Reproduction (Chapter 5) Flashcards
life stage when the sex glands become active and bodily changes occur to enable reproduction
puberty
chemical substances produced by glands and circulated in the blood. They have specific effects in the body
hormones
the first menstrual period
menarche
beginning of one period to the beginning of the next period
menstrual cycle
joining together of male and female reproductive cells
sexual reproduction
reproductive cells (sperm or ova) containing half the genetic information of normal cells
gametes
male reproductive cell. It consists of a head, a middle section and a tail used to swim towards the egg
sperm
female gametes or sex cells
Ova (ovum as singular)
cell formed by the fusion of two gametes; fertilised ovum before it starts to divide into more cells
zygote
reproduction where the eggs are released by the female into water and fertilised by sperm released nearby
external fertilisation
reproduction where the egg remains in the female and is fertilised by sperm inserted into the female
internal fertilisation
the act of inserting sperm into the female; also called sexual intercourse or mating
copulation
act of inserting sperm into the female; also called copulation or mating
sexual intercourse
cell division process that results in new cells with half the number of chromosomes of the original cell
meiosis
a new branch of science that involves studying the effect of our experiences on the expression of our genetic information
epigenetics
