Human Reproduction And Genetics

Question 1

Ovulation

Answer 1

An egg is released from the
ovary an average of every 28 days

Question 2

Menstruation/Period

Answer 2

The lining and a
small amount of blood pass out through
the vagina (day 1-5)

Question 3

Fertile period

Answer 3

These are the days of the
menstrual cycle when the woman is most
likely to become pregnant

Question 4

Menopause

Answer 4

Signals the end of a female’s
ability to reproduce and also the end of her
menstrual cycle. It happens at different
ages for different people, typically in the
late 40’s to early 50’s.

Question 5

Testes

Answer 5

Produce sperm

Question 6

Scrotum

Answer 6

where the testes are, it is located outside
the body to ensure the temperature is lower than body
temperature for healthy sperm

Question 7

Epididymis

Answer 7

is a coiled tube on the outside of each
testis that stores sperm and allows them to mature fully.

Question 8

Vas deferens

Answer 8

(sperm duct) brings the sperm from
the testes to the penis

Question 9

Seminal vesicles, prostate gland and cowpers gland

Answer 9

produce seminal fluid which mixes with sperm to
form semen, it nourishes the sperm and allow them to
swim.

Question 10

Penis

Answer 10

enters the female and ejaculates semen

Question 11

Puberty

Answer 11

describes when the body starts
becoming sexually mature (reproductive
organs develop). It normally happens
between the ages of 10 and 16

Question 12

Male puberty

Answer 12

In males, sex hormones
(testosterone) are released 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.

Question 13

Female puberty

Answer 13

In females when the sex
hormones (oestrogen and progesterone)
are released the breasts develop, hips
widen, and hair begins to grow on the
body

Question 14

Fertilisation

Answer 14

During intercourse the man’s penis fills
with blood and becomes hard enough to
be placed inside the woman’s vagina

A mixture of sperm cells and seminal fluid
called semen is released into the vagina

The sperm swim up the uterus and into
the fallopian tubes

Question 15

Fertilisation women

Answer 15

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 egg fuse
together to form a fertilised egg

• The woman is now pregnant

Question 16

Embryo

Answer 16

The fertilised 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

Question 17

Zygote - embryo - foetus

Answer 17

• Egg and sperm fuse to form a single
• → Zygote

• Cell division occurs and growth
• → Embryo, which attaches to the lining of
the uterus (implantation) grows more, and
after 8 weeks looks like a human

• →Foetus

Question 18

Pregnancy

Answer 18

• 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

Question 19

Umbilical cord

Answer 19

• A tube called the umbilical cord joins the
embryo to the placenta

Question 20

Placenta

Answer 20

• The placenta is rich in blood vessels
• It is here at the placenta that food and
oxygen from the mothers blood pass into
the baby’s blood
• Also wastes such as Carbon dioxide pass
from the baby’s blood into the mothers

Question 21

Birth

Answer 21

The birth of a baby begins when the uterus
muscles start to contract
• This is called labour
• The bag of amniotic fluid bursts “waters
break” and further contractions push the
baby out usually head first, through the
vagina
• The umbilical cord is cut and the placenta
(afterbirth) comes out after

Question 22

Lactation

Answer 22

• The mother may choose to breastfeed the
infant.
• The production of breast milk is called
lactation.
• The first three days of milk is called
colostrum– very nutritious, and helps
protect the baby from infection

Question 23

Natural methods of contraception

Answer 23

aim to detect the day ovulation takes place and
avoid intercourse during the fertile period

Question 24

Artificial methods of contraception

Answer 24

(prevent the sperm and egg meeting)

• An example of this is a condom which
prevents sperm entering the vagina
• Another example is the contraceptive pill
which prevents ovulation
• It is important to realise no method is
100% reliable

Question 25

Genetics

Answer 25

is the study of the
inheritance of Characteristics

Question 26

Inheritable characteristics

Answer 26

Many physical characteristics such as eye colour and shape of ears were inherited from
your parents

Question 27

Chromosomes

Answer 27

The nucleus of each sex
cell (gamete) contains 23 thread like
structures called Chromosomes

Question 28

Chromosomes are made of

Answer 28

protein +
DNA. These chromosomes carry genes

Question 29

Genes

Answer 29

are chemicals found on
chromosomes that pass on information
from parents to children

Question 30

DNA

Answer 30

Deoxyribonucleic acid

Question 31

46 chromosomes

Answer 31

When an egg and
sperm cell fuse (each has 23
chromosomes) they give the individual
they are creating 46 chromosomes

• One set comes from the mother the other
from the father

Question 32

Characteristics

Answer 32

• Each characteristic will be controlled by a
pair of genes

• If the gene from the sperm is brown eyes
and the gene from the egg is brown eyes
then the child will have brown eyes

• The child is said to be homozygous for
brown eyes, as she has only one type of
eye colour gene

Question 33

Gene types

Answer 33

The stronger gene is called the dominant
gene
The weaker gene is called recessive

Question 34

Dominant gene

Answer 34

The dominant gene is the one that
appears in the child when two different
genes are controlling a characteristic

Question 35

Recessive gene

Answer 35

The recessive gene does not appear in the
child when two different genes are
controlling a characteristic