1. Our Reproductive Systems
Male and Female

2. About Human Reproduction
All living things reproduce
Reproduction - the process by which organisms make more organisms like themselves
Two kinds of sex cells (gametes) are involved:
Male gamete  sperm
Female gamete  egg (ovum)
The sperm and the egg must meet to create a new individual

3. About Human Reproduction
Both the male and female reproductive systems are essential for reproduction
Humans pass certain characteristics of themselves to the next generation through their genes, the special carriers of human traits
The genes that parents pass along are what make their children similar to others in their family, but also what make each child unique
Genes come from the male's sperm and the female's egg

4. About Human Reproduction
Most species have two sexes: male and female
Each sex has its own unique reproductive system
Different in shape and structure
But both are specifically designed to produce, nourish, and transport either the egg or sperm

5. The Female Reproductive System

6. The Female Reproductive System
Unlike the male, the human female has a reproductive system located entirely inside the pelvis

7. Vulva The external part of the female reproductive organs
Means “covering”
Located between the legs, the vulva covers the opening to the vagina and other reproductive organs located inside the body

8. Vulva
Vulva

9. Mons Pubis
The fleshy area located just above the top of the vaginal opening
Pubic hair forms here

10. Labia Two pairs of skin flaps that surround the vaginal opening
Pubic hair forms here

11. Clitoris
A small sensory organ that is located toward the front of the vulva where the folds of the labia join

12. Urethra Canal that carries urine from the bladder to outside the body
Located between the labia

13. Female Reproductive Organs
Vagina
Uterus
Fallopian Tubes
Ovaries

14. Vagina
A muscular, hollow tube that extends from the vaginal opening to the uterus
About 3 to 5 inches long in a grown woman
It has muscular walls so it can expand and contract
This ability to become wider or narrower allows the vagina to accommodate something as slim as a tampon and as wide as a baby
The vagina's muscular walls are lined with mucous membranes, which keep it protected and moist

15. Vagina
Vagina

16. The Vagina Serves Three Purposes
It's where the penis is inserted during sexual intercourse
It's the pathway that a baby takes out of a woman's body during childbirth, called the birth canal
It provides the route for the menstrual blood (the period) to leave the body from the uterus

17. Hymen
A thin sheet of tissue with one or more holes in it that covers the opening of the vagina
Often different from female to female

18. Cervix Where the vagina connects with the uterus Means “neck”
The opening of the cervix is very small (no wider than a straw), which is why a tampon can never get lost inside a girl's body
During childbirth, the cervix can expand to allow a baby to pass

19. Cervix
Cervix

20. Uterus Shaped like an upside-down pear
Has a thick lining and muscular walls
Some of the strongest muscles in the female body
These muscles are able to expand and contract to accommodate a growing fetus and then help push the baby out during labor

21. Uterus
Uterus
Uterine Cavity

22. Fallopian Tubes There are 2, each attached to a side of the uterus
Connect the uterus to the ovaries
About 4 inches long and about as wide as a piece of spaghetti
Within each tube is a tiny passageway no wider than a sewing needle
When an egg pops out of an ovary, it enters the fallopian tube
Once the egg is in the fallopian tube, tiny hairs in the tube's lining help push it down the narrow passageway toward the uterus.

23. Fallopian Tubes
Fallopian Tubes

24. Ovaries
Two oval-shaped organs that lie to the upper right and left of the uterus
They produce, store, and release eggs into the fallopian tubes in the process called ovulation
Each ovary measures about 1½ to 2 inches in a grown woman
Part of the endocrine system
Produce estrogen and progesterone

25. Ovaries
Ovaries

26. The Female Reproductive System Enables A Woman To:
Produce eggs (ova)
Have sexual intercourse
Protect and nourish the fertilized egg until it is fully developed
Give birth

27. Gonads Sexual reproduction could not happen without the gonads
Both sexes have gonads!
Males  testicles
Females  ovaries
The female gonads produce female gametes
Eggs
The male gonads produce male gametes
Sperm
After an egg is fertilized by the sperm, the fertilized egg is called the zygote

28. Females During Puberty
When a baby girl is born, her ovaries contain hundreds of thousands of eggs, which remain inactive until puberty begins
At puberty, the pituitary gland, starts making hormones that stimulate the ovaries to produce female sex hormones, including estrogen
The secretion of these hormones causes a girl to develop into a sexually mature woman

