EXPT.

10 REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

MALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

AIM: Study of male and female reproductive System with the help of charts and models.

The purpose of the organs of the male reproductive system is to perform the following functions:

 To produce, maintain, and transport sperm (the male reproductive cells) and protective
fluid (semen)
 To discharge sperm within the female reproductive tract during sex
 To produce and secrete male sex hormones responsible for maintaining the male
reproductive system
 Unlike the female reproductive system, most of the male reproductive system is located
outside of the body. These external structures include the penis, scrotum, and testicles.

 Penis: This is the male organ used in sexual intercourse. It has three parts: the root, which
attaches to the wall of the abdomen; the body, or shaft; and the glans, which is the cone-
shaped part at the end of the penis. The glans, also called the head of the penis, is covered
with a loose layer of skin called foreskin. This skin is sometimes removed in a procedure
called circumcision. The opening of the urethra, the tube that transports semen and urine, is
at the tip of the penis. The penis also contains a number of sensitive nerve endings. The body
of the penis is cylindrical in shape and consists of three circular shaped chambers. These
chambers are made up of special, sponge-like tissue. This tissue contains thousands of large
spaces that fill with blood when the man is sexually aroused. As the penis fills with blood, it
becomes rigid and erect, which allows for penetration during sexual intercourse. The skin of
the penis is loose and elastic to accommodate changes in penis size during an erection.
Semen, which contains sperm (reproductive cells), is expelled (ejaculated) through the end of
the penis when the man reaches sexual climax (orgasm). When the penis is erect, the flow of
urine is blocked from the urethra, allowing only semen to be ejaculated at orgasm.
 Scrotum: This is the loose pouch-like sac of skin that hangs behind and below the penis. It
contains the testicles (also called testes), as well as many nerves and blood vessels. The
scrotum acts as a "climate control system" for the testes. For normal sperm development, the
testes must be at a temperature slightly cooler than body temperature. Special muscles in the
wall of the scrotum allow it to contract and relax, moving the testicles closer to the body for
warmth or farther away from the body to cool the temperature.
 Testicles (testes): These are oval organs about the size of large olives that lie in the scrotum,
secured at either end by a structure called the spermatic cord. Most men have two testes. The
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 testes are responsible for making testosterone, the primary male sex hormone, and for
generating sperm. Within the testes are coiled masses of tubes called seminiferous tubules.
These tubes are responsible for producing sperm cells. The internal organs of the male
reproductive system, also called accessory organs, include the following:
 Epididymis: The epididymis is a long, coiled tube that rests on the backside of each testicle. It
transports and stores sperm cells that are produced in the testes. It also is the job of the
epididymis to bring the sperm to maturity, since the sperm that emerge from the testes are
immature and incapable of fertilization. During sexual arousal, contractions force the sperm into
the vas deferens.
 Vas deferens: The vas deferens is a long, muscular tube that travels from the epididymis into the
pelvic cavity, to just behind the bladder. The vas deferens transports mature sperm to the urethra,
the tube that carries urine or sperm to outside of the body, in preparation for ejaculation.
 Ejaculatory ducts: These are formed by the fusion of the vas deferens and the seminal vesicles
(see below). The ejaculatory ducts empty into the urethra.
 Urethra: The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to outside of the body. In
males, it has the additional function of ejaculating semen when the man reaches orgasm. When
the penis is erect during sex, the flow of urine is blocked from the urethra, allowing only semen
to be ejaculated at orgasm.
 Seminal vesicles: The seminal vesicles are sac-like pouches that attach to the vas deferens near
the base of the bladder. The seminal vesicles produce a sugar-rich fluid (fructose) that provides
sperm with a source of energy to help them move. The fluid of the seminal vesicles makes up
most of the volume of a man's ejaculatory fluid, or ejaculate.
 Prostate gland: The prostate gland is a walnut-sized structure that is located below the urinary
bladder in front of the rectum. The prostate gland contributes additional fluid to the ejaculate.
Prostate fluids also help to nourish the sperm. The urethra, which carries the ejaculate to be
expelled during orgasm, runs through the center of the prostate gland.
 Bulbourethral glands: Also called Cowper's glands, these are pea-sized structures located on
the sides of the urethra just below the prostate gland. These glands produce a clear, slippery fluid
that empties directly into the urethra. This fluid serves to lubricate the urethra and to neutralize
any acidity that may be present due to residual drops of urine in the urethra.

Functions of Male Reproductive System

The entire male reproductive system is dependent on hormones, which are chemicals that
regulate the activity of many different types of cells or organs. The primary hormones involved
in the male reproductive system are follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and
testosterone. Follicle-stimulating hormone is necessary for sperm production (spermatogenesis),
and luteinizing hormone stimulates the production of testosterone, which is also needed to make

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 sperm. Testosterone is responsible for the development of male characteristics, including muscle
mass and strength, fat distribution, bone mass, facial hair growth, voice change, and sex drive.

FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

The female reproductive system is designed to carry out several functions. It produces the female
egg cells necessary for reproduction, called the ova or oocytes. The system is designed to
transport the ova to the site of fertilization.Conception, the fertilization of an egg by a sperm,
normally occurs in the fallopian tubes. The next step for the fertilized egg is to implant into the
walls of the uterus, beginning the initial stages of pregnancy. If fertilization and/or implantation
does not take place, the system is designed to menstruate (the monthly shedding of the uterine
lining). In addition, the female reproductive system produces female sex hormones that maintain
the reproductive cycle.
Parts of Female Reproductive System

The female reproductive anatomy includes parts inside and outside the body. The function of the
external female reproductive structures (the genitals) is twofold: To enable sperm to enter the
body and to protect the internal genital organs from infectious organisms. The main external
structures of the female reproductive system include:

 Labia majora: The labia majora enclose and protect the other external reproductive organs.
Literally translated as "large lips," the labia majora are relatively large and fleshy, and are
comparable to the scrotum in males. The labia majora contain sweat and oil-secreting glands.
After puberty, the labia majora are covered with hair.
 Labia minora: Literally translated as "small lips," the labia minora can be very small or up to 2
inches wide. They lie just inside the labia majora, and surround the openings to the vagina (the
canal that joins the lower part of the uterus to the outside of the body) and urethra (the tube that
carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body).
 Bartholin's glands: These glands are located beside the vaginal opening and produce a fluid
(mucus) secretion.
 Clitoris: The two labia minora meet at the clitoris, a small, sensitive protrusion that is
comparable to the penis in males. The clitoris is covered by a fold of skin, called the prepuce,
which is similar to the foreskin at the end of the penis. Like the penis, the clitoris is very
sensitive to stimulation and can become erect.

The internal reproductive organs in the female include:

 Vagina: The vagina is a canal that joins the cervix (the lower part of uterus) to the outside of the
body. It also is known as the birth canal.
 Uterus (womb): The uterus is a hollow, pear-shaped organ that is the home to a developing
fetus. The uterus is divided into two parts: the cervix, which is the lower part that opens into the

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 vagina, and the main body of the uterus, called the corpus. The corpus can easily expand to hold
a developing baby. A channel through the cervix allows sperm to enter and menstrual blood to
exit.
 Ovaries: The ovaries are small, oval-shaped glands that are located on either side of the uterus.
The ovaries produce eggs and hormones.
 Fallopian tubes: These are narrow tubes that are attached to the upper part of the uterus and
serve as tunnels for the ova (egg cells) to travel from the ovaries to the uterus. Conception, the
fertilization of an egg by a sperm, normally occurs in the fallopian tubes. The fertilized egg then
moves to the uterus, where it implants into the lining of the uterine wall.