Transcript Slide 1

The Reproductive
Systems
The system of organs involved in
producing offspring
Male Reproductive
System
Functions of the Male
Reproductive System
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Production and storage of sperm
– Sperm – the male reproductive cells
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Transfer of sperm to female’s body
during sexual intercourse
Production of testosterone
– Initiates physical changes that signal
maturity
– Controls the production of sperm
Sperm
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Contain genetic information
Responsible for fertilizing
the egg
Only one sperm out of 300
to 400 million fertilize the
egg
Sperm swim at a rate of 1 to
4 mm per minute
– How many millimeters would
the sperm move in an hour?
– 60 to 240 mm
External
Male
Reproductive
Organs
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Testes (testicles)
– Two small glands that produce
sperm and make testosterone
– Size of a robin’s egg
– Produce several hundred million
sperm each day
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Scrotum
– An external skin sac
– House the testes
– Small muscles in the scrotum
move the testes closer or farther
from the body – help regulate
temperature of sperm – keep the
temperature slightly below
normal body temperature
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Tight clothing can interfere with
sperm production
External Male
Reproductive Organs
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Penis
– A tube-shaped organ that extends from the
trunk of the body just above the testes
– Made of spongy tissue that contains many blood
vessels
– Foreskin
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A covering of thin loose skin over the tip of the penis
– Circumcision – removal of the foreskin
– Urethra
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The passageway though which both semen and urine
leave the body
External Male
Reproductive Organs
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Penis
– Stimulation causes increased blood flow which leads
to erection
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Ejaculation – occurs when sperm and semen are released
from the penis after sexual excitement
Nocturnal emissions – ejaculations that occur when sperm is
released during sleep
– Normal functions – releases the build up pressure as sperm
begin to be produced at puberty
– Fertilization – the joining of a male sperm cell and a
female egg cell
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Can result if ejaculation occurs during intercourse
Internal Male
Reproductive Organs
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Epididymis
– Located at outer surface of each testes
– Tightly coiled tube where sperm mature
and are stored
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Vas Deferens
– Connects epididymis to urethra
– a long tube where sperm mix with fluids
made by three accessory reproductive
organs
Internal Male
Reproductive Organs
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Seminal Vesicle
– Produce thick secretions that nourish the sperm and
help sperm move easier
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Prostate Gland
– Encircles the urethra
– Approximately the size of an almond
– Secretes a thin, milky fluid that protects the sperm
from acid in the female reproductive system
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Cowper’s Glands
– Secretes a clear fluid that protects the sperm from
acid in the male urethra
The Path of Sperm
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Made in the Testes
Move to the Epididymis to be stored and
mature
Travel through the Vas Deferens where
it mixes with semen
– Semen is made in Seminal Vesicle, Prostate
Gland, and Cowper’s Gland
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Through the Urethra
Exits the tip of the Penis
Care of the Male
Reproductive System
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Get regular checkups
– Every 12-18 months
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Bathe regularly
Wear protective equipment
Perform regular self-examinations
– monthly
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Practice abstinence
Problems of the Male
Reproductive System
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Inguinal Hernia
– Separation of tissue that allows
part of the intestine to push into
the abdominal wall near the top of
the scrotum
– Caused by straining abdominal
muscles or lifting heavy objects
– Symptoms: lump in the groin, pain
in the groin, partial or complete
blockage of the intestine
– Surgery is usually needed to repair
the opening
Problems of the Male
Reproductive System
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Sterility
– The inability to reproduce
– Results from
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Too little sperm (less than 20 million per milliliter of
seminal fluid)
Poor quality of sperm
– Causes
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Environmental hazards
Hormonal imbalance
Steroids
Disease
Drugs
Problems of the Male
Reproductive System
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Testicular Cancer
– Occurs most often in males between the
ages of 14-40
– Factors that increase your risk
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Undescended testicle, abnormal testicular
development, family history of testicular cancer
– Monthly self-exam
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Seek health care if you notice any warning signs
– Unusual lump, swelling, discomfort in a testicle or the
scrotum
Problems of the Male
Reproductive Organs
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Problems of the Prostate
– Enlarged prostate
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Presses against the urethra and causes frequent
urination
– Prostate cancer
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Screening is usually performed during regular
medical checkups for men over 50
Female Reproductive
System
Functions of the Female
Reproductive System
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Produces female sex hormones
Stores ova
– Ova (eggs) – female reproductive cells
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Uterus nourishes and protects the
fertilized ovum from conception until
birth
Female Reproductive Organs
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Ovaries
– The female sex glands that
store the ova and produce
female sex hormones
– Size of a robin’s egg
– At birth contains all eggs
(more than 400,000)
– Ovum = .135 mm (size of a
very sharp pencil)
– One ovum matures each
month beginning at puberty
– Ovulation
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The process of releasing a
mature ovum into the fallopian
tube each month
Signaled by hormones
Female Reproductive
Organs
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Fallopian tubes
– A pair of tubes with fingerlike projections
that draw in the ovum
– About 4 inches long and has a diameter
of approximately two strands of hair.