29. Menstruation
Toward the end of puberty, girls begin to release eggs as part of a monthly period called the menstrual cycle
Approximately once a month, during ovulation, an ovary sends a tiny egg into one of the fallopian tubes
Unless the egg is fertilized by a sperm while in the fallopian tube, the egg dries up and leaves the body about 2 weeks later through the uterus — this is menstruation
Blood and tissues from the inner lining of the uterus combine to form the menstrual flow
Usually lasts from 3 to 5 days

30. Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
Females experience discomfort in the days leading to their periods – this is common!
PMS includes both physical and emotional symptoms that many females get right before their periods, including:
Acne
Food cravings
Bloating
Depression
Fatigue
Irritability
Backaches
Difficulty concentrating or handling stress
Sore breasts
Headaches
Constipation
Diarrhea

31. PMS
PMS is usually at its worst during the 7 days before a girl's period starts and disappears once it begins
Many females also experience abdominal cramps during the first few days of their periods
These are caused by prostaglandins
Chemicals in the body that make the muscle in the uterus contract
Involuntary contractions
Can be dull or sharp and intense

32. Menstrual Cycle
It can take up to 2 years from menarche (a females first period) for a girl's body to develop a regular menstrual cycle
During that time, her body is adjusting to the hormones puberty brings
On average, the monthly cycle for an adult woman is 28 days, but the range is from 23 to 35 days

34. Problems of the Female Reproductive System

35. Problems of the Vulva & Vagina
Vulvovaginitis
Inflammation of the vulva and vagina
Caused by irritating substances or poor personal hygiene
Nonmenstrual vaginal bleeding
The presence of a foreign body
A straddle injury
Vaginal trauma from sexual abuse
Labial adhesions
The sticking together of the labia
Increased risk of UTI

36. Problems of the Ovaries and Fallopian Tubes
Ectopic pregnancy
when a fertilized egg doesn't travel into the uterus but instead grows rapidly in the fallopian tube
Endometriosis
when tissue normally found only in the uterus starts to grow outside the uterus
Ovarian tumors
Ovarian cysts
noncancerous sacs filled with fluid or semisolid material; are common and generally harmless unless they grow large
Polycystic ovary syndrome
a hormone disorder in which too many male hormones (androgens) are produced by the ovaries
Ovarian torsion
the twisting of the ovary, can occur when an ovary becomes twisted because of a disease or a developmental abnormality

37. Menstrual Problems Dysmenorrhea Menorrhagia Oligomenorrhea Amenorrhea
painful periods
Menorrhagia
very heavy periods with excess bleeding
Oligomenorrhea
when a female misses or has infrequent periods, even though she's been menstruating for a while and isn't pregnant
Amenorrhea
when a female has not started her period by the time she is 16 years old or 3 years after starting puberty;
has not developed signs of puberty by age 14;
has had normal periods but has stopped menstruating for some reason other than pregnancy

38. Infections of the Female Reproductive System
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
Infections and diseases of the reproductive system
Most are spread from one person to another by sexual contact
Toxic Shock Syndrome
Uncommon illness caused by toxins released into the body during a type of bacterial infection that is more likely to develop if a tampon is left in too long
Can produce high fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and shock

39. The Male Reproductive System

40. The Male Reproductive System
Unlike the female, whose sex organs are located entirely within the pelvis, the male has reproductive organs, or genitals, that are both inside and outside the pelvis

41. The Male Genitals The testicles
The duct system, which is made up of the epididymis and the vas deferens
The accessory glands, which include the seminal vesicles and prostate gland
The penis

42. Testicles / Testes
In a male who has reached sexual maturity, the two testicles, or testes, produce and store millions of tiny sperm cells
The testicles are oval-shaped and grow to be about 2 inches in length and 1 inch in diameter
The testicles are also part of the endocrine system because they produce hormones, including testosterone
Testosterone is the hormone that causes boys to develop deeper voices, bigger muscles, and body and facial hair, and it also stimulates the production of sperm

43. Testes / Testicles
Testes

44. Vas Deferens
A muscular tube that passes upward alongside the testicles and transports the sperm-containing fluid called semen

