Reproduction in humans
Biology Lesson 14
Common
Special
Situations
During
Pregnancy
脐带绕颈
胎盘前置
羊水不足
The human reproductive system
The human reproductive system
includes the male reproductive system
which functions to produce and
deposit sperm; and the female
reproductive system which functions to
produce egg cells, and to protect
and nourish the fetus until birth.
Humans have a high level of sexual
differentiation.
The female reproductive organs
The female gametes, called eggs or egg cells, are
made in the two ovaries 卵巢. Leading away from
the ovaries are the oviducts 输卵管, sometimes
called Fallopian tubes. The tubes do not connect
directly to the ovaries but have a funnel-shaped
opening just a short distance away.
The two oviducts lead to the womb or uterus 子宫. This has very thick walls, made of muscle. At the base
of the uterus is a narrow opening, guarded by muscles. This is the neck of the uterus, or cervix 子宫颈.
This narrow opening connects to the vagina 阴道, which then leads to the outside of the body.
The male reproductive organs
The male gametes, called sperm, are
made in two testes 睾丸. These are
outside the body, in two sacs of skin
called the scrotum 阴囊.
The sperm are carried away from
each testis in a tube called the
sperm duct 输精管. The sperm
ducts from the testes join up with the
urethra 尿道 just below the bladder.
The urethra can carry both urine and
sperm at different times.
Where the sperm ducts join the
urethra, there is a gland called the
prostate gland 前列腺 . This
makes a fluid called semen 精液,
which the sperm swim in.
1. What is the difference between uterus and vagina?
2. Where will the sperms go after they are made in the testes? (You may use the
word bank: sperm duct, prostate gland, serem, urethra)
Human gametes
Humans, like all mammals, reproduce sexually. A new life begins when the
nucleus of a male gamete fuses with a female one.
Female gametes
Eggs begin to be formed inside a girl’s
ovaries before she is born. At birth, she will
already have thousands of partly developed
eggs inside her ovaries.
Female gametes
成熟 黄体
卵泡 卵子
When she reaches puberty, some of these eggs begin to mature. When an egg is
fully developed, it bursts out of the ovary and into the funnel at the end of the
oviduct. This is called ovulation 排卵. In humans, it happens once a month
throughout a woman’s reproductive life.
An egg is a single cell. It
becomes mature after two
separate rounds of meiosis
or cell division. This reduce
the number of chromosomes
in the nucleus of the egg
from 46 chromosomes to 23
chromosomes.
2n n
We will learn the details of
meiosis in the next lesson.
Male gametes
This shows a section through a
testis. It contains thousands of
very narrow, coiled tubes or
tubules 小管. These are where
the sperm are made. Sperm
develop from cells in the walls of
the tubules. Sperm are then
stored in the epididymis 附睾.
Sperm are made continually from
puberty onwards.
A sperm is also a single cell. Sperm can move
and have adaptations to help them to swim.
Acrosome 顶体 helps the sperm to get
through the jelly surrounding the egg cell. The
head of the sperm contains the DNA. The middle
piece has lots of mitochondria 线粒体 to release
energy for swimming. The flagellum 鞭毛 helps
the sperm to move.
1. Compare the egg and sperm cell:
Egg Sperm
Where is it made?
When is it made?
How often is it made?
Number of chromosomes
Fertilization
Fertilization is a complex multi-step process that is complete in 24 hours. The
sperm from a male meets an egg from a female and forms a zygote.
After ovulation, the egg is caught in the funnel of the oviduct.
Very slowly, the egg travels towards the uterus. Cilia lining
the oviduct help to sweep it along. Muscles in the wall of
the oviduct also help to move it, by producing gentle
rippling movements.
If the egg is not fertilised by a sperm within 8–24 hours after ovulation, it dies. By this time, it
has only travelled a short way along the oviduct. This means that a sperm must reach an egg
while it is quite near the top of the oviduct if fertilisation is to be successful.
When a sperm cell contacts the jelly
coat surrounding an egg cell, the
acrosome 顶体 is activated. It releases
its digestive enzymes 消化酶, and
these enzymes digest the jelly coat.
This allows the head of the sperm to
push through and get into the
cytoplasm of the egg. Only the head of
the sperm goes in; the flagellum is
left outside. The nucleus of the sperm
fuses with the nucleus of the egg. This
is fertilisation 受精.
However, if the egg cell is not fertilised, the spongy lining is not needed. It gradually
breaks down and is slowly lost through the vagina. This is called menstruation 月经, or
a period.
1. What happens after the first sperm reached the egg?
2. What will happen if the egg doesn't get fertilized?
Development of a new life
When the sperm nucleus and the egg nucleus have fused together, they form a
zygote 受精卵.
The zygote continues to move slowly down the oviduct. As it goes, it divides
repeatedly. After several hours, it has formed a ball of cells. This is called an
embryo 胚胎. The embryo obtains nutrients from the yolk of the egg. It takes
several hours for the embryo to reach the uterus. The uterus has a thick, spongy
lining, and the embryo sinks into it. This is called implantation 着床.
The cells in the embryo 胚胎, now buried in the soft wall of the uterus, continue to
divide. As the embryo grows, a placenta 胎盘 also grows, which connects it to the
wall of the uterus. The placenta is where substances are exchanged between the
mother’s blood and the embryo’s blood. It is the embryo’s life support system.
At the end of the 4th
week of pregnancy, the
heartbeats of the
embryo begin.
Eight weeks into pregnancy,
fingers and toes have begun to
form. Small swellings outlining
the future shell-shaped parts of
your baby's ears develop and
the eyes become obvious. The
upper lip and nose have
formed.
The third month of
pregnancy is when an
embryo becomes a fetus.
The embryo has developed
most of its organs, and sex
may be determined. Now it
is called a fetus 胎儿.
The placenta is joined to
the fetus by the umbilical
cord 脐带. Inside the cord
are two arteries and a vein.
The arteries take blood
from the fetus into the
placenta, and the vein
returns the blood to the
fetus.
The fetus is surrounded by
a strong membrane, called
the amniotic sac 羊膜囊.
This makes a liquid called
amniotic fluid 羊水.
1. Put these names in order according to the development of a new life.
fetus zygote egg embryo
2. Fertilisation happens in (ovary, oviduct, uterus). Implantation happens in (ovary,
oviduct, uterus).
3. What is the usage of placenta?
Homework
Next lesson:
Chromosomes and cell division