Reproductive System (Ch.

21)
I) Anatomy
A) Male

Male
B) Female

Female
 - sexual reproduction = fusion of gametes (sex
cells)
--> promotes genetic
diversity
Gametes

male female

- gametes result from meiosis

(cell division which halves the chromosome
number)
- typically, males produce many, tiny gametes
(motile) & females produce fewer, larger
gametes (stationary)
- females often take part in early development
of offspring

II) Male Reproductive System

A) Testis (pl.= testes)
- site of production of: 1) sperm
2) sex hormones
(testosterone)
 - housed in the scrotum (sac outside
abdominal cavity)
--> kept @ 3° C lower than body temp.
- when cold, moves closer to body
- when warm, scrotum hangs lower

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B) Seminiferous tubules
- are "sperm factories"
- approx. 2 million sperm are produced
daily
 Sperm Anatomy

EE

- spermatogenesis = sperm production

iii
 18811

C) Epididymis
- sperm storage/maturation
- coiled tubule (uncoiled = 6 m long)
- after about 60 days, sperm dies & are
recycled

D) Vas deferens
- carries sperm out to penis
- about 45 cm long

E) Penis
- flaccid = limp
- erect = upright

erectile tissues
blood moves in
 urethra
conducts both sperm
urine out of penis

F) Erection of Penis
- shaft of penis consists of 3 sets of
"spongy" erectile tissues
- when stimulated, parasympathetic nerves
dilate arteries of penis to increase the
blood flow into these tissues
--> causing an erection

G) Ejaculation
- is rhythmic contraction to expel sperm
- sperm are ejaculated in seminal fluid
(sperm & seminal fluid = SEMEN)
- 3 glands add to fluid in semen:
1) Seminal vesicle
- 60% of semen
basic - alkaline (to activate sperm)
 - loaded w/ fructose (nrg for sperm)
- protects sperm from vaginal acidity

2) Prostate gland
- 30% of semen
- also activates sperm & bring pH to
optimal of 7.5

3) Cowper's gland (bulbourethral

gland)
- neutralizes acidity of urine left in
urethra
- is released first

- at orgasm, smooth muscles contract

(peristalsis) in epididymis & vas deferens,
pushing out seminal fluid w/ about 40
million sperm

H) Functions of Testosterone
- testosterone = major male sex hormone
--> functions: 1. Development &
functioning of sex
organs
 2. Maturation of sperm
3. Causes penis & testes to
grow larger
4. Causes prostate gland &
Mate seminal vesicles to
Secondary begin secreting fluids
Sexual Characteristics
5. Deepens voice
onset of puberty 6. Secondary hair (facial,
pubic, armpits)
7. Larger muscle mass

I) Control of Testosterone
- is performed by hypothalamus &
gonadotrophic hormones (from anterior
pituitary gland)
III) Female Reproductive System
A) Ovaries
- 2 main functions:
1) production of ova from follicles
2) production of female sex hormones
(estrogen & progesterone)
I
follicles luteum
corpus

- lie w/in abdominal cavity

- up to about 400,000 primary follicles at
birth
- oogenesis = production of ovum (egg)
 i
i

20

O follicle seggydgery
20

from follicle
if no fertiliz n
it disintegrates 20oocyte
if fertilize n it quegung

produces
secretes is released at ovulation
56 days
progesterone once
every
ovaries ovulate
after fertin one
meiosis I completed alternately egg
28 days
haploid nucleus every
a

polar body present

B) Fallopian tubes (oviducts)

- connected to uterus & lie close to
ovaries
- lined w/ cilia & surrounded by circular
muscles
 - purposes: 1) to propel egg toward uterus
2) site of fertilization

C) Uterus (womb)
- thick walled, muscular lining
- pear shaped
Other Mammals
Humans Apes

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uterus
horn
It vagina
vagina
- lined w/ a layer called endometrium

thickens w blood
each month in
preparation
for zygote fert'd egg
if no fertilizin
end metrium
is shed
menstruation
- site of embryo development

