Human Reproduction Lecture Notes

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the male and female reproductive systems, gametogenesis, the menstrual cycle, fertilization, and pregnancy as detailed in the lecture transcript.

Viviparous

A characteristic of human beings where they give birth to live young ones.

Scrotum

A pouch situated outside the abdominal cavity that protects the testes and helps in maintaining their temperature.

Testicular lobules

Approximately $250$ compartments within each testis.

Seminiferous tubules

The specific sites of sperm formation located within the testicular lobules.

Male germ cells

Cells within the seminiferous tubules that undergo meiosis to form sperms.

Sertoli cells

Cells that provide nourishment to the male germ cells.

Leydig cells

Also known as interstitial cells, they are located outside the seminiferous tubules and produce androgens.

Ejaculatory duct

A duct formed by the union of the vas deferens and a duct from the seminal vesicle that stores and transports sperms to the outside.

Seminal plasma

The collective secretions of the seminal vesicles, prostate gland, and bulbourethral glands that provide nutrition and motility to sperms.

Foreskin

A loose fold of skin that covers the glans penis.

Ovaries

The primary female sex organs that produce the ovum and ovarian hormones, typically $2-4\,\text{cm}$ in length.

Ovarian stroma

The inner tissue of the ovary divided into a peripheral cortex and an inner medulla.

Fimbriae

Finger-like projections at the end of the infundibulum that help collect the ovum after ovulation.

Uterus

Also called the womb, it is a pear-shaped organ where the embryo develops.

Endometrium

The internal layer of the uterine wall that lines the uterine cavity and undergoes periodic changes during the menstrual cycle.

Birth canal

The passage formed by the combination of the cervical canal and the vagina.

Mammary lobes

The $15-20$ glandular divisions within each breast containing milk-secreting alveoli.

Spermiogenesis

The process by which spermatids are transformed into spermatozoa (sperms).

Spermiation

The release of mature sperms from the seminiferous tubules.

GnRH

Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone, which triggers the onset of spermatogenesis at puberty.

Acrosome

A cap-like structure on the head of the sperm containing enzymes that facilitate fertilization of the ovum.

Oogenesis

The process of formation of a mature female gamete (ovum).

Antrum

A fluid-filled cavity that is the characteristic feature of a tertiary follicle.

Menarche

The first occurrence of menstruation at the beginning of puberty.

Menopause

The permanent cessation of the menstrual cycle, typically occurring around the age of $50\,\text{years}$.

Fertilization

The fusion of a haploid sperm with a haploid ovum to form a diploid zygote, occurring at the ampullary-isthmic junction.

Morula

An embryo containing $8-16$ blastomeres.

Blastocyst

A stage of embryonic development where cells are arranged into an outer trophoblast and an inner cell mass.

Implantation

The process by which the blastocyst (specifically the trophoblast) attaches to the uterine endometrium.

Placenta

A structural and functional unit formed by the integration of chorionic villi and uterine tissue that provides oxygen and nutrients to the embryo.

Gestation period

The duration of human pregnancy, which is approximately $9\,\text{months}$.

Parturition

The process of delivering the foetus due to vigorous uterine contractions.

Colostrum

The initial milk produced during the first few days of lactation, which is rich in antibodies.