THE HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you
have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

For most living creatures, reproduction is basically a normal process controlled by hormones. Even though human
reproduction is also controlled by hormones, the process is rather more complicated. Unlike other organisms such as
plants and animals, you can make decisions about reproduction. What influence these decisions are your values, emotions,
expectations, and goals. However, like any other living things, humans depend on reproduction for the survival of the
species. If people stop to reproduce, the human species would become extinct.

The system involved in sexual reproduction is called the reproductive system. There is a striking difference
between the male and the female reproductive systems, although they also share a number of similarities. For example, the
reproductive organs of the male and female are developed from the same embryological structures, and some hormones
are commonly found in both male and female, in varying quantities and produce different responses.
Why is it important to study the male and female reproductive organ?
Please discuss your answer briefly

The Male Reproductive System Figure 1

Examine the diagram of the male reproductive system.
Figure 1 shows the main parts of the male reproductive system.
The cross-sectional view of the reproductive system shows that
certain parts of the male reproductive system are also part of the
excretory system.
These organs perform the following functions:
a. produce, maintain, and transport sperm (male reproductive
cells) and protective fluid (semen);
b. discharge sperm into the female reproductive tract during
copulation; and
c. produce and secrete male hormones.
PARTS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
SCROTUM
It is located inferior to the penis in the pubic region.
It is sac-like organ made of skin and muscles that houses the testes.
It is made up of 2 side by side pouches with a testis located in each pouch.
SMOOTH MUSCLES-It makes up the scrotum.
When the testes become too warm to support spermatogenesis, scrotum relaxes to move the testes away from the
body’s heat.
TESTES-These are the male gonads.
They are ellipsoid glandular organs responsible for the production of sperm and testosterone.
CREMASTER MUSCLE- Contract and relax to regulate the temperature of the testes. The inside of the testes is divided
into small compartments known as lobules.
LOBULE- Each lobule contains seminiferous tubule lined with epithelial cells. These epithelial cells contain many stem
cells that divide and form sperm cells through the process called spermatogenesis.
EPIDIDYMIS-Is a sperm storage area that wraps around the superior and posterior edge of the testes,
Sperm produced in the testes moves into the epididymis.
VAS DEFERENS-Carries sperm from testes to the urethra
URETHRA- Muscular tube that passes through the prostate and ends at the
external urethral orifice located at the tip of the penis. Urine exiting the body from
the urinary bladder also passes through the urethra.
PENIS-Male external sexual organ located superior to the scrotum and inferior to
the umbilicus.
It is roughly cylindrical in shape and contains the urethra.
 It delivers semen into the vagina during sexual intercourse.
GLANDS
1. Seminal Vesicle- Secretes a fluid that makes up most of the components of the semen.
2. Prostate Gland- Secretes a slightly alkaline milky fluid that is discharged as part of the semen.
3. Bulbourethral gland- Secretes thick and clear mucus that lubricates and neutralizes the any trace of acidic urine in the
urethra.
Activity 1: Improve identification skills with diagrams
Direction: Now that you’ve learned about the anatomy of the reproductive system, it’s time to test how well you
understood all of the different structures and functions. The most effective way to do this is to identify parts of the male
reproductive organ. Write your answer inside the box.

3.

The Female Reproductive System

The female reproductive system has the following functions:

2.
1. 1. produces female sex cells;
2. receives sperm cells from the male; and
3. nurtures the development of and provides nourishment for the new individual.

PARTS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS

The external structures of female reproductive system are collectively
called the vulva. It is composed of labia minora and labia majora, which are folds of skin that cover and protect the
opening to the female reproductive tract.

VULVA- The external part of the female genitalia. It protects a woman's sexual organs, urinary opening, vestibule and
vagina and is the center of much of a woman's sexual response.
LABIA MAJORA-The labia majora (“major lips”) are fleshy folds of tissue that extend
down from the mons pubis and surround the vaginal and urethral orifices.
LABIA MINORA-Thin hairless ridges at the edges of the vagina.
URETHRAL ORIFICE- Is where the urine is discharged.
CLITORIS- Small, protruding structure that corresponds to the male penis.
VAGINA- A muscular, ridged sheath connecting the external genitals to the uterus.
Functions as two-way street, accepting the penis and sperm during sexual intercourse.
Serving as the avenue of birth through which the new baby enters the world.
CERVIX- It is a sphincter muscle that controls the opening in the uterus. Also
named as the neck of the uterus.
UTERUS - Pear-shaped muscular organ I the female reproductive tract.
The cervix is the lower portion of the uterus that connects with the vagina ad
serves as a sphincter to keep the uterus closed during pregnancy until it is time
to deliver the baby.
The uterus expands considerably during the reproductive process.
The organ grows from 10 to 20 times its normal size during pregnancy.

