Reproduction and Growth : Human Reproduction Flashcards
1
Q
what is the male gamete in humans?
A
- sperm
2
Q
what adaptations do sperm have?
A
- tail-like flagellum which moves them through the water
3
Q
what is the female gamete in humans?
A
- egg cell
4
Q
what are egg cells?
A
- female gamete
- produced monthly in female humans from the ovaries
- women are born with all of their eggs
5
Q
what is sperm?
A
- the male gamete
- males start producing sperm in puberty and will always continue to do so
6
Q
what is external fertilisation?
A
- in fish, the females release their ova into the water and the sperm have to swim through the water to fertilise the ova
- this kind of fertilisation happens outside the body and is therefore called external fertilisation
7
Q
what is internal fertilisation?
A
- other male animals, including birds and mammals, ejaculate their sperm in a special fluid (semen) into the bodies of females during sexual intercourse
- internal fertilisation then takes place inside the female’s body
- fertilisation is much more likely
- once the sperm has reached the ovum, its nucleus must enter the ovum and fuse with the ovum nucleus
8
Q
how many chromosomes does a normal human body cell have?
A
- with the exception of gametes and red blood cells, a normal human body cell will have 46 chromosomes
- these consist of 23 pairs of homologous chromosomes (contain the same genes)
9
Q
explain why a normal human body cell has 46 chromosomes.
A
- the body cell contains a set of chromosomes (23) which originated from the organisms father (sperm cell), and a set of chromosomes (23) that originated from the mother (egg cell/ovum)
- the cell therefore has two sets of chromosomes (maternal and paternal) and is known as a diploid cell
10
Q
how many chromosomes do gametes have?
A
- in humans, sperm and ova each only have 23 chromosomes, half the genetic information required for a human: cells with half the genetic information are known as haploid cells
- when the haploid sperm and haploid egg fuse, we say that fertilisation has occurred to form a diploid cell
11
Q
what is fertilisation?
A
- the fusion of haploid male and female gametes, restoring the diploid number of chromosomes in the zygote
12
Q
what is the first cell that is formed at fertilisation?
A
- it is known as the zygote
- as each gamete has only half the normal number of chromosomes, the zygote formed by fertilisation will have the full number of chromosomes
13
Q
label the female human reproductive system.
A
one note page
14
Q
define ovary.
A
- where egg cells are formed by meiosis (in the follicle).
- produces the hormones oestrogen and progesterone
15
Q
define oviduct (fallopian tubes).
A
- egg cells travel down this to the uterus
- lined with cilia which move the cell
- site of fertilisation
16
Q
define uterus.
A
- a lining forms in the uterus, where the embryo will implant
- the foetus develops in the uterus, which has a thick muscular wall
- this contracts during labour
17
Q
define cervix.
A
- narrow opening to the uterus
- this dilates (widens) during labour, to allow the baby to be born
18
Q
define vagina.
A
- muscular tube which leads from the cervix to the outside of the woman’s body
- a man’s penis goes into the woman’s vagina during sexual intercourse and the baby passes through the vagina when it is born
19
Q
label the male reproductive system.
A
one note page
20
Q
define testes.
A
- where sperm cells are formed by meiosis
- produces the hormone testosterone
21
Q
define sperm duct.
A
- maturing sperm are transported along this tube