Human Reproduction Ovary (Ovaries)

 Both sexes have reproductive organs called  Two solid egg-shaped structures
GENITALS or GENITALIA designed for the  They are attached to the uterus by ligaments.
purpose of intercourse and conception. They are the counterpart of the male testicles.
Female reproductive organs are for intercourse, Ovaries have two main functions:
reproduction, urination pregnancy and childbirth. #1-store and release the ova or female egg cell. Some of
Functions of the adult Female Reproductive System the ova disappear; others are dormant until each is
 Produce a mature egg each month, starting at ripened and released after puberty.
puberty. #2-produce female sex hormones ESTROGEN and
 Facilitate the deposit of spermatozoa and their PROGESTERONE
transit to meet the egg. Ova
 Prepare for and accommodate the implant of a  The female reproductive cell.
fertilized egg, and its complex development over  They are the largest cells in the female body.
roughly nine months. (About the size of a grain of sand.)
 Give birth to a new human being.  The female baby is born with all the ova she will
ever have (about 200,000 in each ovary).
 About 400-500 ova mature and are released over
a lifetime
Estrogen
Estrogen is responsible for the secondary sex
characteristics and the sex drive in females. It spurs the
onset of puberty and is responsible for OVULATION.
Progesterone
Progesterone builds up the lining of the uterus called the
endometrium in preparation for the fertilized ovum
Ovulation
 When the egg is released from the ovary.
 At the age of puberty
 The ovum moves to the surface of the ovary in
bursts out
 The ova falls into the fallopian tube and waits
for fertilization
 This happens every 28 days
 It happens at about the 14th day of the cycle
Fallopian Tubes (oviducts)
 Two tubes attached on either side of the uterus.
 They are about four inches long and 3/16 inch in
diameter (the size of a cooked spaghetti noodle).
 The oviducts carry egg cells toward the uterus
and sperm cells toward the egg cell.
 Fertilization takes place in the upper third of the
oviduct.

Uterus
  A hollow, muscular organ (shaped somewhat Secondary sex characteristics appear
like an upside-down pear, about the size of a  Ages 11-14
fist). Menstrual cycle begins
 The uterus is lined with endometrium (a blood  Late 20-30's
lining.) Peak sexual urges
 The uterus has one main function—to protect  Ages 45-55
and nourish a fetus Menopause (cycle stops, but sex urge
 The walls of the uterus have the ability to stretch continues)
to the size of a small watermelon.
 After childbirth the uterus shrinks back to the Female Secondary Sexual Characteristics
original shape in 6-8 weeks, but it can take up to  Having already explored the endocrine
nine months for the uterus to fully recover. system, you know that females have an
Cervix equivalent hormone to testosterone.
 The neck or opening of the uterus.  This hormone is estrogen.
 A normal healthy cervix is the strongest muscle  It also controls development of secondary
in the body. sexual characteristics.
 It dips down about half an inch into the vagina.
 It is normally plugged by mucus. It stays tightly Secondary sexual characteristics in females
closed during pregnancy, but thins and opens for Here’s a summary of what you should have:
the delivery of the baby.  Broadening and curving of hips
 How big does it need to dilate to for birth?  Enlargement of breasts
Vagina  Enlargement of reproductive organs
 Female organ used for intercourse, it is an empty  Growth of underarm and pubic hair
passageway leading from the vaginal opening to  Menstruation begins
the uterus.  All will not appear at the same time for all
 It is only 3-4 inches long, but will lengthen females since the age of puberty varies.
during arousal.
 The vaginal walls are made of many small folds Importance of secondary sexual characteristics
of membrane that stretch greatly to These changes ensure the continuation of the species.
accommodate a baby during birth.  Menstruation occurs because the reproductive
 The vaginal wall also secrete a fluid that helps to system is now functioning; it shows that an egg
make intercourse easier. was produced each month but was not fertilized.
Urethra  The breasts enlarge to enable milk production
 The opening to the bladder for possibly nursing a baby.
Clitoris  The hips enlarge to facilitate child bearing.
 A small, pea shaped bump at the front of the
labia.
 It contains a small amount of erectile tissue.
 The clitoris increases sexual pleasure
Woman’s Cycle
 Day 1 – Menstruation begins (bleeding)
 Day 5 – Menstruation is usually ended
 Day 14 – Ovum has matured and bursts out of
o the ovary
 Day 15 – After 24 hours the egg is done
 Day 26 – In the absence of fertilization,
o estrogen/progesterone levels drop
o and the endometrium lining breads
o down
 Day 28 – Menstruation begins again. Male Reproductive System
Timeline:  Male reproductive organs are for intercourse,
 Ages 9-12 reproduction and urination
  Some organs are visible from outside the body,  the male reproductive hormone made by the
and some are contained inside the abdominal testicles which causes the changes of
cavity. The organs only mature and become puberty.
functional when puberty starts.  This hormone causes secondary sex
characteristics, production of sperm and
sexual urge.
 It is produced in the testicles and enters the
bloodstream at a fairly constant rate.
 Testosterone is known as the ‘male
hormone’.
 It is produced by the testes.
 The testes are stimulated into action by
Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
produced by the pituitary gland.
 This happens even before birth.
 Testosterone is produced in even larger
quantities as soon as a male hits puberty.
 Testosterone controls the development of
secondary sexual characteristics.
 What are secondary sexual characteristics?
 These are the physical and emotional
characteristics that distinguishes a male
from a female.
 Do you now realize why testosterone is
called the male hormone?

