Unit 4.1 - Reproducton in Humans Flashcards
Is sexual reproduction different in different mammals?
No, it’s pretty much the same in all mammals
What is the main purpose of sexual reproduction?
To promote genetic variation
How does sexual reproduction promote genetic variation?
The offspring are not genetically identical or genetically identical to the parents
Advantage of genetic variation in a species + give examples
Increases the chances of survival of the species (not the individuals)
e.g - disease: some will be more resistant
Climate change: some will be more able to survive
Describe the offspring of asexual reproduction
Genetically identical to the parents (clones)
Why is sexual reproduction troublesome compared with asexual reproduction?
Due to the need to produce gametes and to find a partner in order to combine gametes to form a zygote
What forms when gametes combine?
A zygote
Why is sexual reproduction costly?
Individuals can become vulnerable to predators
How do we know that the risks taken during sexual reproduction are justified?
After evolution, the process still exists
Scrotum function (male reproductive system)
External sac or skin containing the testes
Testis/testes function in the male reproductive system
- produce gametes (sperm formed by spermatogenesis) and the sperm is used in reproduction when mature
- produce testosterone
Where are both sperm and testosterone produces?
Testes
Seminiferous tubules and epididymis function
Sperm are stored here and mature to become fully mobile
Vas deferens function
Carries sperm towards the penis during ejaculation
Semincal vesicle function
Secretes a fluid into the vas deferens that contains a mixture of chemicals which make up approximately 60% of semen
Name all of the functions of seminal fluid, produced by the seminal vesicle
Provides nutrients for sperm such as fructose for respiration and amino acids
When sperm are released from the body, the seminal fluid helps to provide a source of nutrients
Seminal fluid is also alkaline which helps to neutralise the acidity of any urine remaining in the urethra and the acidity of the vaginal tract. Sperm would otherwise be killed by the acidity.
Prostate function
Secretes a fluid into the vas deferens that contains a mixture of chemicals that make up approximately 30% of semen.
What does prostate fluid do?
Contains zinc ions and is also alkaline which helps to neutralise the acidity of any urine remaining in the urethra and the acidity of the vaginal tract
Urethra functions
Carries semen through the penis and out of the body
Carries urine from the bladder through the penis and out of the body
Semen contents
Spermatozoa
Seminal fluids
Prostate fluids
Penis function
Specialised organ adapted to transfer semen to the vagina during sexual intercourse
Ovaries function
Production of gametes (secondary oocytes produced during oogenesis)
Produce oestrogen and progesterone
What do we call female gametes and what don’t be call them?
Secondary oocytes, not “eggs”
What are oestrogen and progesterone?
Hormones involved in the menstrual cycle and changes during pregnancy
Oviducts (fallopian tube) function
They have a lining of ciliated epithelial cells which move the secondary oocyte to the uterus
What adaptation do the oviducts (fallopian tubes) have in order to move the secondary oocytes to the uterus and why?
Lining of ciliated epithelial cell
The oocyte can’t propel itself like sperm can
Uterus function
Holds the developing foetus until birth
Endometrium function
Important in the early stages of pregnancy. The inner most later of the uterus wall. It has a good blood supply and builds up every month during the menstrual cycle (every month, a new endometrium is produced). If implantation of an embryo does not happen (no pregnancy), the endometrium is broken down and shed during menstruation
What is broken down and shed during menstruation if implantation of an embryo does not happen?
The endometrium
Cervix functions
A narrow ring of connective tissue and muscle
Acts as a barrier between the uterus and the outside environment during pregnancy
During pregnancy, a mucous plug forms in the cervix which helps prevent entry of pathogens.
It’s also what a baby exits the body through.
Vagina function
It has muscular walls and opens at the vulva
Semen is deposited in the vagina during sexual intercourse and the foetus is able to pass out from the uterus through the vagina during birth
What is the production of the male gametes in mammals known as?
Spermatogenesis
What does spermatogenesis lead to and how?
The formation of spermatozoa after a series of cell divisions in the testis
What the name of the thousands of tubules that make up the tissues of the testis?
Seminiferous tubules
Where does spermatogenesis occur?
In the walls of the seminiferous tubules
Between what type of cells does spermatogenesis occur?
Sertoli cells
Explain briefly what spermatogenesis is
The production of male gametes by the process of mitosis and meiosis and a version of gametogenesis
Where does spermatogenesis occur?
In the seminiferous tubules of the testes
How many seminiferous tubules does each of the testes contain and what is their total length?
About 1000
600m
What is there a layer of in each seminiferous tubule and what does this give rise to?
Layer of germinal epithelium which gives rise to the spermtogonia by a seres of mitotic divisions
When does spermatogenesis start and end?
Begins at puberty and continues throughout the life of the male
Describe spermatogenesis
The 1st cells are spermatogonia, which are constantly dividing through mitosis
After dividing, the cells undergo differentiation
This forms primary spermtocytes, which are still diploid cells
These undergo first meiotic division to form 2 haploid cells (homologous chromosome pairs separate during 1st meiotic division) —> secondary spermatocytes
2nd meiotic division occurs and spermatids are formed (are also haploid)
Spermatids undergo differentiation to form spermatozoa (these have a more complex structure)
Where exactly in the seminiferous tubule does spermatogenesis occur?
When cells divide, they are pushed down towards the lumen of the seminiferous tubule. The spermatozoa are produced at the bottom.
