The Reproductive System

male reproductive system Function: –To produce sperm and testosterone. –Deliver sperm to the female reproductive system.

sperm - male reproductive cell that has 23 chromosomes (haploid). Vocabulary Word!

testes – produce testosterone, sperm and control male growth traits. Vocabulary Word!

Sperm Production Sperm production begins at puberty during the teenage years. Each sperm consists of a head containing DNA and a tail for movement.

female reproductive system Function: –To produce eggs and estrogen. –Provides a place for a new human to develop.

egg - female reproductive cell that has 23 chromosomes (haploid) Vocabulary Word!

ovaries – produce estrogen, progesterone, house eggs and control female growth traits. Vocabulary Word!

Path of the Egg Cell Egg is released from the ovary each month Travels down a long narrow tube called the oviduct –Fertilization usually occurs in the oviduct Egg travels down oviduct to the uterus where it is flushed when not pregnant and stays if fertilized

The Menstrual Cycle When born, a female has over 400,000 eggs. Only 500 of those will mature and ovulate. Each month, a woman ovulates an egg and sheds the uterine lining. The shedding of the uterine lining is a period.

menstrual cycle – the monthly release of an egg and preparation of the uterus for pregnancy.

menstruation – if the egg is not fertilized, the thick uterine lining sheds once a month.

fertilization – the joining of egg and sperm. This is why the egg and sperm cell only have 23 chromosomes. Once they join, the 23 chromosomes combine to make the 46 chromosomes we have in the rest of our bodies.

first trimester – organs such as the heart, liver and brain form. Arms, legs, fingers and toes also form. Pregnancy

second trimester – joints and bones form. Brain development, movement, breathing and swallowing. Pregnancy

third trimester – fetus can respond to light and sound, bones harden, organs become fully functional. Pregnancy

Growth and Development

Endocrine Control The ovaries and testes are controlled by the endocrine system. They are part of two different systems.

Comparing the Cell to the Body Which cell organelle helps the cell to reproduce? centriole