Reproductive System Flashcards
What structures are in the female reproductive system?
Vagina, uterus, cervix, corpus, ovaries, Fallopian tubes
What is the function of the ovaries?
Small, oval-shaped glands that are located on either side of the uterus, produce and store eggs and produces hormones.
What is the function of the Fallopian tubes?
Narrow tubes attached to the upper part of the uterus and serve as tunnels for the ova to travel from the ovaries to the uterus. Conception usually occurs here.
What is the function of the uterus?
Hollow, pear-shaped organ that is the home to a developing foetus it is divided into two parts, the cervix, which is the lower part that opens into the vagina, and the main body of the uterus; called the corpus
What structures are in the male reproductive system?
Penis, scrotum, testes, epididymis, vas deferens, ejaculatory ducts, urethra, seminal vesicles, prostate gland, bulbourethral glands
What is the role of the penis?
The penis contains the urethra, a tube that carries urine and semen to outside the body. When the penis is erect during sex, the flow of urine is blocked from the urethra, allowing semen to be ejaculated.
What is the role of the epididymis in the male reproductive system?
Transports and stores sperm cells that are produced in the testes. The epididymis also matures immature sperm cells that cannot fertilise.
What is the role of the vas deferens?
Long, muscular tube that transports mature sperm to urethra ready for ejaculation.
What is the role of the seminal vesicles?
Sacs that produce fructose (sugar-rich fluid) that provides sperm with energy to help them move
What is the role of the prostate gland?
Walnut-sized structure located below the bladder. Secretes additional prostate fluids to nourish the sperm.
What is the role of bulbourethral glands?
Pea-sized glands below prostate glands. These glands produce a clear liquid to lubricate the urethral and to neutralise any acidity the urine causes in the urethra.
Define sexual reproduction
Refers to the contribution of genetic material from two parents to produce unique offspring
Define asexual reproduction
Generates offspring that are genetically identical to a single parent
What are advantages of sexual reproduction?
- Produced genetically unique individuals
- Promotors survival-sexually produced individuals that are not generally identical to one parent, they have less of a risk of inheriting disease, etc.
- Removes bad genes from the population
What are the phases of the cell cycle (mitosis)?
G1 phase - cell produces new proteins, grows and carries out its normal tasks for the body; ends when cell’s DNA beings to duplicate
S phase - DNA molecules form exact duplicates
G2 phase - preparation for cell division
M phase - cell divides into daughter cells
Describe IPMAT
Interphase - duplication of DNA
Prophase - the centrioles move to either side of cell
Metaphase - chromatid pairs line up on the equator of spindle
Anaphase - each pair of chromatids seperate at the centromere
Telophase - the two sets of chromosomes form tight groups at each pole of the cell, nuclear membrane forms around each group
Define chromosome and chromatid
Chromosome - rod-like structures that appear in the nucleus of a human cell during cell division, threads of DNA
Chromatid - a pair of identical strands formed when a chromosome duplicates
Define haploid and diploid
Haploid - a cell having half the usual number of chromosomes
Diploid - a cell in which the chromosomes exist in pairs
Describe meiosis
- occurs in the sex organs (ovary/teste)
- one duplication and two divisions to produce four new cells
- only get one chromosomes from each homologous pair
- gametes are made by this process
Describe the differences between mitosis and meiosis
Mitosis only has one nuclear division whereas meiosis has two
Mitosis produces two diploid cells, meiosis produces four
In mitosis, homologous chromosomes do not pair, in meiosis they do
In mitosis, each new cells gets a complete set of daughter chromosomes, in meiosis there are four haploid cells.
What is spermatogenesis?
Occurs in seminiferous tubules
Seminiferous tubules lined with immature cells called spermatogenia, they did by mitosis during puberty, then they undergo growth into
-> primary spermatocytes (diploid, undergo meiosis)
-> secondary spermatocytes (haploid, 2nd division occurs)
What is oogenesis?
Production of ova in ovaries
Female is born with approx. 400,000 ovum which develop into oogonia: diploid, divide by mitosis, mature to become primary follicle
At puberty - primary follicle goes through meiosis to become two haploid cels,
Secondary oocytes go through second division meiosis
What does FSH do?
Follicle stimulating hormone
Female: stimulates the development and maturation of the ovarian follicle
Male: production of sperm
What does LH do?
Luteinising hormone
Females: stimulates secretion of oestrogen and progesterone
Males: stimulates secretion of testosterone