Reproduction

• Living things are capable of reproducing another living things of their own kind.
• Reproduction is essential to the survival of a species.
• Humans tend to think of reproduction in terms of the mating of males and females and the fusion of sperm and eggs.
• Animal reproduction takes many forms.
• Some species can fertilize their own eggs, while others can reproduce without any form of sex.
• Some species change their sex during their lifetime while other species are both male and female at the same time.
• A population transcends the finite life spans of its members only by reproduction, the generation of new individuals from existing ones.
• Offspring undergo progressive changes in size, shape, and function by which its genetic potentials are translated into functioning mature systems in a process called development.
• Asexual reproduction is the generation of new individuals without the fusion of egg and sperm.
• In most asexual animals, reproduction relies entirely on mitotic cell division.
• Sexual reproduction is the formation of offspring by the fusion of haploid gametes to form a diploid zygote.
• The female gamete is the unfertilized egg or ovum while the male gamete is the sperm.
• Sexual reproduction increases genetic variation among offspring by generating unique combinations of genes inherited from two parents.
• The most complex reproductive systems contain many sets of accessory tubes and glands that carry, nourish, and protect the gametes and the developing embryos.
• Most insects have separate sexes with complex reproductive systems.
• In many species, the female reproductive system includes a spermatheca, a sac in which sperm may be stored for a year or more.
• Many animals with relatively simple body plans possess highly complex reproductive systems, such as those of parasitic flatworms.
• The basic plan of all vertebrate reproductive systems are quite similar, but there are variations.
• In many nonmammalian vertebrates, the digestive, excretory, and reproductive systems share a common opening to the outside, the cloaca.
• Mammals have separate openings for the digestive and reproductive systems.
• Female mammals also have separate openings for the excretory and reproductive systems.
• The uterus of most vertebrates is partly or completely divided into two chambers.
• Male reproductive systems differ mainly in copulatory organs.
• Many nonmammalian vertebrates do not have a well-developed penis and simply turn the cloaca inside out to ejaculate.
• The reproductive anatomy of the human female includes external and internal reproductive structures.
• External reproductive structures consist of two sets of labia surrounding the clitoris and vaginal opening.
• Internal reproductive organs consist of a pair of gonads and a system of ducts and chambers.
• The role of the ducts and chambers is to conduct the gametes and house the embryo and fetus.
• The Bartholin's glands are located on each side of the vaginal opening that secrete fluid which helps lubricate the vagina.
• Asexual reproduction occurs in prokaryotic microorganisms (bacteria) and in some eukaryotic single-celled and multi-celled organisms.
• Vectorstock provides royalty-free vector cartoon light bulb vector 331471.
• Oceanic Research provides information about sponges.
• American Scientist discusses how animals communicate via pheromones.
• University of Rochester Medical Center provides information about uterine cancer.
• Cancer.ca provides information about uterine cancer.
• CDC provides information about women's reproductive health concerns.
• MedicineNet provides information about polycystic ovary syndrome.
• GynSurgery provides images of endometriosis severity.
• Britannica provides information about mammary glands.
• TeachMeAnatomy provides information about the male reproductive system, including the testes and epididymis.