Male and Female Reproductive Systems Overview

The scrotum is a pouch of skin that encloses the testes. It helps maintain the testes at a temperature slightly lower than body temperature, which is optimal for sperm production.

The epididymis is a long, coiled tube where sperm mature and are stored after being produced in the testes.

The vas deferens is a muscular tube that transports mature sperm from the epididymis to the urethra.

<p>The urethra serves as a passageway for both urine from the bladder and semen from the reproductive system.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Semen is a thick, whitish fluid that provides a medium for sperm transport, nourishment, and protection. It helps sperm survive and reach the female reproductive system.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The seminal vesicles produce a sugar-rich fluid (fructose) that provides energy to sperm.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The alkaline fluid secreted by the prostate gland neutralizes the acidic environment in the vagina, which helps to increase sperm cell motility.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The bulbourethral glands release mucous secretion to lubricate the penis, facilitating its penetration into the vagina.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The ovaries produce both eggs (ova) and hormones, primarily estrogen and progesterone.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The fallopian tubes serve as tunnels for the egg cell to travel from the ovaries to the uterus, and it's where fertilization occurs.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The endometrium is the innermost lining of the uterus, providing a suitable environment for implantation of a blastocyst.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The labia majora encloses and protects the other external reproductive organs, and it contributes to lubrication during intercourse.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Sexual reproduction ensures genetic variation within a species by combining genetic material from two parents, increasing the chance of surviving environmental changes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Spermatogenesis occurs within the seminiferous tubules of each testis, producing millions of sperm cells daily after puberty.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Spermatogonia are undifferentiated diploid cells in the seminiferous tubules that divide by mitosis to produce more spermatogonia, some of which enlarge and become primary spermatocytes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The male gonads (testes) produce sperm and testosterone, while the female gonads (ovaries) produce ova and hormones such as estrogen and progesterone.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Spermatogenesis involves the development of spermatogonia into primary and secondary spermatocytes, which then undergo meiosis to form spermatids, maturing into spermatozoa.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Artificial insemination involves directly placing sperm into a woman's reproductive tract, while in vitro fertilisation involves fertilizing an egg outside the body and implanting the embryo into the uterus.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>HIV attacks the immune system, weakening it progressively, which can lead to AIDS. Controlling its spread is crucial to prevent high rates of infection and protect individual health.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Two types include cloning through vegetative propagation and spore formation. Advantages include rapid population increase and the production of genetically identical offspring suited to stable environments.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Artificial insemination (AI)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Helper T cells</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>HIV repeatedly changes its protein coat, making it difficult for the body's immune system to recognize and destroy it.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Limiting the number of sexual partners, always using condoms during sexual activity, and getting tested if unprotected sex or sex with multiple partners has occurred.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Male and female gametes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Vegetative propagation, apomixis, and plantlet development.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Tuber, example: potato</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Plantlet development</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Apomixis</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Internal fertilization and external fertilization.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Internal fertilization</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>External fertilization</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Hermaphrodite</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Binary fission is a type of asexual reproduction where a single parent cell divides into two genetically identical daughter cells. This process is common in bacteria, such as <em>E. coli</em>.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Budding involves the growth of a new individual from an outgrowth or bud on the parent's body. This is seen in hydra, where a bud develops and eventually detaches to form a new hydra. Fragmentation, on the other hand, involves the breaking off of a piece of the parent organism, each fragment capable of developing into a new individual. This is common in flatworms, where a broken piece can regenerate into a complete worm.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Parthenogenesis is a form of asexual reproduction where an egg develops into an individual without fertilization. This means that the offspring are genetically identical to the mother. Unlike other forms of asexual reproduction, parthenogenesis involves the development of a specialized reproductive cell (the egg) instead of a part of the parent's body.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Asexual reproduction is advantageous in environments with low population density because it allows organisms to reproduce without needing a mate. This is especially important for sessile organisms, which are unable to move around to find a partner.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Asexual reproduction produces genetically identical offspring to the parent, while sexual reproduction involves the combination of genetic material from two parents, resulting in offspring with a greater genetic diversity.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Continuity of the species refers to the ongoing existence and perpetuation of a species over time. Reproduction is essential for this because it creates new individuals, replacing those that die, and ensuring that the species survives and thrives.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Sexual reproduction is advantageous in environments with frequent changes and selection pressures because it creates offspring with greater genetic diversity. This diversity increases the chances that some offspring will have traits that allow them to survive and reproduce in the changing environment.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Examples of organisms that reproduce asexually include hydra, which reproduces through budding, and flatworms, which reproduce through fragmentation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Asexual reproduction involves a single parent, and the offspring are genetically identical to the parent. Sexual reproduction involves two parents, and the offspring are genetically diverse, inheriting traits from both parents.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Sequential hermaphroditism is a process where an individual switches its sex during its lifetime. In the bluehead wrasse, the largest female becomes the male when the current alpha male dies. This change is triggered by the loss of the dominant male, and the female undergoes physical transformations to become functional male, producing sperm instead of eggs.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Meiosis is a specialized cell division that halves the number of chromosomes, producing haploid gametes (sperm and egg) in sexual reproduction. This process is essential for maintaining a stable number of chromosomes in offspring. Asexual reproduction does not involve meiosis because offspring are produced from a single parent that does not involve the fusion of gametes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>This statement highlights the rapid and dramatic physiological changes that take place during sex reversal in sequential hermaphrodites. It demonstrates that the individual goes through complete sexual transformation, becoming fully functional in its new sex within a short period.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Asexual reproduction is efficient and allows for rapid population growth. However, it leads to genetically identical offspring, limiting adaptability. Sexual reproduction offers genetic diversity, increasing adaptability and resistance to disease, but requires two parents and is less efficient for rapid population growth.</p> Signup and view all the answers