Puberty Flashcards
Puberty
describes when the body starts becoming sexually mature (reproductive organs develop). It normally happens between the ages of 10 and 16
Male puberty
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.
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
• The first egg is released from the ovaries which leads to the first period occurring
• An egg will be released every month until the menopause
During intercourse
the man’s penis fills with blood and becomes hard enough to be placed inside the woman’s vagina
semen
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
Fertilisation
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
fertilised egg
The nuclei of the sperm and egg fuse together to form a fertilised egg
• The woman is now pregnant
Stages of baby development
• 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
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
Pregnancy
The average length of a human pregnancy is 40 weeks
amniotic fluid
• 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
• A tube called the umbilical cord joins the embryo to the placenta
placenta
• 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
labour
The birth of a baby begins when the uterus muscles start to contract
waters break
The bag of amniotic fluid bursts “waters break” and further contractions push the baby out usually head first, through the vagina
afterbirth
The umbilical cord is cut and the placenta (afterbirth) comes out after
lactation
The production of breast milk is called lactation
colostrum
The first three days of milk is called colostrum – very nutritious, and helps protect the baby from infection
Natural methods of contraception
Natural methods of contraception aim to detect the day ovulation takes place and avoid intercourse during the fertile period
Artificial methods of contraception
prevent the sperm and egg meeting
