POINTERS IN SCIENCE

Penis – is the external male organ with a tip called the glans. It is covered with a foreskin that
may be removed through circumcision.
Scrotum – a pair of pouchlike sacs that contains the testes. It also controls the testes’
temperature because they must be slightly cooler than the body to produce sperm cells.
Testes ( singular, testis) – the glands that produce the sperm cells and male sex hormone called
testosterone.
Epididymis – a narrow, coiled tube that stores sperm cells.
Urethra – in males it is the passageway of both urine from the urinary bladder and semen from
the glands.
Seminal Vesicles – are saclike pouches attached to tha vas deferens. It contributes to the semen
production, a sugar- rich fluid which provides energy from the sperm cells’ motility.
Vas Deferens – is along, mascular tube that serves as the passageway of the sperm cells released
from the testes. It also connects the testes to the seminal vesicle and the urethra.
Cowper’s Gland – also called as the bulbourethral gland, is one of the two pea–sized organs
found neneath the prostrate gland. It is responsible for releasing fluid that flushes out foreign
matters and neutralizes the acidic urine in the urethra.
Prostate Gland – is a gland located between the bladder and the penis. It produces fluid that
nourishes and protects the sperm.
Ovary – produces egg cells as well as
The female sex hormones estrogen and
progesterone. Female humans have
two ovaries. About 70,000 potential egg
cells are already present in the ovaries
of a female when she is born. However,
only about 500 of these eggs will
mature. The mature eggs are released
one by one every month once the female reaches puberty and until she is about 43-55 years old.
The mature egg cell leaves the ovary through the fallopian tube.
Fallopian tube – lead the egg from the ovary to the uterus. This is also the usual site of
fertilization of the egg cell and sperm cell. Female humans have two fallopian tubes, each
connecting to an ovary to the side of the uterus.
Uterus – also called the womb, the uterus is a hollow muscular organ located at the lower
abdomen. It has a soft, smooth inner lining called the uterine lining or endometrium. This lining
becomes thicker as it accumulates blood and nutrients to accommodate the unborn baby as it
develops. It is also site where the fertilized egg is implanted. If the egg cell is not fertilized it,
together with the uterine lining, it will break down and is discharged during menstruation.
Cervix – located at the lower part of the uterus. It is a narrow opening between the uterus and the
vagina. During childbirth, it expands to allow the passage of the baby.
Vagina – also called the birth canal, the vagina is a hollow, muscular tube that extends from the
cervix to the vaginal opening called the vulva. It expands to let the baby pass during normal
delivery.
Sexual reproduction – most animals can only produce a new individual when two parents are
present (one male and one female).
Animals have sex organs that produced sex cells or gametes. These gametes contain information
about the new organism.
Two types of gametes are egg cells for females and sperm cells for males.
Fertilization – takes place when a sperm cell unites with the egg cell.
The fertilized egg is called a zygote which develops into an embryo.
Internal fertilization – happens when the male animal releases sperm cells into the body of the
female animal to fertilize the egg cell. Insects, birds, cats, and cows undergo internal
fertilization.
External fertilization – occurs outside the bodies of the parents. The female releases eggs into
the water or attach them to a plant or rock. The male releases sperm cells over the eggs to
fertilize them. Most frogs and fishes undergo external fertilization.
Asexual reproduction – does not need one male and one female parent to produce offspring. A
single-parent organism simply makes identical copies of itself.
Binary fission and budding – are some methods of asexual reproduction.
Binary fission – occurs when a parent animal divides itself into two. Each half grows into a new
individual. Binary fission is also called splitting.
Budding – happens when an outgrowth of the parent animal develops into a new animal. Plants
also develop new plants through the process of budding. A bulge appears on the parent’s body,
grows into a bud, and eventually becomes a miniature copy of the parent. Hydra and jellyfish are
some examples of animals that can reproduce through budding.
Egg-laying animals – animals lay their eggs in the environment.
Incubation period – the time between the laying of the egg and the hatching of the young.
Gestation – the time between fertilization and birth of the live young. Animals that undergo this
process are born alive.
Pedicel - the stalk of a flower.
Receptacle - the part of a flower stalk where the parts of the flower are attached.
Sepal - the outer parts of the flower (often green and leaf-like) that enclose a developing bud. A
group of sepals is called the calyx.
Petal - petals exist to draw pollinators to the flower. It is for this reason that they are often
brightly colored, showy, and of interesting patterns and sizes. The petals together form what is
known as the corolla of the plant.
Stamen - the pollen-producing part of a flower, usually with a slender filament supporting the
anther.
Filament - the thin tubular part of the stamen that extends and supports the pollen sac at the top.
Anther - the part of the stamen where pollen is produced.
Pistil - the ovule-producing part of a flower. The ovary often supports a long style, topped by a
stigma. The mature ovary is a fruit, and the mature ovule is a seed.
Style - the elongated part of a carpel that joins the ovary to the stigma. It is the tube through
which pollen is delivered to the ovary.
Stigma - the part of the pistil where pollen germinates.
Ovary - the enlarged basal portion of the pistil where ovules are produced.
Pollination – the transfer of pollen grains from the anther to the stigma of the same or another
flower of the same kind.
Vegetative propagation – a form of asexual reproduction where plants are produced from one
part of a parent plant. A new plant can grow from the roots, stems, and leaves of a parent plant.
Bulb – a rounded stem with fleshy leaves (examples: onion, tulip)
Rhizome – a horizontally growing stem (example: ginger, lotus)
Corm – a short, vertical stem (example: gladiolus, taro or gabi)
Tuber - a fleshy underground stem or root (example: potato- stem, sweet potato-root)
Stolons or runners – some modified stem do not grow underground, but instead, crawl along
the ground.