Sperm
 The microscopic cells produced by the male's
testicles which can fertilize the female's ovum.
Scrotum  They are tiny, living cells 100 times smaller than
A sac-like pouch located behind the penis that holds a pencil dot. (the smallest cell in a mans body
each testes and helps regulate temperature for sperm  Enough sperm would fit on the head of a pin to
production. re-populate the earth if each sperm fertilized an
egg.
Testicles or Testes  It is destroyed by warm body temperature, acidic
 The two testes are small organs that lie in the environment.
scrotum and produce sperm and the male  It can survive in a women’s body for 5-8 days.
hormone testosterone.  Any sperm not ejaculated are passed in the
 The testicles are the male sex gland. urine.
 The testicles are outside the body because the Epididymis
male sperm that is manufactured in the testes  the structure that forms a mass over the back and
need cooler-than-body temperature for normal upper part of each testes.
growth and development.  Sperm are stored there for as long as six weeks
 They are the counterpart to the female ovary. while they ripen to maturity.
 Loss of one does not impair the function of the Cowpers Gland
other.  two small pea-sized glands located beneath the
 Four to five billion sperm cells are produced prostate gland on both sides of the base of the
each month. penis.
 They secrete a clear, sticky fluid that helps to
neutralize the acidity of the urethra.
Testosterone
Vas Deferens
  two long, thin tubes that serve as a passageway  Infancy
for sperm and a place for sperm storage. Erections begin
 Ages 11-14
 The contraction of the vas deferens along with Secondary sex characteristics appear
the action of the cilia help transport the sperm  Ages 13-16
through the vas deferens. Sperm produced in adult amounts (puberty)
Seminal Vesicles  Late teens
 two small glands that secrete a fluid that Peak sexual urges for boys
nourishes and enables the sperm to move.  Throughout life
If good health is present, there is the sex urge
Prostate Gland
and ability to father children
 surround the urethra beneath the bladder. The
gland secretes an alkaline fluid that neutralizes
Male secondary sexual characteristics
the acid found in the male urethra and the female
 An early sign is that deepening of the voice
reproductive tract.
starts, but the voice frequently goes back to
 Without the action of the secretions of the
being high-pitched or ‘breaks.
prostate gland, many sperm would die and
 It becomes possible to ejaculate semen, and this
fertilization of an ovum would be impossible.
frequently occurs as ‘wet dreams.
Urethra
Let’s look at some other characteristics
 A dual purpose tube that both semen and urine
 Growth of facial hair starts at puberty
pass through to leave the body. Semen and urine
 Chest and underarm or axillary hairs grow
never mix.
 Pubic hair grows
 Special muscles or sphincters surround the
 Growth of Penis and testes occurs
urethra.
 Broadening of the shoulders and development of
 During urination, one sphincter will relax so that
muscles increase as a boy becomes a man.
the pressure from the bladder will push urine out
from the body. Importance of secondary sexual characteristics
 During ejaculation, another sphincter will relax  The testes enlarge as sperm production starts.
so that semen can flow through the urethra to the  The penis also enlarges to facilitate sexual
outside of the body. intercourse during copulation in which
spermatozoa in the semen are ejaculated into the
Penis
female’s vagina.
 The male organ for sexual intercourse,
No doubt young women would agree that all these new
reproduction, and urination.
secondary characteristics make males more attractive!
 The reproductive purpose of the penis is to
So, these characteristics attract potential partners to
deposit semen in the vagina during sexual
ensure sexual reproduction and the diversity that
intercourse.
accompanies the production of offspring arising from
 The head of the penis or glans contains many
that activity.
nerve endings. At birth the glans is covered by a
loosely fitting skin called the foreskin.
 When the penis is erect it is 5-7 inches long An
erection occurs when the sponge-like chambers
in the penis fill with blood.
Semen
 a combination of fluid that is produced in the
seminal vesicles, prostate gland, and Cowper's
gland. This fluid nourishes and helps sperm
move through the urethra.
Ejaculation
 the passage of sperm from the penis, a result of a
series of muscular contractions.

