The male and female reproductive systems both produce gametes and sex hormones, and work to transport gametes and support embryo development. The male system includes testes, ducts and glands that produce and transport sperm. The female system includes ovaries, ducts and uterus which house and nourish an embryo. Fertilization typically occurs in the fallopian tubes, and the placenta later forms to support embryo growth in the uterus. Puberty initiates the ability to reproduce, while menopause ends fertility in females.

1. Reproductive Systems
Male & Female

2. Function
 To ensure survival of the species
 To produce egg and sperm cells
 To transport and sustain these cells
 To nurture the developing offspring
 To produce hormones
 Other systems strive to maintain a state of
homeostasis

3. Male & Female
 Include:
 Reproductive organs called gonads that produce
gametes (reproductive cells) and hormones
 Ducts that transport gametes
 Accessory glands and organs that secrete fluids

4. Male & Female
 Production
of hormones that permit the
secondary sex characteristics, such as breast
development in women and beard growth in
men

6. Male
 Functions
 To produce, maintain and transport sperm (the
male reproductive cells) and protective fluid
(semen)
 To produce and secrete male sex hormones
responsible for maintaining the male reproductive
system

7. Male
 Consists of:
 A pair of testes
 A network of excretory ducts
 epididymis
 vas deferens
 ejaculatory ducts
 Seminal vesicles
 Prostate
 Urethra
 Penis

8. http://www.uh.edu/~tgill2/image010.jpg

9. External structure of the
penis:
• Glans penis
• Prepuce (foreskin)
• There is no verifiable
health benefit to
circumcision.

10. Circumcision
shaft sutures
corona
foreskin glans penis urethral opening

11. Male
 Testes / testicles
(Gonads)
 Produce sperm
(Spermatogenesis)
 Sperm production
begins at puberty and
continues throughout
the life of a male

12. Male
 Testes / testicles
(Gonads)
 Produce testosterone
 Hair patterns and voice
changes
 Development of the male
accessory organs
(prostate, seminal vesicles
etc.)
 Stimulates the effect of
protein building in the
body that is responsible
for the greater muscle
development and strength
of the male

13. • Testes are the male gonads.
• Seminiferous tubules- form sperm
• Leydig cells (interstitial cells)- produce
androgens (ex. Testosterone, ABP).

14. • Testes are located in the scrotum,
outside the body cavity.
• Keeps testicular temperature cooler than
the body cavity.
• Develop in the body cavity and descend
into the scrotum just before birth.

15. Male
 Duct System
 Epididymis
 Sperm mature in
epididymis
 Vas Deferens
 Transports mature
sperm to the
urethra
 Ejaculatory ducts
 empty into the
urethra

16. Male
 Seminal vesicles
 Attached to vas
deferens
 Produce a sugar-
rich fluid
(fructose) that
provides energy
to sperm

17. Male
 Prostate Gland
 Makes fluid

18. Male
 Urethra
 Tube that carries
urine from the
bladder to outside
of the body
 Also carries semen
out of the body

19. Mature Spermatozoa
acrosome
head
nucleus
tail
mitochondria

20. Vasectomy

21. Female
 Functions
 Produces the female egg cells
 Transports the eggs to the site of fertilization
 The fertilization of an egg by a sperm, occurs in
the fallopian tubes

22. Female
 Functions
 After fertilization, provides a place for a baby to
develop
 If fertilization does not take place, the system is
designed to menstruate
 Produces female sex hormones that maintain the
reproductive cycle.

23. Female:
• Vagina uterus
uterine tube
• Cervix
• Fallopian tube (uterian
tube/oviducts)
• Ovary
• Uterus
- Endometrium
- Myometrium
- Perimetrium ovary endometrium
fimbriae
myometrium
perimetrium
cervix
vagina

24. http://biology.clc.uc.edu/graphics/bio
105/repro%20female.jpg

25. Female
 Vagina
 Canal that joins
the cervix (the
lower part of
uterus) to the
outside of the
body
 Also is known
as the birth
canal

26. Female
 Uterus
 Hollow, pear-shaped
organ that is the home
to a developing fetus
 Divided into two parts:
 the cervix, the lower part
that opens into the vagina
 Main body of the uterus,
called the corpus.
 The corpus can easily
expand to hold a
developing baby.
 A channel through the
cervix allows sperm to
enter and menstrual blood
to exit

27. Female
 Ovaries
 Oval-shaped glands that
are located on either side
of the uterus
 Produce eggs and
hormones.
http://www.ricancercouncil.org/img/cervical.gif

28. Female
 Fallopian Tubes
 Narrow tubes that are
attached to the upper part
of the uterus and serve as
tunnels for the egg cell to
travel from the ovaries to
the uterus
 Fertilization of an egg by a
sperm, normally occurs in
the fallopian tubes
 The fertilized egg then
moves to the uterus, where
it implants into the lining of
the uterine wall
http://www.ricancercouncil.org/img/cervical.gif

29. Oogenesis
Ovary- contains 400,000 oocytes; release
about 500 in a lifetime
• Ovary- under influence of FSH. The
follicles mature every 28 days
• Primary follicle produces estrogens
• And primary oocyte completes its 1st
division produces 2ndary oocyte and
polar body

30. Oogenesis
• Aprox 1/2 way through the 28 day cycle the
follicle reaches the mature Vesticular or
Graffian follicle stage.