45. Vas Deferens
Vas
Deferens

46. Epididymis
A set of coiled tubes (one for each testicle) that connects to the vas deferens
Sperm is stored here

47. Epididymis
Epididymis

48. Scrotum A sac-like pouch that holds the testes and epididymis
This pouch helps to regulate the temperature of the testes, which need to be kept cooler than body temperature to produce sperm
Changes size to maintain the right temperature
Cold – shrinks and becomes tighter to hold in body heat
Warm – becomes larger and more floppy to get rid of extra heat
Happens unconsciously
The brain and the nervous system give the scrotum the cue to change size

49. Scrotum
Scrotum

50. Seminal Vesicles
Sac-like structures attached to the vas deferens to the side of the bladder
Provide fluids that lubricate the duct system and nourish the sperm

51. Seminal Vesicles
Seminal Vesicles

52. Prostate Gland
Surrounds the ejaculatory ducts at the base of the urethra, just below the bladder
Provide fluids that lubricate the duct system and nourish the sperm

53. Prostate Gland
Prostate Gland

54. Urethra
The channel that carries the semen to the outside of the body through the penis
Also part of the urinary system because it is also the channel through which urine passes as it leaves the bladder and exits the body

55. Urethra
Urethra

56. Penis
Made up of 2 parts:
Shaft – main part of the penis
Glans – tip
At the end of the glans is a small opening, which semen and urine exit the body through the urethra
The inside of the penis is made of a spongy tissue that can expand and contract

57. Penis
Shaft
Glans

58. Puberty
During the first stage of male puberty, the scrotum and testes grow larger
Next, the penis becomes longer, and the seminal vesicles and prostate gland grow
Hair begins to appear in the pubic area and later it grows on the face and underarms. During this time, a male's voice also deepens.
Boys also undergo a growth spurt during puberty as they reach their adult height and weight.

59. Sperm
A male who has reached puberty will produce millions of sperm cells every day
Extremely small – 1/1600 of an inch
Develop in the testicles within a system of tiny tubes called the seminiferous tubules
Each sperm contains a head and a small tail
The head contains the genetic material
They use their tails to push themselves into the epididymis where they complete development
It takes sperm about 4 to 6 weeks to travel through the epididymis

60. Sperm

61. Sperm & The Penis
Next, the sperm goes to the vas deferens, or sperm duct.
The seminal vesicles and prostate gland produce a whitish fluid called seminal fluid, which mixes with sperm to form semen when a male is sexually stimulated
The penis, which usually hangs limp, becomes hard when a male is sexually excited
Tissues in the penis fill with blood and it becomes stiff and erect (an erection)

62. Sperm & The Penis
The erect penis makes it easier to insert into the female's vagina during sexual intercourse
When the erect penis is stimulated, muscles around the reproductive organs contract and force the semen through the duct system and urethra
Semen is pushed out of the male's body through his urethra — this process is called ejaculation
Each time a male ejaculates, it can contain up to 500 million sperm

63. Sperm & The Penis

64. Conception
When the male ejaculates during intercourse, semen is deposited into the female's vagina
From the vagina the sperm make their way up through the cervix and move through the uterus with help from uterine contractions
If a mature egg is in one of the female's fallopian tubes, a single sperm may penetrate it, and fertilization, or conception, occurs

65. Conception
This fertilized egg is now called a zygote and contains 46 chromosomes — half from the egg and half from the sperm
The genetic material from the male and female has combined so that a new individual can be created
The zygote divides again and again as it grows in the female's uterus, maturing over the course of the pregnancy into an embryo, a fetus, and finally a newborn baby

66. Things That Can Go Wrong With The Male Reproductive System

67. Disorders of the Scrotum, Testicles, or Epididymis
Testicular trauma
Occurs when the testicles are struck, hit, or crushed
Can cause severe pain, bruising, and/or swelling
Testicular cancer
One of the most common forms of cancer in men under 40
 Occurs when cells in the testicle divide abnormally and form a tumor
Epididymitis
 Inflammation of the epididymis, caused by an infection
Inguinal
Hernia
When a portion of the intestines pushes through an abnormal opening or weakening of the abdominal wall and into the groin or scrotum

68. Disorders of the Penis Inflammation of the penis Hypospadias
Occurs when the glans becomes inflamed
Symptoms include redness, itching, swelling, and pain
Hypospadias
When the urethra opens on the underside of the penis, not at the tip
Ambiguous genitalia
occurs when a child is born with genitals that aren't clearly male or female
In most boys born with this disorder, the penis may be very small or nonexistent, but testicular tissue is present