Timeline:
Genetic Engineering
  Genetic engineering: Changing the DNA in  Angus cows are bred to increase muscle mass so
living organisms to create something new. that we get more meat,
 These organisms are called Genetically  Egg-Laying Hen-produces more eggs than the
Modified Organism (GMO) average hen
 Example:
Bacteria that produce human insulin
B. Hybridizations: two individuals with unlike
 Genetically Modified organism are called
characteristics are crossed to produce the best in
transgenic organism; since genes are
both organisms.
transferred from one organism to another.
Some genetic engineering techniques are as follows: Example: Luther Burbank created a disease
1. Artificial selection resistant potato called the Burbank potato.
A. selective breeding • He crossed a disease resistant plant with one that
B. hybridization had a large food producing capacity.
C. inbreeding • Result: disease resistant plant that makes a lot
2. Cloning of potatoes.
3. Gene splicing Other Examples of hybridization:
4. Gel electrophoresis: analyzing DNA 1. Liger: lion and tiger mix
2. Grape + apple = grapple. The fruit tastes like
1. Artificial Selection: breeders choose which grapes and looks like apple.
organism to mate to produce offspring with
desired traits. C. Inbreeding breeding of organism that genetically
 They cannot control what genes are passed. similar to maintain desired traits.
 When they get offspring with the desired  Dogs breeds are kept pure this way.
traits, the maintain them.  Its how a Doberman remains a Doberman.
 It keeps each breed unique from others.
Three types of artificial selection:  Risk: since both have the same genes, the
A. selective breeding chance that a baby will get a recessive genetic
B. hybridization disorder is high.
C. inbreeding  Risks: blindness, joint deformities.
 Variation: difference between individuals of a
A. Selective breeding: when animals with desired species.
characteristics are mated to produce offspring with those  The differences are in the genes but we see the
desired traits. physical differences.
• Passing of important genes to next generation.  For example: Some humans have blond hair and
Example: Champion race horses, cows with some have brown. This is a variation among
tender meat, large juicy oranges on a tree. humans.
 For example, people breed dogs for specific  Some finches have short beaks, some have long
purposes. beaks.
 Dachshund were once bred to hunt badgers and  Inbreeding decreases variations.
other burrowing animals.
 They must be small to fit into the animal’s hole 2. Cloning: creating an organism that is an exact genetic
in the ground.
copy of another.
 Selective breeding occurs when you choose the
best male and female to breed. • There are human clones in our school.
 This allows you to fine tune and control the • identical twins are naturally created clones.
traits • Clone: group of cells or organisms that are
 The offspring or babies will then have the best genetically identical as a result of asexual
traits. reproduction
 Then you continue to breed those organisms • They will have the same exact DNA as the
with the best traits, those traits will be parent.
maintained.
Examples of selective breeding: How is cloning done?
 ► A single cell is removed from a parent organism.
► An entire individual is grown from that cell.