D) Cervix
- entrance to uterus
 - path for sperm to swim through
- produces mucin strands to facilitate sperm
- holds baby in place in uterus

E) Vagina (birth canal)

- receptacle for sperm & penis
- passage for baby during childbirth

F) Clitoris
- sensitive organ
--> responsible for stimulating female
orgasm

G) Female Hormones
1) Anterior Pituitary Gland
- makes 2 hormones that act on ovaries:
a) FSH
- stimulates follicle to mature &
causes it to produce estrogen

b) LH
- maintains corpus luteum & causes
it to produce progesterone
- triggers ovulation (release of egg)
 2) Ovaries
- makes 2 hormones that act on
endometrium (uterus lining):
a) Estrogen
- made by follicle
b) Progesterone
- made by corpus luteum

H) Functions of Estrogen
- stimulates:
1) growth of uterus & vagina
2) egg maturation
3) endometrium lining
4) secondary female sexual
characteristics (at puberty)
- breast development/ enlargement
- pubic, armpit hair growth
- increased pelvic girdle (to
accommodate childbirth)
- fat distribution under skin of
buttocks & thighs
J) Control of Female Hormones
- similar to male control
Structure of Mature Human Egg
centrioles nucleus N
23 chromosome

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Corona
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K) Menstrual Cycle
Fertilization
- external fertilization = takes place outside body
e.g. fish (salmon), frogs,
& other amphibians
- internal fertilization = males deposit sperm into
female's body & fert'n
takes place inside
e.g. reptiles (pythons),
birds, humans, &
other mammals

- declining male fertility

ii
--> # of sperm per unit volume of semen has
dropped by 50% in the last fifty years (&
continues to drop by 2% per year)
- many factors include:
--> pollution
--> radiation
--> presence of estrogen & progesterone
in environments since intro of
female contraceptive pill
--> other steroids in plastics, food
packaging & furniture
Pregnancy & Childbirth
A) Early Embryo Development & Implantation
- after fertilization,
egg zygote
sperm
- zygote divides by mitosis to form 2-cell
embryo, then 4-cell, etc. until a hollow ball
of cells (called blastocyst)
--> all embryos initially develop similarly
(gonads are formed that could become
either ovaries or testes)
- presence or absence of SRY gene
decides developmental pathway
--> SRY codes for testis determining
factor (TDF), a gene regulation
protein
--> TDF stimulates expression of genes
for testes development
--> SRY is located on the Y
chromosome
- at about 7 days old, embryo has made its
way to uterus & implants onto endometrium
--> there, it grows & develops
--> if no implantation, pregnancy terminated
- by about 8 weeks old, embryo develops bone
tissue & is referred to as fetus (foetus)
--> fetus develops a placenta & umbilical
cord
disc shaped
site of 02 CO2 has
wastes nutrients many projections
called placental villi
betw the aka
exchange
mom fetus chorionic
villi
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Fix
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
- solution to fertility problems
1) Down-regulation nasal
spray
- woman takes drug daily arresting LH &
FSH secretions (as well as estrogen &
progesterone), allowing doctors to control
egg production in woman
2) Artificial doses of hormones
- intramuscular injections of FSH & LH
given for ten days to stimulate follicle
development (as many as 20 follicles)
ti on

3) Egg retrieval & fertilization chhuomriaonnic

gonadotrophin
- when follicles reach 18 mm (diam), HCG is
injected to stimulate follicle maturation
- when mature, follicles are extracted with
micropipette & mixed with 50,000 to
100,000 sperm cells in sterile Petri dish &
incubated at 37°C
4) Establishing pregnancy
- if fertilization is successful, one or more
embryos are artificially placed in the
uterus after 48 hours
- woman is given extra progesterone (as
tablet) placed in vagina to maintain uterine
lining
- if implantation successful, pregnancy
x

follows as usual
LH
nofertilizin

no implantation

FSH