keywords - reproduction and health

• Amniotic fluid


  A clear, yellowish fluid that surrounds a developing baby

  during pregnancy
• Amniotic sac


  A sac that develops inside the uterus during pregnancy and is

  in which the baby grows
• Asexual reproduction


  Reproduction that involves only one parent and

  produces offspring that are genetically identical to the parent
• Cervix


  The opening to the uterus
• Contraception


  The deliberate use of methods or techniques to prevent

  pregnancy
• Egg cell


  The female sex cell
• Embryo


  The name given to a developing baby in the very early stages of pregnancy, usually considered to be 0-10 weeks of pregnancy
• Fertilisation


  The name given to a developing baby in the later stages of

  pregnancy, usually after 10 weeks of pregnancy
• Foreskin


  A thin layer of retractable skin that covers the head of the penis
• Gamete


  A sex cell (e.g. egg cell or sperm cell)
• Genitals/genitalia


  The external sex organs
• Hormone


  A chemical messenger that travels in the blood and causes organs and glands to carry out a response
• Implantation


  The process whereby a fertilised egg cell embeds into the lining of the uterus
• Labia


  The inner and outer folds of the vulva
• Menstrual cycle


  The cycle during which a female prepares to ovulate and

  then menstruates, usually lasting an average of 28 days
• Menstruation


  The process that happens on day 1 of the menstrual cycle,

  during which the lining of the uterus breaks down and passes out of the vagina
• Ovary


  A female sex organ that produces and stores egg cells and releases sex hormones
• Oviduct


  Also known as the fallopian tube, it is a tube that connects an ovary to the uterus
• Ovulation


  The process whereby an egg cell is released from an ovary
• Ovum


  Another word for an egg cell
• Placenta


  An organ that develops in the uterus during pregnancy to allow nutrients and waste to pass between mother and baby. The umbilical cord attaches to the placenta.
• Prostate gland


  A male sex gland that releases a fluid that helps to make semen
• Puberty


  The phase of a human's life whereby the body becomes capable of reproduction. It is a time that involves many physical and emotional changes.
• Scrotum


  A thin sac of skin that holds the testes
• Semen


  A fluid produced by males that is mixed with sperm cells and helps them survive their journey to the egg cell
• Sexual reproduction


  The fusion of two parent nuclei, producing offspring that are genetically different from their parents
• Sperm cell


  The male sex cell
• Sperm duct


  A tube found inside the penis that connects the testes to the end of the penis
• Testis


  The male sex organs that make and store sperm cells and produce male sex hormones
• Umbilical cord


  A structure that contains blood vessels and connects the foetus to the placenta
• Urethra


  A tube that connects the bladder and is involved in the removal of urine from the bladder to outside the body
• Uterine lining


  The inner layer of the uterus breaks down and regrows every month as part of the menstrual cycle. It is where a fertilised egg cell will embed itself during implantation.
• Uterus


  The female sex organ in which the baby grows during pregnancy
• Vagina


  A muscular tube that leads from the cervix to the outside of the body
• Vulva


  The outer parts of the female genitalia
• Pathogen


  Disease causing organism
• Bacteria


  In the prokaryote kingdom. Unicellular organisms have cell walls but lack organelles and an organized nucleus. Some with the ability to cause disease.
• Antibiotics


  A medicine that stops the growth of or destroys microorganisms (e.g. bacteria)
• Virus


  An infective agent that typically consists of genetic material in a protein coat and can multiply only within the living cells of a host.
• Vaccine


  A substance used to stimulate immunity and antibody production to a virus typically prepared from an inactivated or weakened form of the virus.