31. Oogenesis
• Estrogen levels rise and release LH and FSH
and triggers ovulation.

32. Oogenesis
• The 2ndary oocyte travels down the uterine
tube to the uterus.
• If fertilized by sperm, it will produce a zygote
Ovum in uterine tube

33. The Ovarian Cycle
 Follicular phase
 1st approx 14 days but variable
 Egg develops in a follicle
 Stimulated by FSH (see next
slide)
 Estrogen produced
 Ovulation
 Egg released from follicle (LH
surge)
 Egg in abdominal cavity
 Picked up by fimbria of fallopian
tube
 Not necessarily halfway point
 Luteal phase
 Postovulatory phase 14 days
(more constant)
 Corpus luteum develops from
exploded follicle
 Produces progesterone as well
as estrogen
 Progesterone stimulates
uterus to be ready for baby
 If no pregnancy, corpus luteum
degenerates into corpus 33
albicans

34. Nearly mature
follicle
 Oocyte develops the zona pellucida
 Glycoprotein coat
 Protective shell (egg shell)
 Sperm must penetrate to fertilize the oocyte
 Thecal cells stimulated by LH to secrete androgens
 Granulosa cells (with FSH influence) convert androgens to
estrogen (follicular cells called granulosa cells now)
 Clear liquid gathers to form fluid-filled antrum: now a
secondary follicle
 Surrounding coat of granulosa cells: corona radiata
 Fully mature, ready to ovulate, called: ”Graafian follicle” 34

35. Ovulation
 Signalfor ovulation is
LH surge
 Ovarian wall ruptures
and egg released,
surrounded by its
corona radiata
35

36. Conception
 After ejaculation into the vagina, sperm swim to meet an egg
 Sperm live 5-7 days (need cervical mucus)
 Eggs live about 12-24 hours, so conception only occurs during this short window
 Fertilization occurs in the fallopian tube
Events leading to
fertilization:
•Sperm binds to receptors on
zona pellucida
•Acrosomal reaction –
enzymes digest a slit
•Sperm passes through zona
•Fusion of a single sperm’s
plasma membrane with
oocyte’s plasma membrane
•Cortical reaction: sperm
receptors destroyed in zona
so no more enter; sperm
nucleus engulfed by egg’s
cytoplasm
Fertilization occurs
at the moment the
chromosomes from
the male and female 36
gametes unite

37. Initial days
 Cleavage (cell division)
 Blastocyst stage by day 4: now in uterus
37

38. Implantation
Blastocyst floats for 6-9 days post
2 days: “hatches”
by digesting zona conception -
enough to squeeze burrows into
out endometrium
38

39. Formation of Placenta
Both contribute:
•Trophoblast from embryo
•Endometrial tissue from mother
Not called placenta until 4th month
Embryonic
blood
circulates
within chorionic
villi, close to
but not mixing
with mother’s
blood
•Nutrients
to baby
•Wastes to 39
mom

40. The “Placental Barrier”
 Sugars, fats and oxygen diffuse from mother’s blood to
fetus
 Urea and CO2 diffuse from fetus to mother
 Maternal antibodies actively transported across placenta
 Some resistance to disease (passive immunity)
 Most bacteria are blocked
 Many viruses can pass including rubella, chickenpox,
mono, sometimes HIV
 Many drugs and toxins pass including alcohol, heroin,
mercury
 Placental secretion of hormones
 Progesterone and HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin, the
hormone tested for pregnancy): maintain the uterus
 Estrogens and CRH (corticotropin releasing hormone): promote
labor
40

41. Childbirt  Gestational period: averages 266 days
h 
(this is time post conception; 280 days post LMP)
Parturition: the act of giving birth: 3 stages of labor
1. Dilation: 6-12h (or more in first child); begins with regular uterine
contractions and ends with full dilation of cervix (10cm)
2. Expulsion: full dilation to delivery – minutes up to 2 hours
3. Placental delivery: 15 minutes
Dilation of cervis; head enters true pelvis Expulsion: head first safest as is largest part
Delivery of the placenta 41
Late dilation with head rotation to AP position

42. Stages of Life
 Embryologically, males and females start out
“sexually indifferent”
 Gonads, ducts and externally identical structures
 At 5 weeks gestation changes start to take place
 Puberty: reproductive organs grow to adult size
and reproduction becomes possible
 Between 10 and 15
 Influence of rising levels of gonadal hormones
 Testosterone in males
 Estrogen in females
 Female menopause (between 46 and 54):
 Loss of ovulation and fertility
42

43. Ectopic Pregnancy

44. Mammary glands (breasts)
 Modified sweat glands
 Both sexes but function (normally) only in lactating female
 Produce milk to nourish baby
 Respond to hormonal stimulation
 Not a part of the reproductive system
 Nipple surrounded by pigmented ring of skin, the areola
 Contain epithelial tissue that secrete milk.
 Milk drains into a series of ducts opening at the nipple.
44