► Remember one cell has all the DNA needed to
make an entire organism.
► Each cell in the body has the same DNA, but
cells vary because different genes are turned on
in each cell.
Dolly:
• Dolly was the first mammal cloned.
• She had the same exact DNA as her mother and
had no father.
• Cloning is a form of asexual reproduction.
• Only one genetic parent. Benefits of cloning:
• Since Dolly, cats and other organisms have been 1. you can make exact copies of organisms with
cloned. strong traits.
• The cat that was cloned had the same exact DNA 2. Increase food supply
but different color fur than the mother. 3. Medical purposes: clone organs for transplants.
• How can this be? 4. Bring back or Stop species from going extinct.
• Environment plays a huge part in the way
organisms develop. Risks of cloning:
1. Decreases genetic diversity
• Eggs are haploid 2. If one of your clones gets a disease, they all get
• Haploid: half the chromosomes, 23 in humans it: same immune system.
• Body cells are diploid: 3. Inefficient: high failure rate: 90%+
• Diploid: two sets of chromosomes, one from 4. Expensive
mom and one set from dad 46 in humans.
Benefits:
• insulin is cheaper
How could you clone a human? • There are no side effects because it is human
Step 1: An egg is removed from a female human insulin.
• Eggs are haploid: 23 chromosomes. • We once used pig insulin but there are side
• The nucleus of the egg is removed and is thrown effects and it more expensive.
away.
Step 2: A body cell is removed from another person. • This is called transformation: when a gene
• The nucleus of the body cell is removed from one organism is transferred to different
• Body cells are diploid: 46 chromosomes. organism.
Step 3: • The organisms that have DNA transferred to
• The nucleus of the diploid body cell is put into them are called transgenic organisms.
the egg. • trans: means different,
• This egg no longer needs to be fertilized since it • genic: refers to genes
has all 46 chromosomes. • Genetic engineering has given rise to a new
Step 4: The egg is then charged with electricity to start technological field called biotechnology
mitosis. (technology of life).
Step 5: Its then put into a surrogate mother so it can
grow.
• Its going to be genetically identical to the parent
of the body cell. 1. Transgenic (GMO) animals: genes inserted into
• But it will be a baby. animals so they produce what humans need.
• Plants and animals can be cloned. • Why?: A way to improve the food supply:
A. Transgenic cows: gene inserted to increase
milk production.
B. Spider goat: gene from spider inserted into goat.
• Goats makes silk of the spider web in their milk.
• Flexible, stronger than steel. Used in bullet
proof jackets.
C. Glow-in-the-dark cats
• Scientist used a virus to insert DNA from
jellyfish
• The gene made the cat produce a fluorescent
protein in its fur.

2. Transgenic bacteria: gene inserted into bacteria so

3. Transgenic plants: plants are given genes so they

B. Venomous cabbage
• gene from a scorpion tail inserted into cabbage.
• Cabbage now produces that chemical.
• Why? Limit pesticide use while still preventing
insects from damaging crops.
• Corporations state the toxin is modified so it
isn’t harmful to humans.

Reproduction – Process by which organism produces

Purpose: To make sure a specie can continue