Sertoli cells
Specialised cells that share the same basement membrane as the germinal epithelial cells in the testis
Name the functions of Sertoli cells
Believed to support the developing spermatozoa and provide nutrients to these cells as they develop by secreting a nutritive solution
Also provide protection from the male’s immune system
Spermatogenesis occurs between these cells
The heads of the spermatozoa are in these cells
Order of the main things to label in a seminiferous tubule
Germinal epithelium
Spermatogonia
Spermatocyte
Spermatids
Spermatozoa
Where are leydig cells found?
Between the seminiferous tubules
What do leydig cells do?
Secrete testosterone
Testosterone
The hormone responsible for developing male characteristics and developing spermatozoa
Length of spermatozoa
About 50 micrometres (small cell)
3 main parts of the spermatozoa
Head
Mid-section
Tail
What are the 2 things to label on a Spermatozoa?
Nucleus
Acrosome
Where is the nucleus of spermatozoa found and what is its function?
Haploid nucleus formed during meiosis
Holds the DNA of the cell and so contains genetic material
Where is acrosome in spermatozoa and what is its function?
In the head
Contains hydrolytic enzymes that help the sperm break through the corona radiata and zona pellucida surrounding the secondary oocyte. This helps their sperm fuse with the nucleus of the female gametes.
What do the hydrolytic enzymes of acrosome hep sperm do?
Break through the corona radiata and zona pellucida surrounding the secondary oocyte, helping it fuse with the nucleus of the female gametes
Surrounding of secondary oocyte that a sperm needs to break through the fuse with the nucleus of female gametes
Corona radiata and zona pellucida
What happens to the cell membrane of the spermatozoa during capacitation?
Becomes more permeable
How are the mitochondria present in the mid-section of spermatozoa?
Spiralled around microtubules
Describe the mid-section of spermatozoa
Packed with mitochondria. Sperm use the ATP produced by the mitochondria to move.
Contains microtubules that responsible for movement of the tail (these use the ATP).
What do the sperm use the mitochondria in the mid-section for?
Use the ATP produced to move
What is the tail of spermatozoa?
A long flagellum that pushes the sperm forward
Why are spermatozoa described as being motile?
They can move (swim) towards the egg cell
Describe the tail of spermatozoa
Microtubules from mid-section extend into axial filament in the tail
What propels spermatozoa forward?
The whiplash movement of the tail
What does the whiplash movement of the tail of spermatozoa help propel the spermatozoa through?
The seminal fluid to the female gametes
What in spermatozoa indicates that mammals evolved from aquatic organisms?
The presence of a flagellum
Due to the presence of a flagellum in spermatozoa, what must be done?
Sperm must be kept in a liquid environment and be transmitted directly from inside the male mammal to inside the female —> internal fertilisation
Internal fertilisation
Sperm is transmitted directly from inside the male mammal to inside the female
What does internal fertilisation ensure?
That the spermatozoa are kept in an aquatic environment even though the majority of mammal live on land
Explain how internal fertilisation with spermatozoa is different to plants
In plants, the pollen grains (male gametes) have a waterproof outer coat so that they don’t dry out. They can therefore be released into the atmosphere and can survive outside of the organism.
Function of spermatozoa
To deliver male gametes to female gametes to fuse and form a zygote during fertilisation
What is formed when male and female gametes fuse?
A zygote
How many spermatozoa are produced in a male’s life?
In heir millions, constantly, throughout the adult life
Why are spermatozoa produced in their millions, constantly, throughout the adult life?
Increases the probability of fertilising the egg
Do spermatozoa know where to go to fertilise the egg? How?
Yes, they follow a chemical rail released by the oocyte
How does meiosis promote genetic variation?
Crossing over
Random assortment
When does crossing over occur during meiosis?
During prophase I
When does random assortment occur during meiosis?
During metaphase I and II
What occurs during crossing over (meiosis)?
Parts of homologous pairs of chromosomes are swapped over
Homologous pairs form bivalents during Synapsis and parts swap over. New combinations of alleles are formed on the chromatids (same genes as homologous chromosomes, different alleles)
Random assortment
How the homologous chromosomes arrange themselves along the spindle
Describe random assortment during metaphase II
The chromatids are no longer homologous, so this can lead to even more genetic variation
Chromosome number of cells after meiosis I and why
2 haploid nuclei (number of chromosomes per cell has halved)
Chromosome number throughout meiosis II + why
Haploid throughout (4 haploid cells with non-duplicated chromosomes are made)
Oogenesis
The production of female gametes
Oogenium
Stem cells in the ovaries of a foetus in the womb
When is there no further developments of oocytes?
Between birth and puberty
Describe the process of oogenesis
Before birth:
Oogenium are stem cells in the ovaries of a foetus in the womb
These undergo mitosis in order to increase in number
These grow to form the primary oocyte
Therefore, before birth there’s lots of primary oocytes
Between birth and puberty, there’s no further development of oocytes
From puberty through the menopause:
One primary oocyte develops into a secondary oocyte and is released during ovulation every month
During the first meiotic division, the secondary oocyte and the 1st polar body are formed
Both of these are haploid
The polar body is small and non-functional, whereas the secondary oocyte is functional -> the female gamete
Meiosis is then stopped and the second meiotic division doesn’t happen until a sperm cell penetrates into the egg cell
If and when this happens, the second meiotic division occurs. This forms the ovum (mature egg cell) and the 2nd polar body
The 1st polar body can divide to form more polar bodies (not always + not impotent in fertilisation anyway)
What is the functional female gamete?
Secondary oocyte
Under which circumstance does the second meiotic division occur during oogenesis?
When a sperm cell penetrates into the egg cell
Where do oocytes develop?
Within follicles
Follicles
Fluid-filled spaces that provide protection and nutrition for the developing oocyte
When are primary follicles formed?
Before the birth of the female child