedback loop. As the level of FSH drops, the testes release less of it. A decrease in the level of it causes the anterior pituitary to release more FSH. This feedback loop keeps the level of sperm production relatively constant over time.
Inhibin
in males, it increases sperm formation and stimulates the development of the sex organs (released by the anterior pituitary). In females, it is responsible for the follicles developing into eggs and secreting estrogen.
Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)
produced by the follicles; responsible for the thickening of the endometrium and keeps FSH secretions down (to prevent further follicles from developing)
Estrogen
produced by the anterior pituitary. In males, it stimulates interstitial cells to produce testosterone. In females, LH triggers the release of an ovum from the follicle.
Luteinizing hormone (LH)
sex hormone that is produced in females, first by the corpus luteum and the ovary to prepare the uterus for fertilization, and later by the placenta to maintain pregnancy.
Progesterone
steroid hormone produced in the testes that is responsible for secondary sex characteristics in males, such as:
- Enlargement of primary sex characteristics
- Enlargement of larynx (Adam’s apple)
- inhibiting fat storage and increasing muscle development
- Formation of hair on chest, arms, face, genitals
- High levels of testosterone in the blood inhibits the production of LH. This feedback loop keeps the testosterone level relatively constant in the body.
Testosterone
contains specialized cell structures called follicles. A single ovum develops within each follicle.
Ovary
carries the ovum from the ovary to the uterus. (the tube through which an ovum or egg passes from an ovary.)
Oviduct
One of two egg-shaped glands inside the scrotum that produce sperm and male hormones. Also called testicle.
Testis
The epididymis is connected to a storage duct, which leads to the penis via the ejaculatory duct. Sperm cells move out of each epididymis through this. (Long muscular tube runs from the epididymis into the pelvic cavity behind your bladder and connects to your urethra through a structure called the ejaculatory duct.)
Ductus deferens, or vas deferens
The ovary contains specialized cell structures called ——-. A single ovum develops within each ——-. (a small, fluid-filled sac in the ovary that contains an immature egg and is a key part of human development)
Follicle
During each month, the endometrium thickens as it prepares to receive a zygote. The zygote implants itself in the endometrium, and development of the embryo begins. If the egg is not fertilized, it does not implant in the endometrium. The endometrium disintegrates, and its tissues and blood flow out the vagina in a process known as this.
Menstruation
the sac (pouch of skin) that contains the testes, epididymis, and the lower part of the spermatic cord (blood vessels and vas deferens), located outside the body. It regulates the temperature of the testes.
Scrotum
The end of the menstrual cycle. Among North American women, the average age is approximately 50, but it can begin earlier or later.
Menopause
structures located inside the male testes. They consist of a network of tubes composed of unique cells known as sertoli cells. They are the site where meiosis, or the production of sex cells, takes place.
Seminiferous tubule
Thread-like projections which continually sweep over the ovary. When an ovum is released, it is swept by this into a cilia-lined tube about 10 cm long called an oviduct.
Fimbriae
The lower, narrow end of the uterus (womb) that connects the uterus to the vagina (birth canal). It allows fluids, such as menstrual blood, to pass from the uterus into the vagina. It also widens during the birth of a baby. (At its base, the uterus forms a narrow opening, called this. This, in turn, connects to the vagina.)
Cervix
The condition where most men experience a gradual decline in their testosterone level beginning around age 40. (a natural decline in testosterone levels that occurs in men as they age.)
Andropause
a series of changes your body goes through each month to prepare for possible pregnancy. The four phases of the menstrual cycle are menstruation, the follicular phase, ovulation and the luteal phase. It is usually about 28 days long, although it may vary considerably from one woman to the next, and even from one cycle to the next in the same woman.
Menstrual Cycle
