Rep system Flashcards
testes
organs that produce sperm and sex hormones
scrotum
pouch of skin containing testes. It hangs outside the body to keep the sperm cooler than normal body temperature.
follicles
sacs containing egg cells
fallopian tubes
tiny tubes joining the ovaries to the uterus. Fertilization occurs in one of these tubes.
fertilization
penetration of the ovum by a sperm
sexual reproduction
joining together of male and female reproductive cells
gametes
reproductive cells (sperm or ova) containing half the genetic information of normal cells
sperm
male reproductive cell. It consists of a head, a middle section and a tail used to swim towards the egg.
ova
female gametes or sex cells. Singular = ovum.
zygote
cell formed by the fusion of two gametes; fertilised ovum before it starts to divide into more cells
external fertilisation
reproduction where the eggs are released by the female into water and fertilised by sperm released nearby
internal fertilisation
reproduction where the egg remains in the female and is fertilised by sperm inserted into the female
sexual intercourse
act of inserting sperm into the female; also called copulation or mating
copulation
the act of inserting sperm into the female; also called sexual intercourse or mating
meiosis
cell division process that results in new cells with half the number of chromosomes of the original cell
epigenetics
a new branch of science that involves studying the effect of our experiences on the expression of our genetic information
nuclear DNA
genetic material passed on from both parents, from the nucleus of both the sperm and the ovum
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)
genetic material from the mitochondria, passed on only from the mother
mtDNA
genetic material from the mitochondria, passed on only from the mother
ejaculation
release of sperm
semen
combination of fluid and sperm
identical twins
twins developed from the same fertilised egg
fraternal twins
twins developed from different fertilised eggs