human bio palm cards

Male Reproductive System

Designed to produce, maintain, and transport sperm and protective fluid (semen).

Scrotum

A skin-covered sac that holds the testes outside the body to keep them at a temperature lower than body temperature (essential for sperm production).

Testes

Oval-shaped glands where sperm and testosterone are produced.

Seminiferous Tubules

Coiled tubes inside the testes where spermatogenesis (sperm creation) actually occurs.

Epididymis

A long, coiled tube resting on the back of each testis; it stores sperm while they mature.

Vas Deferens

A long, muscular tube that transports mature sperm to the urethra in preparation for ejaculation.

Seminal Vesicles

Glands that produce a sugar-rich fluid (fructose) that provides sperm with energy to move.

Prostate Gland

Secretes an alkaline fluid that neutralizes the acidity of the vaginal tract to prolong sperm life.

Bulbourethral Glands

Also called Cowper's glands; they produce a clear, slippery fluid that lubricates the urethra and neutralizes any acidity from residual urine.

Urethra

The tube that carries urine from the bladder and semen from the reproductive glands to the outside of the body.

Penis

The external male organ used in sexual intercourse; it contains erectile tissue that fills with blood.

Female Reproductive System

Designed to produce ova (eggs) and provide a site for a fetus to develop.

Ovaries

Two almond-shaped organs that produce eggs and hormones (estrogen and progesterone).

Follicle

A small, fluid-filled sac in the ovary that contains a single immature egg.

Uterine Tubes (Oviducts)

Also known as Fallopian tubes; they carry the egg from the ovary to the uterus. This is where fertilization usually occurs.

Uterus

A hollow, muscular organ where a fetus develops.

Endometrium

The inner lining of the uterus which thickens every month to prepare for a fertilized egg. If no pregnancy occurs, this lining is shed during menstruation.

Cervix

The lower, narrow portion of the uterus that opens into the vagina.

Fertilization

The fusion of a sperm nucleus with an egg nucleus in the uterine tube to form a zygote.

Implantation

The zygote divides into a ball of cells called a blastocyst. About 6-10 days after fertilization, this blastocyst attaches itself to the thickened endometrium of the uterus to begin development.

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic Acid; it is the 'blueprint' of life and carries the genetic instructions for the development, functioning, and reproduction of all organisms.

Structure of DNA

DNA is a double helix (a twisted ladder).

Components of DNA

Made of repeating units called nucleotides, which consist of a phosphate group, a deoxyribose sugar, and a nitrogenous base (Adenine-Thymine or Cytosine-Guanine).

Genes

Specific segments of DNA that 'spell out' instructions for a trait.

Chromosomes

Structures made of tightly coiled DNA found in the nucleus of the cell.

Mitosis

The part of the cell cycle where the nucleus divides.

Phases of Mitosis

Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase.

Mitosis vs. Meiosis

Mitosis is for growth and repair; Meiosis is for gamete production.