Human Reproduction Flashcards
Ovaries
Store and release eggs
Fallopian tubes
Carries egg to uterus where fertilization occurs
Uterus
(Womb) is where the fertilized egg becomes implanted and finds nourishment
Cervix
Leads from vagina to uterus
Vagina
Holds the male penis during sexual intercourse
Ovulation
The egg released from ovary every 28 days
Menstruation / Period
Uterus becoming thick and rich in blood vessels to be ready to receive the egg, if not fertilized by sperm the thickened uterus is not needed and breaks away, the blood passes through and out the vagina (day 1-5) this is can also be called a ‘period’
Fertile period
Days of the menstrual cycle when the the woman’s most likely to get pregnant, sexual intercourse 2/3 days before during or after ovulation could lead to fertilization because sperm cells can survive this long
Pause of menstrual cycle
If an egg is fertilized by sperm the menstrual cycle will be paused for the duration of pregnancy, the first sign of pregnancy is that menstruation doesn’t happen
Menopause
End of females ability to reproduce and end of her menstrual cycle, it happens at different ages for people typically late 40’s and early 50’s
Testes
Produce sperm
Scrotum
Where the testes are located outside the body to ensure the temperature is lower than body temperature for healthy sperm
Epididymis
A coiled tube on the outside of each testis that stores sperm and allows them to mature fully
Vas deferens
A sperm duct that brings the sperm from the testes to the penis
Seminal vesicles, prostate gland and Cowper’s gland
Produces seminal fluid which mixes with the sperm to form semen, It nourishes the sperm and allow them to swim
Penis
Enters the female and ejaculates semen
Puberty
When the body becomes sexually mature (reproductive organs develop) normally happens between the ages of 10 to 16
Male puberty
Sex hormones (testosterone) releases causing the voice to deepen, hair grows around the sex organs, face, chest and underarms, the testes and penis grow bigger and start to produce sperm
Female Puberty
In females when the sex hormones (oestrogen and progesterone) are released the breasts develop,hips widen,and hair begins to grow on the body.
First egg released from ovaries leading to first period
Egg released every month until menopause
Fertilization
If an egg is present in the Fallopian tube, and a couple have sexual intercourse, then one of the sperm cells may fuse with it.
The nuclei of the sperm and the egg fuse together to form a fertilized egg
The woman is now pregnant
Embryo
The fertilized egg then divides a number of times and the tiny group of cells moves down the Fallopian tubes to the uterus,
This group of cells settles into the lining of the uterus and continues to divide to form an embryo
Zygot -> Embryo -> Foetus
Egg and sperm fuse to form a single —> Zygote
Cell division occurs and growth —> Embryo
Embryo attaches to the lining of the uterus, grows more and after 8 weeks looks like a human —> Foetus
Pregnancy
The average length of a human pregnancy is 40 weeks
As the embryo develops in the uterus it is protected inside a bag of fluid called amniotic fluid
This fluid provides a cushion for the embryo
Umbilical cord
Joins the embryo to the placenta
