Human Biology (Structure of the Reproductive System) Flashcards
What are the male gonads and their function?
The testicles, and is where the male gametes, spermatozoa (or sperm), are produced.
What is the scrotum?
Skin-covered pouch that holds and supports the testes.
What is a temperature requirement of production and development of sperm?
Should be around 2 degrees lower than normal body temperature.
How do the testes move to regulate temperature?
Muscle fibers in the wall of the scrotum contract and relax to move the tests closer and further away from the body.
What are the lobules in the testes filled with called?
Seminiferous tubules
What is the function of seminiferous tubules? And where do they lead out to?
Lined with cells that produce the male gametes. Join into ducts, that leave the tests and enter the epididymis.
What structures exist between the seminiferous tublues?
Interstitial cells.
What are the male gametes called?
Spermatozoa (Sperm)
What is the epididymis and its function?
A highly folded tubule that fits against the rear surface of each testis. Sperm from the testis enter the tubule of the epididymis where they are stored for up to a month while they mature.
What is the acrosome? What does it do?
A fluid-filled vesicle at the tip of a sperm cell. In the fluid are enzymes, which break down the layer of cells surrounding the egg so that fertilisation can occur.
What effect does the thin layer of cytoplasm around the sperm have?
Because there is so little cytoplasm, sperm have a short survival period and receive their nourishment from the semen in which they are suspended.
Describe the structure of a sperm cell
Sperm is made up of a head, neck, middle and tail:
The head consists almost entirely of the nuclear material
There is a fluid-filled vesicle at the tip, called the acrosome.
*The neck lies between the head and the middle piece.
*The middle piece contains mitochondria, where respiration takes place to provide the sperm with energy for movement.
*The tail is capable of contractile motions to propel the cell forward.
What are the 3 external genital organs at the exterior of the vagina?
- Labia Majora
- Labia Minora
- Clitoris
What is the role of the vagina during reproduction and for childbirth?
The vagina receives the penis of the male during sexual intercourse and enlarges to form the birth canal during childbirth.
What is the lower end of the uterus called and where does it lead to?
It is called the cervix and it leads to the vagina, a canal leading to the outside of the body.
What is the wall of the uterus made of?
Smooth muscle, and a soft mucous membrane called the endometrium.
What are the fimbriae?
finger-like projections that appear to just touch the surface of the ovary, that help to guide the egg into the uterine tube.
What are the uterine tubes?
There are two uterine tubes (also called Fallopian tubes, or oviducts), one extending from each ovary. They carry the egg from an ovary to the uterus.
What is the enclosing of a germ cell called?
A follicle.
What is the Stroma?
Masses of connective tissue found inside the ovaries.
What structures support the ovaries?
structures located in abdominal cavity supporting the ovaries are ligaments.
What are the gametes produced by the female gonads?
Female gametes are the ova (or eggs)
What are the primary sex gonads in females?
The two ovaries are the primary sexual organs, or gonads, of females.
What is the role of the penis in reproduction?
The penis is used to transfer sperm from the male to the vagina of the female.
What are sperm transported in, and what is this made of?
Sperm is transported in semen, which is a mixture of secretions from three glands – the seminal vesicles, the prostate gland and the bulbourethral gland.
What is the urethra in males?
A duct which runs from the bladder, through the penis to the exterior. The urethra is responsible for transporting both urine and sperm.
What is the function of the Vas Deferens?
Carries the sperm away from the testis towards to urethra.
What structure continues from the tubule of the epididymis?
Vas Deferens
What is the wall of the uterus made of?
Smooth muscle, anda soft mucous membrane called the endometrium.