OVARIES
Also known as female gonads.
They produce eggs (also called ova).
 They also produce hormones: Estrogen and Progesterone
FALLOPIAN TUBE
The Fallopian tubes, also known as uterine tubes, salpinges (singular salpinx), or oviducts, are tubes that stretch
from the uterus to the ovaries, and are part of the female reproductive system. The fertilized egg passes through
the Fallopian tubes from the ovaries of female mammals to the uterus.
Activity 2: Improve identification skills with diagrams
Direction: Now that you’ve learned about the anatomy of the reproductive system, it’s time to test how well you
understood all of the different structures and functions. The most effective way to do this is to identify parts of the female
reproductive organ. Write your answer inside the box.

3.
THE ROLE OF HORMONES IN MALE AND FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEMS

MALE HORMONES
2.
1. Puberty is a period of several years in which rapid physical growth and psychological changes occur, culminating
in sexual maturity. The average onset of puberty is age 11 or 12 for boys. Some of the most significant parts of pubertal
development involve distinctive physiological changes in individuals’ height, weight, body composition, and circulatory
and respiratory systems. These changes are largely influenced by hormonal activity. Hormones play an organizational
role, priming the body to behave in a certain way once puberty begins, and an activational role, referring to changes in
hormones during adolescence that trigger behavioral and physical changes.
At the onset of puberty, the hypothalamus begins secreting high pulses of GnRH, or gonadotropin-releasing
hormone. In response, the pituitary gland releases follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) into
the male system for the first time. FSH enters the testes, stimulating the Sertoli cells, which help to nourish the sperm cells
that the testes produce, to begin facilitating spermatogenesis. LH also enters the testes, stimulating the interstitial cells,
called Leydig cells, to make and release testosterone into the testes and the blood.

Testosterone, the hormone responsible for the secondary sexual characteristics that develop in the male during
adolescence, stimulates spermatogenesis, or the process of sperm production in the testes. Secondary sex characteristics
include a deepening of the voice, the growth of facial, axillary, and pubic hair, and the beginnings of the sex drive.
FEMALE HORMONES
The control of reproduction in females is more complex than that of the male. As with the male, the hypothalamic
hormone GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone) causes the release of the hormones FSH (follicle stimulating hormone)
and LH (luteinizing hormone) from the anterior pituitary. In addition, estrogens and progesterone are released from the
developing follicles, which are structures on the ovaries that contain the maturing eggs.
In females, FSH stimulates the development of egg cells, called ova, which develop in structures called
follicles. Follicle cells produce the hormone inhibin, which inhibits FSH production. LH also plays a role in the
development of ova, as well as in the induction of ovulation and stimulation of estradiol and progesterone production by
the ovaries. Estradiol and progesterone are steroid hormones that prepare the body for pregnancy.
Estradiol is the reproductive hormone in females that assists in endometrial regrowth, ovulation, and calcium
absorption; it is also responsible for the secondary sexual characteristics of females. These include breast development,
flaring of the hips, and a shorter period necessary for bone maturation. Progesterone assists in endometrial re-growth and
inhibition of FSH and LH release.
Activity 3: The role of hormones
Direction: Put a check mark if following events are brought about by the hormones in the reproductive system.
Everyone: Put a check mark here!
Acne
Growth of hair under arms
Appearance of pubic hair
Growth of internal and external sex organs
Period of maximum growth in height
Emotional Changes
Enlargement of breasts
Body odor
Females:
Beginning of ovulation
Onset of menstruation
Males:
Early voice changes
Development of facial hair
Marked voice changes
Assessment
Direction: Read each statement carefully. WRITE THE LETTER of your answer on the blank space provided
before each number in your answer sheet.
___1. Where is the sperm produced? A. Penis B. Testes C. Prostate gland D. Urethra
___2. What sac contains the testes? A. Epididymis B. Prepuce C. Scrotum D. Testicle
___3. What muscle contract and relax to regulate the temperature of the testes?
A. Cremaster muscles B. Prostate C. Scrotum D. Sphincter muscle
___4. What is the function of epididymis?
A. Lubricate the sperm B. Produce sperm C. Secrete semen D. Store sperm temporarily
___5. What term refers to the fluid produced by glands of the male reproductive system?
A. Semen B. Sperm C. Ovum D. Urine
___6. Where do the sperms complete their maturation process?
A. Epididymis B. Penis C. Prostate gland D. Seminal vesicle
___7. Whereas the urethra in female reproductive system is only used for the disposal of urine, in the male, the urethra is
used to both dispose of urine and as a point of exit for?
A. Blood B. Semen C. Sweat D. Urea
____8. Once sperm are produced by the testes they move into and mature in the?
A. Epididymis B. Penis C. Seminal vesicle D. Vas deferens
____9. The purpose of the urethra in male reproductive system is to__?
A. Carry only urine B. Carry only semen C. Carry a mixture of semen and urine D. Carry both semen and urine
but not at the same time
___10. The male gonad that produces sperm and the male hormone testosterone is?
A. Penis B. Testes C. Prostate gland D. Urethra