Chapter – 8

How Do Organisms Reproduce?

Part – III
( Sexual Reproduction in Humans)
Sexual reproduction maybe defined as the production of offsprings by the fusion of
male and female gametes.
Human beings are unisexual i,e males and female sex organs are present in separate
individuals i,e males and females.
Primary Sexual Characters-
Primary sexual characters are present at birth i,e the primary sex organs. Male sex
organs are testes that produce hormone testosterone and gamete sperms. Female sex
organs are ovaries that produces hormones estrogen & progesterone and gamete egg.
Secondary Sexual Characters -
Secondary Sexual Characters is different in both males and females as a result of sex
hormones which appesrs at the age of puberty. Puberty is the age at which the
reproductive organs become functional, production of gametes starts and boys and
girls become sexually mature. In males it is 13- 14 yrs and in females it is 10 -12 yrs.
(a) Secondary sexual characters in Males-
(i) Broadening of shoulders and increase muscle development.
(ii) Enlargement of penis and scrotum.
(iii) Enlargement of larynx and deepening of voice
(iv) Growth of pubic hair, hair on face, armpits, chest.
(b) Secondary sexual characters in females-
(i) Growth of breast and external genitalia.
(ii) Growth of pubic hair and hair in arm pits.
(iii) Broadening of pelvis
(iv) Initiation of menstruation and ovulation.
Male Reproductive System
Male reproductive system consists of the following parts.
a) Testes: There are two testis in males, oval in shape with a length of about 4-5cm
and broadness 2-3cm. They are located outside the abdomen. Main function is to
produce the hormone testosterone and male gamete sperms.
b) Scrotum : It is a pouch skin present outside the abdominal cavity in which testis
are present. It provides a temperature of 1 - 30 lower than the normal body
temperature for the formation of sperms by testis.
c) Vas Deferens : It is a straight tube that carries sperms along its path. Glands like
seminal vesicle and prostate glands add their secretion to make the sperms in a
fluid state that produces an alkaline secretion to neutralise the acidic environment
of the male urethra as well as to provide nutrition and activates the sperms to
swim.
d) Urethra: It is a long tube coming from the urinary bladder and provides a
common pathway for the flow of urine and semen( sperms and milky white fluid)
out from the body.
Penis : it is the long thick muscular organ known as the male external genitalia.
The tip of the glans penis has slit like opening that transport sperms to the female
body during sexual intercourse.

Female Reproductive System

Female reproductive system consists of the following parts-
a) Ovaries: two ovaries present in the lower abdominal cavity, each is about 2- 3cm in
length. The ligament of the ovary is attached to uterus.The main function of the ovary
is to produce egg( ovum or egg) and hormone estrogen and progesterone.
b) Fallopian tube/ oviduct: Each fallopian tube is about 10 -12cm long . Fusion of
male and female gametes takes place here i,e site of fertilization is the fallopian tube.
c) Uterus : It is the hollow muscular and inverted pear shaped structure. It lies in the
pelvic cavity between the urinary bladder and the rectum. Main function of the uterus
 is to provide implantation to the embryo and make the embryo attach itself to the wall
of the uterus.

d) Vagina : It is a muscular tube about 10cm long, provide passage for sperms during
intercourse, menstrual flow and forms path of the birth canal for the developed baby.
Uterus opens into vagina through cervix.

Fertilization
As the sperms get deposited in the vagina of the female during intercourse, so they
will travel towards egg and only one sperm will get the entry to fuse with the egg to
form zygote. This is called fertilization. So, Fertilization is the fusion of male and
female gamete resulting into the formation of a zygote.
The zygote gets implanted in the wall of the uterus and as a result of several divisions
in the zygote, it develops into embryo and finally a baby.The proper development of
child takes about nine month inside the mother’s body .