The Human

Reproductive
system
 Topics we’ll cover
• Male and female reproductive systems
• Menstrual cycle
• Fertilisation
• Pregnancy
• Birth
• Contraception
 Characteristics of living things

1. Nutrition 2. Respiration 3. Excretion

4. Growth 5. Reproduction 6. Movement

7. Response
 Reproduction
Reproduction: the formation of new
organisms
 Can you remember……
1. What type of reproduction involves TWO
parents?
2. Another word for a sex cell?

3. What is formed when a male and female

gamete join?
 Overview
Cell division Cell division
Fertilisation
 Male reproductive system
Puberty = age of sexual maturity

• Boys reach puberty between ages of 12 – 14

• Changes that happen:
1. Growth spurt
2. Enlargement of penis and testes
3. Start to make sperm
4. Voice deepening
5. Body hair
Male reproductive system
Male reproductive system
 Male reproductive system
1
Sperm cell = 25mm = mm!
40
 Male reproductive system
Testis (plural = testes)
• Makes sperm
• Makes testosterone
Sperm ducts
• Carry sperm from testes
to penis
• Glands along the ducts
make seminal fluid

Semen = mixture of sperm and seminal fluid

Scrotum
• Sac that holds testes
• Keeps testes at room
temp
• Testes need to be below
body temp to make
sperm successfully

Urethra
• Sperm ducts connect to
urethra and exits the
penis
 Male Reproductive System
Part Function
SpermDuct Carriesspermfromtestestopenis

Penis Passesspermintobodyofthefemale

Keepstestesatthecorrecttemperature
Scrotum
Makesperm
Testes AndMaleHormoneTestosterone
SeminalVesicles Releasethickfluidthatnourishes
sperm
 Female reproductive system
• Girls reach puberty between ages of 10 - 13
• Changes that happen:
1. Ovaries start making eggs
2. Breasts develop
3. Hips widen
4. Body hair
5. Periods start
Female reproductive system
Female reproductive system
 Female reproductive system
Ovary
• Produces eggs
• Normally one egg is
produced each month

Fallopian tube
• Collects the egg from
ovary and brings to uterus
• Fertilisation happens in
fallopian tube
• If no sperm, the egg will
die after 2 days
Uterus
• Place where a baby
(embryo) develops

Cervix
• Opening of the uterus
• Sperm passes through
cervix to reach an egg

Vagina
• Muscular tube where penis
releases sperm
• Forms birth canal during
childbirth
 Female Reproductive System
Part Function
Ovary Produceseggs

FallopianTube Transferseggsfromovarytouterus

UterusorWomb Wherebabydevelops

Openingofuterus
Cervix
Wherespermenters
Vagina Wherethebabyisbornfrom
Egg or Ovum
The Ovaries start to make Eggs at Puberty

Sperm

Egg

The Egg is much bigger than a sperm cell!

 The Menstrual Cycle
Menstrual cycle: A series of changes that
happen in the female body approx. every 28
days

• Starts at puberty and finishes at menopause

• Does not happen during pregnancy

Menopause: when a menstruation finishes

(normally from age 50 onwards)
 Days 1 - 5
• MENSTRUATION: uterus lining
breaks down & passes out of
vagina with some blood
• A new egg matures in ovary

Day 15 - 28 Days 6 - 13
• Lining of uterus MENSTRUATION • New lining
stays in place develops in uterus
CYCLE • Egg continues
(preparation for a
baby) development in
ovary
Day 14
• OVULATION: egg is
released from ovary
to fallopian tube
 The Fertile Period
Fertile period: time in a menstrual cycle when
a woman is most likely to become pregnant
• Sperm can live for up to 3 days
• An egg can stay alive for two days

Can you work out when the fertile

period of a menstrual cycle is?
Remember: Day 14 = ovulation
The Fertile Period
• From about Day
11 – 16
• Depends on
length of a cycle
• So it varies from
woman to
woman
 Variation between women
22 day cycle 32 day cycle

