Female and Male Reproductive

Systems: Organs & Working

Mahak Jalan 3 Years Ago
It was once proposed that we, as humans, are only born to reproduce,
and that perpetuation of the species is the final goal of every species in
the world. All our systems are adapted to first fulfill this primary goal.
We are basically born to give birth to new young ones, so that they can
give birth to more new young ones. Why we need to continue this cycle
borders on the philosophical, so let’s leave that aside for now. For a
change, let’s try to understand the system of our body that directly
performs this function – the reproductive system.

The male and female reproductive systems differ from each other, as
they have different functions. Males need to produce and store sperm
in large numbers, while females need to produce a limited number of
eggs and accommodate the growing fetus for roughly 9 months, making
space in their body for that.

Male Reproductive System

This system involves the parts that produce and store the sperm, those
which produce other secretions to form the ejaculatory fluid, and the
parts required for the transmission of sperm into the female.

Sperm are produced and stored in the testes. These are paired
organs that are suspended in a sac-like structure called the scrotum.
This hangs outside the body so as to maintain the temperature 2-3
degrees lower than the body temperature. In summer, the scrotum
hangs lower, while in winters it moves closer to the body to maintain its
ideal temperature.

The testes are covered by a membranous covering called the tunica

albuginea. Inside it are the seminiferous tubules. These are long, coiled
tubules separated into lobes. There may be up to 900 lobules in each
testicle, with each lobule having 1-4 seminiferous tubules. These
tubules are lined with germ cells, which eventually mature to form
sperms. This process is aided by the Sertoli cells, which form the
epithelium of the seminiferous tubules. Packaged between these
tubules are cells known as Leydig cells. These cells are responsible for
the production of testosterone and other androgens.

(Photo Credit : Wikimedia Commons)

The sperm that are produced are collected by the rete testis, which
transfer them to the efferent ducts. These then empty their content into
the epididymis. The epididymis stores the sperm cells while they
mature. It then carries them up to the vas deferens, which takes them
to the urethra via the ejaculatory duct. Males also urinate through the
urethra. The copulatory organ for males is the penis.

Along the way, the sperm are enhanced by the secretions from the
seminal vesicles, prostate gland and Cowper’s gland. The seminal
vesicle secretion helps to maintain an alkaline pH that can survive the
acidic pH of the vagina. It also contains fructose, which helps in the
nourishment and survival of the sperm for up to 1 week. The prostate
gland secretion contains enzymes and proteins that help to protect the
sperms, while the Cowper’s gland secretes a milky, alkaline fluid to
neutralize the acidic environment caused by the leftover urine in the
urethra.

Male reproductive system

Female Reproductive System

The main female reproductive system consists of a pair of ovaries, the
Fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix and vaginal opening. Located in the
abdominal region, the uterus is a pear-shaped organ. On either side, it
has an ovary, which is connected to the uterus by the Fallopian tubes.
The immature eggs are formed in the female while she is a fetus. Upon
sexual maturity, every month, one egg matures and is released by the
ovary. Each ovary usually alternates releasing an egg every month. The
egg travels down the Fallopian tube and moves into the uterus. Every
month, the uterus prepares for a baby, thus causing the thickening of
the lining of the uterine wall. When no fertilization takes place, this lining
is shed, thus causing ‘periods’ or menstruation.

The menstrual cycle refers not just to the shedding of the lining, but to
the whole monthly process of the maturation of the egg, its release, the
fluctuations of the hormones, and the eventual lining of the thickened
uterine wall. The female hormones, oestrogen and progesterone, play
vital roles in the maintenance of this periodic cycle.

Female reproductive system (Photo Credit : BruceBlaus/Wikimedia

Commons)
When the sperm enters the body of the female, it is essential that the
fertilization take place in the Fallopian tubes. Once the egg is fertilized
by the sperm, the zygote, as it is now called, travels down to the uterus
where it attaches or implants in the wall of the uterus. Once this
implantation has occurred, the female is said to be pregnant.

While an impaired reproductive system doesn’t endanger an individual,

it is absolutely essential in terms of the propagation of the species. In
humans, such an inability to reproduce often leads to certain types of
social stigma, but that unfortunate state of affairs is far beyond the
scope of this article!

References
1. Victorian Government
2. Estrella Mountain Community College