THE HUMAN

REPRODUCTI
VE SYSTEM
REPRODUCTION IS A BIOLOGICAL PROCESS
BY WHICH NEW INDIVIDUALS ARE
PRODUCED TO CONTINUE THE EXIXTENCE
OF A GIVEN SPECIES . THOUGH DIFFERENT
ORGANISMS REPRODUCE IN THE DIFFERENT
WAYS, THEY HAVE ONE AND THE SAME GOAL
– TO PERPETUATE ONE’S SPECIES ON EARTH .
 THE MALE
REPRODUCTI
VE SYSTEM
THE MALE GONADS ARE THE TESTES ( SING.,
TESTIS ) HANGING IN THE SCROTUM . IN
MAMMALS , SPERM PRODUCTION REQUIRES A
SLIGHTLY LOWER TEMPERATURE THAN THE
HUMAN BODY , THAT IS WHY SCROTUM HANGS
LOOSELY OUTSIDE THE BODY CAVITY. IDEALLY
, DURING THE SEVENTH OR EIGHTH MONTH
OF FETAL DEVELOPMENT, THE TESTES OF THE
FETUS DESCENDS INTO THE SCROTUM.
 SEMINIFEROUS TUBELES – THE TESTIS
HAS COMPARTMENTS THAT CONTAIN
TIGHTLY COILED TUBES.

SPERM DEVELOP FROM THE CELLS

THAT LINE THE SEMINIFEROUS TUBELES.

THE PERMATURE SPERM CELLS ARE

THEN TRANSPORTED TO THE EPIDIDYMIS
TO DEVELOP.
 WHEN A MALE IS SEXUALLY AROUSED, SPERM CELLS
BEGIN THEIR JOURNEY THROUGH THE VAS DEFERENS
AND THEN EXISTING THROUGH THE URETHRA.
THERE ARE THREE GLANDS CONTRIBUTE FLUID TO THE
TRAVELLING SPERM CELLS:
(A) THE SEMINAL VESICLES SECRETE A THICK FLUID
THAT CONTAINS NUTRIENTS .
(B) THE PROSTATE GLAND SECRETES A THICK , MILKY
ALKALINE FLUID TO COUNTERACT THE ACIDIC VAGINA
AND URETHRA AND ACTIVATE THE SPERMS.
 (C) THE BULBOURETHRAL GLAND OR COWPER’S
GLAND PRODUCES THE LUBRICATING EFFECT.
ALTOGETHER , THE SPERM AND THE FLUIDS MAKE
UP THE SEMEN.
WHEN SEXUAL AROUSAL REACHES ITS PEAK , THE
SEMEN IS EXPELLED DURING EJACULATION
PASSING THROUGH THE URETHRAL OPENING.
THE URETHRA - IS A COMMON PASSAGEWAY OF
URINE AND SEMEN.
THE PENIS – IS AN EXTERNAL SEX ORGAN THAT
ALLOWS THE TRANSFER OF THE SEMEN INTO THE
 TESTOSTERONE : THE
MALE SEX HORMONE
TESTOSTERONE – IS THE MAIN MALE SEX HORMONE
SECRETED BY THE TESTIS . IT IS RESPOSIBLE FOR
THE NORMAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE ORGANS OF
THE MALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM . IT IS ALSO
NECESSARY FOR THE MATURATION OF THE SPERM
CELLS WITH THYE HELP OF ANOTHER HORMONE ,
THE FOLLICLE – STIMULATING HORMONE OR (FHS).
 TESTOSTERONEB BRINGS ABOUT THE
CHANGESDURING PUBERTY. THESE CHANGES THAT
APPEAR AT 10 TO 14 YEARS OF AGE EVENTUALLY
DISTINGUISH A MALE FROM A FEMALE , AND ARE
CALLED SECONDARY SEX CHARACTERISTICS.
SECONDARY SEX CHARACTERISTICS IN MALES
INCLUDE GROWTH OF FACIAL, UNDERARM, CHEST,
PUBIC, AND BODY HAIR, ENLARGEMENT OF THE
VOICE BOX,DEEPENING OF THE VOICE ,
DEVELOPMENT OF THE MALE MUSCULATURE, AND
INCREASED SECRETION OF SWEAT AND OIL.
TESTOSTERONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MALE’S
MUSCULAR STRENGTH. THIS IS WHY SOME
ATHLETES TAKE STEERIODS THAT CONTAIN
TESTOSTERONE OR OTHER SIMILAR
COMPOUNDS. HOWEVER , TAKING STEROIDS
HAVE BEEN PROVEN TO PRODUCE HARMFUL
EFFECTS INCLUDING MENTAL PROBLEMS.
 THE SPERM
A MATURE SPERM HAS THREE MAIN PARTS: THE HEAD, THE
MIDDLEPIECE OR NECK, AND THE TAIL. THE TAIL PROPELS THE SPERM AS
IT SWIMS IN THE FLUID. THE MIDDLE PIECE CONTAINS MITOCHONDRIA
THAT PROVIDE THE SPERM WITH ENERGY DURING ITS JOURNEY TO THE
FEMALE BODY. THE HEAD OF THE SPERM CONTAINS ENZYMES THAT
BREAK THE HYALURONIC ACID OF EGG’S MEMBRANE. THE HEAD OF THE
SPERM HOUSES THE GENETIC MATERIAL THAT WILL EVENTUALLY UNITE
WITH THE EGG’S NUCLEUS DURING FERTILIZATION.
 THE SPERM
CHALLENGE
WHEN A MAN EJACULATES, ABOUT 200 TO 500 MILLION
SPERMS ARE IN THE SEMEN BUT ONLY LESS THAN 1% OF THEM
MAKE IT TO THE EGG. WHY ARE SPERM RELEASED IN
MILLIONS WHEN ONLY ONE SPERM AND ONE EGG WOULD
COMPLETE FERTILIZATION? RELEASING THEM IN MILLIONS
INCREASES THE SPERM CHANCE TO FIND THE EGG. THE
SPERMS FACE A LOT OF OBSTACLES TO REACH THE EGG DUE
TO THE FOLLOWING REASONS:
A.) MILLIONS ALREADY DIE IN THE VAGINA DUE TO ITS ACIDIC
ENVIRONMENT;
 B.) SOME SPERMS LOSE ENERGY TO CONTINUE THE
JOURNEY;
C.) SOME SPERMS GO TO THE OVIDUCT OR
FALLOPIAN TUBE THAT DOES NOT CONTAIN THE EGG;
D.) SOME SPERMS ARE BLOCKED IN THE MUCUS
COVERING THE CERVIX; AND
E.) ABNORMAL SPERMS RESULTING FROM ITS MASS
PRODUCTION ARE UNABLE TO FERTILIZE AN EGG.
THANK
YOU
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