• Fertile period is • Fertile period is

from Day 8 - 13 from Day 13 - 18
 Sexual Intercourse
(copulation or sex)
Sexual intercourse: the natural process of
transferring sperm from a male to a female
• 300-500 million sperm released into the cervix
by ejaculation

Ejaculation: release of semen from the penis

• Sperm swim up the uterus to fallopian tubes

 Semen
• Contains
– 300-500 million sperm
– Sperm food
– pH buffers
• Helps sperm to survive for up to
3 days inside female’s body
(hostile environment)
 Fertilisation
(conception)
Fertilisation: fusion of the male and female
gametes to form a zygote

• Tiny hairs push the egg

along the fallopian tube
• Many sperm swarm
around the egg
• Only one can fertilise it
 Sperm meets the egg…
• Dissolves
coating of egg
• One gets
through
• Instant
change so no
more sperm
allowed in
 Implantation
• Tiny hairs push
zygote towards
uterus
• Zygote divides and
develops into a ball
of cells
• Ball of cells become an EMBRYO

Implantation: attachment of the embryo to

the lining of the uterus
 Pregnancy
• Pregnancy lasts from implantation until birth
• Normal pregnancy is around 40 weeks long
(approx. 9 months)

Pregnancy: carrying an embryo in the uterus

 Pregnancy
Amnion
• Membrane surrounding baby
• Contains amniotic fluid
• Breaks just before birth =
“water breaking”

Amniotic Fluid
• Liquid within the amnion, surrounding baby
• Protective shock absorber
 Pregnancy
Foetus: embryo after 8 weeks of
development

Foetus at 20 weeks (5 months)

Foetus at 8-9 weeks

 Placenta
• Baby’s blood passes through umbilical cord to
and from the placenta
• Placenta is attached to the lining of the uterus
• Umbilical cord
attaches to the baby
at the naval (belly
button)
 Placenta
• The baby’s and
mother’s blood
do not mix in the
placenta – they
are separated by
the very thin
barrier.
 Functions of the Placenta
Allows materials to pass between mother’s and
baby’s blood
1. Passes food and oxygen from mother to baby
2. Removes waste from baby to mother (e.g.
carbon dioxide and urea)

Harmful substances (e.g. alcohol and drugs) can

also pass to the baby through the placenta
 Birth
Labour: contractions of the uterus that
begin the process of birth

1. Labour contractions cause the amnion to

burst (waters break)
2. Cervix gradually widens during contractions
3. Baby’s is pushed out head first through the
cervix and vagina
 Birth
4. Baby’s umbilical cord is cut and clamped
5. Baby uses its lungs to breath for the first time
6. Uterus continues to contract after baby is
born to push placenta and remains of
umbilical cord out of vagina

Afterbirth: placenta and remains of

umbilical cord expelled after the baby is
born
 Breastfeeding
• Some mothers feed their babies by
breastfeeding
• Breast milk has an ideal mix of nutrients for
the baby
• Also contains antibodies to protect baby from
infections
 Contraception
Contraception: the prevention of
fertilisation or pregnancy
• Why use contraception?
– Control no. of and when to
have children
– Sex without pregnancy
– Protection from STDs

• Until 1980, it was illegal in Ireland!

 Contraception
The ONLY 100% effective method of
contraception is NOT HAVING SEX
• Some methods are more effective than others
• Some religions don’t agree with methods
• Only some protect against sexually
transmitted diseases (STDs)
• There are two main types of contraception
 1. Preventing fertilisation
Natural methods
• Avoid sex during fertile period
– Complicated
– Need to be VERY careful
– No protection from STDs
Artificial methods
• Prevent ovulation (e.g. contraceptive pill)
• Prevent sperm reaching the egg
– Condom
– Cervical cap/diaphragm
– Operation (cut sperm ducts/fallopian tubes &
seal)

Condom Cervical cap Spermicides

 2. Preventing implantation
• Stop the embryo implanting in the uterus
• Examples:
– Mini-pill (progesterone only)
– Plastic coil inserted into the uterus (IUD and IUS)

Mini-pill IUD coil IUS coil

 Very good website
www.thinkcontraception.ie
 Chapter 10:
Reproductive System
DONE!!