– Cilia (tiny hair-like structures) work along
with muscular contractions to move the
ovum through the tubes
– This is where fertilization occurs!!!
Female Reproductive
Organs
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Uterus
– A hollow, muscular, pear-shaped organ
inside a female’s body
– Provides a place to support a developing
human
– Muscular cavity the size of a fist
– Estrogen causes lining to thicken
– Cervix = where the uterus meets the vagina
at its lower end
Female Reproductive
Organs
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Vagina
– Birth Canal
– Connects the outside of the body to the uterus
and receives sperm during reproduction
– Muscular elastic tube
– Normally 3-5 inches long
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Urethra – above and separate from the
Vagina
– carries urine from the bladder to the outside of
the body
Fertilization
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An ovum is released from an ovary
Ovum travels through the fallopian
tube
– Sperm cell unites with egg here
– Fertilized egg = zygote
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Zygote leaves the fallopian tubes
and attaches itself to the uterine
wall
Developing fetus will stay in uterus
until birth
Menstrual Cycle
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Days 1-13
– A new egg is maturing inside the ovary
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Day 14
– The mature egg is released into one of the
fallopian tubes
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Day 15-20
– The egg travels through the fallopian tube to the
uterus
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Days 21-28
– After seven days, if the egg is not fertilized,
menstruation begins
Menstruation
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Every month the uterus prepares for possible
pregnancy
– Endometrium – tissue that lines the uterus – thickens
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If no fertilization occurs – endometrium breaks
down in to blood, tissue, and fluids
Menstruation – the shedding of the uterine lining
Lasts on average 5 to 7 days
Endocrine hormones control the cycle
– Can be affected by poor nutrition, stress and illness
Care of the Female
Reproductive System
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Bathe regularly
Practice abstinence
Breast Self-Exam
Problems of the Female
Reproductive System
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Menstrual cramps
– Sometimes occur at the beginning of a
menstrual period
– Light exercise and applying a heat pad
may reduce symptoms
– Medication for pain relief may be used
Problems of the Female
Reproductive System
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Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
– A disorder caused by hormonal changes
– Symptoms
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Nervous tension, anxiety, irritability, bloating,
weight gain, depression, mood swings, and
fatigue
– Regular physical activity and good nutrition
may reduce severity of symptoms
Problems of the Female
Reproductive System
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Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS)
– Bacterial infection that affects the immune
system and the liver – can be fatal
– To reduce risk use tampons with the lowest
possible absorbency and change tampons
often
– Warning signs
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Fever, vomiting, diarrhea, a sunburn-like rash red
eyes, dizziness, and muscle aches
Problems Related to
Infertility
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Endometriosis
– Painful, chronic disease
– Occurs when tissue that lines the uterus
migrates and grows in the ovaries, fallopian
tubes, the uterus, or the lining of the pelvic
cavity
– Treatments
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Medications, hormone therapy, and surgery
Problems Related to
Infertility
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Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
– Infection of the fallopian tubes, ovaries,
and surrounding areas of the pelvis
– Caused by STDs
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STDs
– Most common causes of infertility
Other Female
Reproductive Disorders
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Vaginitis
– Most common vaginal infection in women
of childbearing age
– Symptoms
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Discharge, odor, pain, itching, or burning
Blocked fallopian tubes
– Leading cause of infertility
– Causes
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PID, abdominal surgery, STDs, or endometriosis
Other Female
Reproductive Disorder
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Ovarian cysts
– Fluid-filled sacs on the ovary
– Small cysts usually disappear on their own
– Large cysts may require surgery
– Cysts may rupture and cause intense pain
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Cervical, uterine, and ovarian cancers
– STDs are common causes of these cancers
– Early detection is key!
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Breast Self-Exam