Parts and Functions of the Male and

Female Reproductive Systems

Parts and Functions of the Male and Female
Reproductive Systems

❑Primary Organs (Gonads or sex glands) – are

responsible for the production of sex cells and the
manufacture of hormones.
❑Accessory Organs – are the series of ducts that
transport the sex cells and nourish them to the
different parts of the reproductive system.
The Male
Reproductive System
(External Genitals)
❑Testis – produces sperm
cells.
❑Scrotum- sac that holds
the testis.
❑Penis – places sperms into
the vagina during mating.
Parts of a testis
The Male
Reproductive System
(Internal Genitals)
❑ Vas deferens – carries
sperm from testes to urethra.
❑ Urethra – carries sperm out
from the body.
❑ Epididymis – located on top
of each testes, where sperms
mature and stored
temporarily.
❑ Glands – provide liquid in Epididymis
which sperm can swim.
The Male
Reproductive System
(Internal Genitals)
❑ Glands
a. Seminal vesicle – secretes one
of the components of the
semen.
b. Prostate gland – secretes a
milky fluid that is discharged
into the urethra as part of the
semen.
c. Bulbourethral gland – mucous
secreting glands located at the Epididymis
base of the penis.
How much sperm is in 3.5 ml
of semen expelled during
ejaculation?

Around 400 million.

 The Female Reproductive System

The female reproductive system has the following

functions:
1. Produces female sex cells also called egg cells.
2. Receives sperm cells from the male.
3. Nurtures the development of and provides
nourishment of the new individual.
The Female Reproductive System (External
Genitals)
Mons Pubis
 The Female Reproductive System (External
Genitals)
The vulva includes two skin folds covered in hair called labia
majora. The labia majora extend backward to the mons pubis, a
fatty prominence underlying the pubic hair. The labia minora are
two small folds lying inside the labia majora. They extend forward
from the vaginal opening to encircle and form a foreskin for the
glans clitoris. The glans clitoris is the most sensitive part of the
female genitalia, and like the penis, contains a shaft of erectile
tissue that becomes engorged with blood during sexual
stimulation.
 The Female Reproductive System (External
Genitals)

The urethra, located above the vagina, is connected

to the urinary bladder and is responsible for the
removal of urine from the body.
The vagina allows for the menstrual flow,
reproduction, and birth. The vagina receives the
penis during coitus between a man and a woman.
The Female Reproductive System (Internal
Genitals)
 The Female Reproductive System (Internal
Genitals)

❑Ovary – produces egg cells.

❑Oviduct or Fallopian Tube – passageway of eggs
from the ovary to the uterus (also the same place
where the egg is fertilized).
❑Uterus – place where fertilized egg develops.
The Roles of Hormones in the Male and
Female Reproductive Systems
 The Roles of Hormones in the Male and
Female Reproductive Systems
❑Hormones – are chemical substances secreted by the endocrine
glands that have specific regulatory effects on cells in the different
parts of the body.
❑Hypothalamus – is the main regulatory center for maintaining
homeostasis in the body found in the frontal region of the brain
that receives and sends nerve signal through its neurosecretory
cells to many endocrine glands to give directions, primarily the
pituitary gland.
❑Pituitary gland – is a small pea-shaped gland connected to the
hypothalamus by the pituitary stalk and it is divided into two
regions – anterior and posterior lobes.
 Hypothalamus

GnRH

Anterior
Pituitary Gland

LH FSH
The Role of Hormones in the Male
Reproductive System
❑ Testosterone is the primary
male sex hormone. It helps in
sperm production and is also
responsible for the development
of male secondary sex
characteristics: development of
a more angular facial structure,
growth of facial and body hair, a
deepening of the voice, and an
increase in bone mass, fat
distribution, and muscle size and
strength.
The Role of
Hormones in
Female
Reproductive
System

Figure B. Shows how the pituitary

gland controls the function of the
ovary.
❑ Estrogen is responsible
for female secondary
sex characteristics like
breast development,
changes in body
composition and fat
mass, and growth of
pubic hair.
 Table 1. Roles of Hormones in Male and Female
Reproductive Systems
Gland Hormone Function

Testes Testosterone • Controls secondary sex

(Male) characteristics and sex drive.
• Regulates the development of the
male sex organ in embryo.

Ovaries Estrogen • Regulates the development of

(Female) female secondary sex characteristics
at puberty.
• Controls sex drive.

Progesterone • Controls the development of

endometrium (mucus membrane
lining the womb) during menstrual
cycle and maintenance of uterus
during pregnancy.
 Table 1. Roles of Hormones in Male and Female
Reproductive Systems
Gland Hormone Function

Pituitary Prolactin • Stimulates the production of milk

in the mammary gland.

Luteinizing Hormone (LH) • Stimulates ovulation, maturation of

Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
egg cell, progesterone production
in females.
• In males, it stimulates sperm and
testosterone production.
• Stimulates the maturation of egg
cell in the ovary and estrogen
production in females.
• In males, it stimulates sperm
production.
Fertilization
Fertilization- is the process by which male and
female gametes are fused together, initiating the
development of a new organism.

❑Ovulation- is the process in which mature egg cell

is released from the ovary.
❑Spermatogenesis- is the process of production
and development of sperm cells.
Sperm Cell Anatomy
Sperm Cell Anatomy
❑The head of a human sperm cells are flat, and pointed, and
covered by a cap called an acrosome. The acrosome contains
enzymes that help the sperm enter an egg cell. The head of a
sperm cell also contains a nucleus that has genetic material called
chromosomes.
❑The middle part of the sperm cell is small and contains
mitochondria, producing energy needed by the sperm for
movement.
❑The tail (flagellum) is responsible for movement and enables the
sperm to travel in search of an egg cell.