Week 10

• What is the process by which organisms produce offspring?


  Sexual reproduction
• What are gametes?

  Germ cells with haploid chromosomes
• What is gametogenesis?

  The production of gametes
• What are the main reproductive organs and their functions?

  • Gonads: Produce gametes and secrete hormones
  • Ducts: Receive, transport, and store gametes
  • Accessory sex glands: Produce materials supporting gametes
  • External genitalia: Perineal structures
• What are the male gonads?

  Testes
• What hormones do testes secrete?

  Androgens, primarily testosterone
• How many spermatozoa do males produce daily?

  ~300 million
• What is semen?

  A mixture of sperm and gland secretions
• What are the components of the male reproductive system?

  • Testes: Produce sperm and hormones
  • Ductal system: Sperm maturation, storage, and transport
  • Accessory sex glands: Add secretions to semen
  • Supporting structures: Penis and scrotum
• Where does spermatogenesis occur?

  In the seminiferous tubules
• What are Leydig cells responsible for?

  Secreting testosterone
• What are the three stages of spermatogenesis?

  Mitosis, meiosis, and spermiogenesis
• How long does spermatogenesis take?

  65-75 days
• What happens during spermiogenesis?

  Spermatids mature into spermatozoa
• What is the function of Sertoli cells?

  Nourish spermatocytes and sperm
• What is the role of inhibin in sperm production?

  Regulates sperm production via feedback loops
• What is spermiation?

  Spermatozoon enters the lumen of seminiferous tubule
• How long does sperm maturation take in the epididymis?

  14 days
• What is the function of the ductus deferens?

  Conveys sperm during sexual arousal
• What is the composition of semen?

  Mixture of sperm and gland secretions
• What are the accessory glands in the male reproductive system?

  • Seminal glands: Produce fructose and prostaglandins
  • Prostate gland: Produces milky fluid with citric acid
  • Bulbo-urethral glands: Secrete mucus and alkaline fluid
• What is the primary function of the female reproductive system?

  Secrete hormones and release oocytes
• What happens if a sperm reaches the oocyte?

  The oocyte matures into an ovum
• What connects the uterus to the exterior in females?

  The vagina
• What hormones do the ovaries produce?

  • Estrogens
  • Progesterone
  • Inhibin
  • Relaxin
• What is the ovarian cortex?

  Region containing ovarian follicles
• What is a mature Graafian follicle?

  A large, fluid-filled follicle ready for ovulation
• What is the corpus luteum?

  Remnants of an ovulated follicle that secretes hormones
• What happens to the corpus luteum after it degenerates?

  It becomes the corpus albicans
• What is oogenesis?

  The formation of a single haploid secondary oocyte
• When does oogenesis start and complete?

  Starts before birth, completes during fertilization
• What are oogonia?

  Diploid stem cells in females
• What happens to most oogonia?

  They degenerate
• What do primary oocytes develop into?

  Secondary oocytes
• What is the significance of the ovarian follicles?

  They nourish oocytes and secrete estrogens
• What is the role of the uterus?

  Encloses and supports the developing embryo
• What is the function of the vagina?

  Connects the uterus to the exterior
• What is the purpose of the cervix?

  Connects the uterus to the vagina
• What is the role of the uterine tubes?

  Transport the oocyte to the uterus
• What is the function of the vulva?

  External female genitalia