THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
All organisms reproduce. Reproduction is the reason on how organisms
produce more of their own kind. The reproductive system is a system of sex
organs in an organism for sexual reproduction. The human reproductive system
involves internal fertilization during sexual intercourse. Both males and females
have reproductive systems with different purposes.
The male reproductive system is a system containing sex organs for sexual
reproduction. In the male reproductive system, there are external and internal
organs. Some external organs include the penis, scrotum, testicles, and epididymis.
The penis is one of the main organs for sexual reproduction. When a man is
sexually aroused, the erectile tissue in the penis fills up with blood and make the
penis become erect which allows penetration during sexual intercourse. Semen is
ejaculated through the penis when the man has reached sexual climax. Only semen
can be ejaculated because the urethra blocks urine from coming out when the penis
is erect. Another main organ are the testicles which are located inside of the
scrotum. The testicles are responsible for creating testosterone (male sex
hormone) and sperm. The epididymis is a storage area for sperm that were
produced in the testes. The epididymis is responsible for the job to mature sperm
that are incapable of fertilization. Some internal organs include the urethra,
prostate gland, seminal vessels, ejaclatory ducts. The prostate gland and the
seminal vessels create the fluid for the sperm to combine with to create semen.
The urethra is the tube that transfers urine and semen (at separate times) to the
outside of the body.
The main purpose of the male reproductive system is to create, maintain,
transport sperm and semen. Another purpose is to produce and discharge
hormones. Hormones are chemicals that stimulate the activity of cells or organs.
Sperm have heads and tails. The head contains hereditary material and the tail
helps the sperm travel. They travel to the epididymis to mature. After the sperm
travels to the sperm duct, the prostate gland and seminal vessels produce seminal
fluid which combines with sperm to create semen. The
seminal fluid is milky-white fructose that supports sperm by giving them energy to
travel. Ejaculation is when the penis gets erect from sexual excitement, the semen
gets pushed out of the urethra and into the female reproductive system during
sexual intercourse.
Two interesting facts about the male reproductive system is that only semen
can be ejaculated because the urethra blocks urine from coming out when the penis
is erect, so therefore semen and urine cannot mix. Another fact is that sperm is
only 50 micrometers long which is about 0.002 inch! A female egg is 30 times
larger which is large enough to be seen by the naked eye.
There are many possible male reproductive system medical problems. One
possible medical issue in the male reproductive system is prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers found in men. It affects the
prostate gland which produces seminal fluid for sperm. Prostate cancer first
starts in the glandular cells which is called adenocarcinoma. Prostatic
intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) starts changing the shape and size of the prostate
gland cells. Some symptoms are blood in urine or semen, painful urination, bone
pain, frequent urges to urinate, and difficulty maintaining an erection. Another
possible medical problem could be epididymitis. Epididymitis is an inflammation of
the epididymis which is a storage for sperm and carries sperm. Usually,
epididymitis is formed by a bacterial infection such as STIs or sexually
transmitted infections or urine in the epididymis known as chemical epididymis.
Sometimes epididymo-orchitis can occur which is when a testicle becomes inflamed.
Some symptoms include swollen scrotum, blood in semen, testicle pain, painful
urination, and discharge from the penis.
The female reproductive system’s main function is to create female egg cells
called the ova or oocytes that will be fertilized by sperm. If not fertilized, the
process of eggs being produced is called menstrual cycle. Also, the female
reproductive system produces female sex hormones. The female reproductive
system also contain external and internal organs. Some external organs include
bartholin’s glands, clitoris, labia majora, labia minora. Bartholin's glands are located
near the vaginal opening and produce a fluid secretion. The clitoris is a small,
sensitive protrusion that is very sensitive to stimulation and could possibly become
erect. Some internal organs of the female reproductive system are the vagina,
uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes. The vagina is a canal that joins a cervix to the
outside of the body. The uterus is the womb or the home of the developing fetus.
The uterus is separated into two parts, the cervix and the corpus. Ovaries are
responsible for producing eggs and hormones. Fallopian tubes are tubes for the
egg cells to travel from the from the ovaries to the uterus. Sperm usually fertilize
the egg in the fallopian tubes.
Females experience cycles of hormonal activity that occurs about every
month called the menstrual cycle. A woman's body prepares for potential
pregnancy which is periodic shedding of the uterine lining. If the egg is not
fertilized, the egg will decease which will cause blood to leak from the vagina. The
menstrual cycle takes around 28 days for the ovaries to release eggs. The
menstrual cycle usually changes the hormone levels and could possibly form
menstrual symptoms. Females have about 1 to 2 million eggs within the ovaries at
birth, but only about 300 eggs will mature in their life. Fertilization is the process
of fertilizing an egg, in this case with sperm, to form a zygote. A zygote is a
diploid cell from the effect of two haploid gametes. A zygote has 46 chromosomes,
half from the egg and half from the sperm. The zygote would begin to grow in the
woman’s uterus and form into an embryo, then a fetus, and lastly a baby.
Two interesting facts on the female reproductive system is that the female
egg is the largest human cell which is the only cell that is visible to the naked eye.
It is 120 micrometers in diameter. Another fun fact is that when a woman isn’t
pregnant, her uterus is about 3 inches long and 2 inches wide, but during
pregnancy, the uterus is able to stretch to fit a baby (sometimes more than one!).
Some possible medical problems associating with the female reproductive
system are cervical cancer and vaginitis. Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that
occurs in the cells of the cervix. It’s formed when the healthy cells have a
mutation to become abnormal cells. The abnormal cells would form a tumor while
the abnormal cells spread in the body. Also HPV is another factor on cervical
cancer. Some symptoms are vaginal bleeding after intercourse, vaginal discharge,
and pelvic pain. Vaginitis is an inflammation of the vagina because of a change in the
usual balance of vaginal infection. Some symptoms are amount of discharge of
vagina, vaginal irritation, painful urination, and vaginal bleeding.
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