Quiz#1-Finals- 11 Organ System

Epididymis

is a coiled tube located on the surface of each testis. It stores and transports sperm from the testes, allowing them to mature.

Vas Deferens

is a muscular tube that carries mature sperm from the epididymis to the urethra during ejaculation.

Seminal Vesicles

are glands that secrete a significant portion of the seminal fluid, which nourishes and protects sperm.

Prostate Gland

produces a milky, alkaline fluid that contributes to semen and helps activate sperm.

Bulbourethral Glands

These glands produce a clear, mucus-like fluid that lubricates the urethra and neutralizes any residual acidic urine, preparing the urethra for the passage of sperm.

Urethra

is a duct that serves both the urinary and reproductive systems. It carries urine from the bladder and semen from the reproductive system to the external body.

Penis

the external organ that contains the urethra and is used for sexual intercourse and the release of semen.

Semen

ejaculatory fluid composed of sperm and secretions from the seminal vesicles, prostate, and bulbourethral glands

Process in the Male Reproductive System

• Spermatogenesis: Spermatogenesis is the process by which the testes produce sperm. It begins at puberty and continues throughout a man's life.

• Sperm Maturation: Immature sperm produced in the testes travel to the epididymis, where they mature and gain the ability to swim.

• Ejaculation: During sexual arousal and climax, the male reproductive system expels semen containing sperm through the urethra and out of the penis.

• Fertilization: Sperm is ejaculated into the female reproductive tract during sexual intercourse. If a sperm successfully fertilizes an egg, conception occurs.

Female Reproductive System

is responsible for the production of eggs, the nurturing and development of a fertilized egg, and the facilitation of childbirth.

Ovaries

are the primary female reproductive organs. They produce eggs (ova) and female sex hormones, including estrogen and progesterone.

Fallopian Tube

are two thin tubes that extend from the ovaries to the uterus. They serve as a pathway for eggs to travel from the ovaries to the uterus and are the site of fertilization.

Uterus

is a muscular, pear-shaped organ where a fertilized egg can implant and develop into a fetus during pregnancy

Cervix

is the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina. It provides a passage for menstrual flow, sperm, and childbirth.

Vagina

is the muscular canal that connects the cervix to the external body. It serves as the birth canal and the location of sexual intercourse.

Labia

are the folds of skin surrounding the vaginal opening.

Clitoris

is a highly sensitive organ located at the top of the labia. Both play a role in sexual arousal.

Labia Majora

are the larger, outer folds of skin that surround the vaginal opening and protect the more delicate structures within the vulva.

Labia Minora

are the smaller, inner folds of skin located within the labia majora.

Process in the Female Reproductive System

• Ovulation: Each month, one of the ovaries releases a mature egg in a process called ovulation.

• Fertilization: If sexual intercourse occurs and sperm fertilizes the egg in the fallopian tube, fertilization takes place.

• Implantation: If fertilization is successful, the fertilized egg (zygote) travels down the fallopian tube and implants in the uterine lining.

• Pregnancy or Menstruation: If implantation occurs, pregnancy follows. If not, the uterine lining is shed during menstruation.

Vulva

The external female reproductive structures are referred to collectively as the 

Mons Pubis

is a pad of fat that is located at the anterior, over the pubic    bone. After puberty, it becomes covered in pubic hair.

Gamete

is a specialized sex cell carrying 23 chromosomes—one half the number in body cells

Seminiferous Tubules

are tightly coiled which form the bulk of each testes.

corpus cavernosum

The shaft is composed of three column-like chambers of erectile tissue that span the length of the shaft. Each of the two larger lateral chambers is called a

The corpus spongiosum

, which can be felt as a raised ridge on the erect penis, is a smaller chamber that surrounds the spongy, or penile, urethra.

Glans Penis

The end of the penis; has a high concentration of nerve endings, resulting in very sensitive skin that influences the likelihood of ejaculation

prepuce (or foreskin)

The skin from the shaft extends down over the glans and forms  a collar called the

scrotum

the testes are located in a skin-covered, highly pigmented, muscular sack called the 

Testes

are the male gonads—that is, the male reproductive organs. They produce both sperm and androgens, such as testosterone, and are active throughout the reproductive lifespan of the male.

Sertoli Cells

are a type of supporting cell called a sustentacular cell, or sustenocyte, that are typically found in epithelial tissue.

blood–testis barrier,

Tight junctions between these sustentacular cells create the ___ which keeps bloodborne substances from reaching the germ cells and, at the same time, keeps surface antigens on developing germ cells from escaping into the bloodstream and prompting an autoimmune response.

Ejaculatory Duct

transport the seminal fluid into the next structure, the prostate gland.

Prostate Gland

It excretes an alkaline, milky fluid to the passing seminal fluid—now called semen—that is critical to first coagulate and then decoagulate the semen following ejaculation.