Scribd
Upload
23 views4 pages

Reproductive System

The document outlines the key functions and parts of the female and male reproductive systems. The female system is responsible for producing eggs, nourishing fertilized eggs, and producing female hormones, while the male system produces and transports sperm and male hormones. It details the anatomy of both systems, including organs such as ovaries, uterus, penis, and testicles.

Uploaded by

4 J's
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
23 views4 pages

Reproductive System

The document outlines the key functions and parts of the female and male reproductive systems. The female system is responsible for producing eggs, nourishing fertilized eggs, and producing female hormones, while the male system produces and transports sperm and male hormones. It details the anatomy of both systems, including organs such as ovaries, uterus, penis, and testicles.

Uploaded by

4 J's
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

Key functions & parts of the female

reproductive system
The female reproductive system is designed to:

 Produce the eggs necessary for reproduction, called the ova (ovum is singular for
one egg) or oocytes
 Incubate and nourish a fertilized egg until it is fully developed
 Produce female sex hormones that maintain the reproductive cycle

The female reproductive organs include:

 Ovaries — The ovaries are two small, oval-shaped glands located on either side
of the uterus. They are home to the female sex cells, called eggs, and they also
produce estrogen, the female sex hormone.
 Fallopian tubes — The fallopian tubes are narrow tunnels for a fertilized egg to
make its way down to the uterus. Damage or blockage to the fallopian tubes —
called tubal disease — can sometimes cause fertility problems. Learn more
about common fertility problems.
 Uterus — The uterus is a hollow, pear-shaped organ located in a woman’s lower
abdomen, between the bladder and the rectum. It is also called the “womb” and
holds the fetus during pregnancy. Each month, the uterus develops a lining (the
endometrium) that is rich in nutrients. The reproductive purpose of this lining is to
provide nourishment for a developing fetus. Uterine abnormalities, such as
fibroids or endometriosis, may cause infertility by interfering with egg fertilization
or embryo implantation and development.
 Cervix — The cervix is the lower, narrow part of the uterus, located between the
bladder and rectum. It forms a canal that opens to the vagina. Often called the
neck or entrance to the womb, the cervix lets menstrual blood out and semen
into the uterus. Growths in the cervix called polyps can sometimes affect the
fertilization or embryo growth process.
 Vagina — The vagina, also known as the birth canal, joins the cervix (the lower
part of uterus) to the outside of the body.
 Vulva — This is the external portion of the female genital organs.
Key functions & parts of the male
reproductive system
The male reproductive system performs the following functions:

 Produces, maintains and transports sperm (the male reproductive cells) and
protective fluid (semen)
 Discharges sperm within the female reproductive tract during sex
 Produces and secretes male sex hormones responsible for maintaining the male
reproductive system

Unlike in the female reproductive


system, most male reproductive organs are not located internally. They include:

 Penis — The penis is made up of two parts, the shaft and the head. The urethral
opening at the tip of the penis delivers sperm into the vagina during sexual
intercourse.
 Scrotum — The scrotum is the sac-like organ hanging behind and below the
penis. It contains the testicles (also called testes), as well as many nerves and
blood vessels.
 Testicles (testes) — The testes (oval organs that lie in the scrotum) are the
primary male reproductive organ and are responsible for testosterone and sperm
production.
 Epididymis — The epididymis is a C-shaped tube that rests on the backside of
each testicle. It transports and stores sperm cells that are produced in the testes.
The epididymis also brings the sperm to maturity, since the sperm emerging from
the testes are immature and incapable of fertilization. During sexual arousal,
contractions force the sperm into the vas deferens.
 Ductus (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 outside of the body, in preparation for ejaculation.
 Ejaculatory ducts — These are formed by the fusion of the vas deferens and
the seminal vesicles. 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 sexual climax. When the penis is erect during sex, the flow of
urine is blocked from the urethra, allowing only semen to be ejaculated at climax.
 Other glands — Several glands produce semen or fluid in support of the
reproductive process. The seminal vesicle produces fructose that provides
energy to the sperm as they seek an egg. The prostate gland also produces a
fluid that helps the sperm move more quickly through the female reproductive
system. Another set of glands called bulbourethral, or sometimes Cowper’s
glands, makes a fluid for protecting the sperm on its way through the urethra.

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy