ACTIVITY 18

THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the module, the student is expected to be familiar with the different structures
and functions of the male and female reproductive system.
Teaching-Learning Activity (Lesson Proper):

DRAW & LABEL

a. The female reproductive system

● Female organs of reproduction and surrounding structures
● Histology of the ovary
● A diagram of the oogenesis
● Sagittal section of the ovary
● Components of the vulva
● Female perineum
● Mammary glands
b. The male reproductive system
● The male organs if reproduction and surrounding structures
● Internal structures of the penis (frontal and transverse section)
● A section of the testis
● A sperm cell
● A diagram of the spermatogenesis

QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH

1. Enumerate the structures of the male reproductive system and give the function of each.
Structure Functions

● Scrotum ● Saclike supporting structure of the testes

● Testes ● Produces sperm and the male

sex hormone testosterone

● Epididymis ● Site where sperm cells continue to

mature and develop the ability to
swim and bind to the oocyte.

● Ductus deferens ● Contains smooth muscles that help

propel the sperm cell from the
epididymis
 through the ductus deferens

● Seminal vesicle ● Extends from the seminal vesicle to

the ampulla of the ductus deferens

● Ejaculatory duct ● Extends into the prostate glands and

ends by joining the urethra within the
prostate gland

● Urethra ● Passageway for urine and sperm cells

● Penis ● Organ for sexual intercourse and

functions in the transfer of the
sperm cells from the male to the
female.
● Prostate gland ● Surrounds the urethra and the two
ejaculatory ducts. Consists of ducts
that carry secretions of the prostate
gland to the prostatic urethra. The cells
that line the partitions secrete
prostatic fluid
● Bulbourethral glands ● Secretes an alkaline fluid into the
urethra that protects the passing sperm
by neutralizing acids from the urine in
the urethra. Also secretes mucus that
lubricates the lining of the urethra and
the end of the penis to decrease the
number of damaged sperm during
ejaculation.

● Semen ● A mixture of sperm and seminal

fluid from the male reproductive
gland

2. Enumerate the structures of the female reproductive system and give the function of each.
Structure Function

● Ovaries ● The ovaries are where it produce eggs and

hormones
.
● Uterine tubes or Fallopian tube ● Extends from the area of the ovaries
to the uterus.
● Uterus ● Uterus or the womb is the home to
a developing fetus.

● External female genitalia.

● Vulva
 ● Space into which the vagina and
● Vestibule urethra opens.

● Encloses and protects the external

● Labia majora reproductive organs.

● Pair of thin, longitudinal fold that

● Labia minora borders the vestibule.

● Elevated area superior to the labia majora

● Mon pubis that covers the pubic bone

● Erectile structure that is well supplied

● Clitoris with sensory receptors.

● Organ of copulation that receives

● Vagina the penis during intercourse.

● Organs of milk production located in

● Mammary glands the breasts.

3. Enumerate the secretions and importance of the male reproductive organs.

secretion importance

Seminal vesicles - The seminal vesicles are sac-like To produce, maintain, and transport sperm (the
pouches that attach to the vas deferens near the male reproductive cells) and protective fluid
base of the bladder. (semen)

Prostate gland - The prostate gland is a walnut- To discharge sperm within the female
sized structure that is located below the urinary reproductive tract during sex
bladder in front of the rectum.

Bulbourethral glands - Also called Cowper's To produce and secrete male sex hormones
glands, these are pea-sized structures located on responsible for maintaining the male reproductive
the sides of the urethra just below the prostate system
gland.

4. Enumerate the secretions and importance of the female reproductive organs.

Secretion Importance

Labia majora - It protects and encloses the The primary function of the female
other outside reproductive organs. The labia reproductive system is to produce the female
 majora can be tagged as outsized and fleshy egg cells which are essential for reproduction.
and is analogous to the male scrotum. It
contains sweat as well as oil-secreting glands.

Bartholin’s glands - The location of these

glands rest beside the vaginal opening and is The entire system is designed for transporting
responsible to manage a fluid discharge. the ova to the exact fertilization site.

Ovaries - These are oval-shaped glands The fertilization process of an egg after
which are small and are located on both interaction with sperm usually happens in the
sides of the uterus. Ovaries produce fallopian tubes.
hormones and eggs.
Fallopian tubes - They are narrow tubes
which attach to the upper portion of the It is responsible for producing female sex
uterus. Fallopian tubes act as tunnels for the hormones which maintain the reproductive
egg cells. Therefore, they transport the egg cycle.
cells from the ovaries to the uterus.

5. Identify and describe the parts of a sperm cell and an egg cell.

Sperm cell Egg cell

The head of the sperm contains the nucleus.
The nucleus holds the DNA of the cell. The
head also contains enzymes that help the
sperm break through the cell membrane of
an egg.
The midpiece of the sperm is packed with
mitochondria. Mitochondria are organelles in
cells that produce energy. Sperm use the
energy in the midpiece to move.
The tail of the sperm moves like a propeller,
around and around. This tail is a long flagella
that pushes the sperm forward. A sperm can
travel about 30 inches per hour. This may not
sound very fast, but don’t forget how small a
sperm is. For its size, a sperm moves about as
fast as you do when you walk briskly.
Nucleus: the nucleus is the heart of the egg
cell; it contains most of the genetic material
in the form of chromosomes. This is where
the genes are situated. An egg, like a sperm,
contains half the number of chromosomes as
a normal cell, 23 each. So once an egg and
sperm combine during fertilisation the
resulting embryo will have the normal 46
chromosomes in total.
Cytoplasm: the cytoplasm is a gel-like
substance that holds all the cell’s other
internal structures, called organelles. It is in
the cytoplasm that all the cell’s activities take
place to keep it alive and functioning
properly. Amongst the more important
organelles are structures called
mitochondria, which supply most of the
energy for the cell.

Zona Pellucida: the zona pellucida (or egg

wall) is an outer membrane of the egg. This
structure helps the sperm to enter the egg
 through its hard outer layers. The egg wall
hardens with age – the reason that an egg
does not fertilise. ‘Assisted hatching’ is a
process whereby small openings are created
using various techniques (mechanical,
chemical or laser) on the egg wall, allowing
the developing cluster of cells to ‘hatch’.
Without this opening, they would not be able
to break out of their tough shell and
implantation of a pregnancy would not occur.

Corona Radiata: the corona radiata surrounds

an egg and consists of two or three layers of
cells from the follicle. They are attached to
the zona pellucida – the outer protective
layer of the egg – and their main purpose is
to supply vital proteins to the cell.

6. List down the ligaments that hold the uterus in place.

● Broad ligament, Uterovesical fold, Rectovaginal fold.

7. List and define common pathologic conditions affecting the male and
female reproductive system (3 each). Tabular form.

Male Reproductive System Female Reproductive System

Balanitis is pain and inflammation (swelling Endometriosis is an often painful disorder in

and irritation) of the glans (head) of the which tissue similar to the tissue that
penis that happens most often in normally lines the inside of your uterus the
uncircumcised males. endometrium grows outside your uterus.

Balanoposthitis is an inflammation that Uterine Fibroids are noncancerous growths of

affects both the glans penis and prepuce. the uterus that often appear during
Many etiologies exist, but it can childbearing years.
generally classify as either infectious,
irritant, or traumatic in origin.
Gynecologic cancer is any cancer that starts
Posthitis Inflammation of the prepuce (the in a woman's reproductive organs.
foreskin of the penis). In the uncircumcised
male, posthitis and balanitis (inflammation of
the glans, the rounded head of the penis)
usually occur together as balanoposthitis:
inflammation of both the glans and foreskin.
Circumcision prevents balanoposthitis.
8. Discuss the process of fertilization
○ Fertilization occurs when a sperm fuses with the female act during intercourse and
further forms an egg that gets implanted in uterus and further forms an egg that
gets implanted in uterus of the female. The sperm travels through the fallopian tube
and penetrates the zona pellucida layer of the ovum (female egg) and fuses with it
which forms zygote (fertilized egg). Thousand of sperms are produced in male body
to compensate for the ones unfit and non-motile ones. Once the zygote is formed, it
gets implanted in the uterus and further growth takes place when cells start
dividing and forming tissues and tissues form organ which results in formation of
an organ system,ultimately turning into an organism.

9. Explain spermatogenesis
○ is the process of sperm cells development. Rounded immature sperm cells
undergo successive mitotic and meiotic divisions (spermatocytogenesis) and a
metamorphic change (spermiogenesis) to produce spermatozoa. Mitosis and
meiosis.

10. Explain oogenesis

○ Oogenesis, in the human female reproductive system, growth process in which the
primary egg cell (or ovum) becomes a mature ovum. The secondary ovum grows in
the ovary until it reaches maturation; it then breaks loose and is carried into the
fallopian tube.

11. Discuss the stages of sexual response

○ PHASE 1: desire- general characteristics of this phase, which can last from a few
minutes to several hours, and may include muscle tension increases, heart rate
quickens and breathing gets faster, skin may become flushed( blotches of redness may
appear on the chest and back
○ PHASE 2: Arousal- The changes begun in the first phase get more intense. The vagina
continues to swell from increased blood flow, and the vaginal walls turn a darker color.
The woman’s clitoris becomes highly sensitive (may even be painful to touch). The
mans testicles are withdrawn up into the scrotum
○ PHASE 3: Orgasm- Involuntary muscle contractions begin. Blood pressure, heart
rate and breathing are at their highest rates, with a rapid intake of oxygen.
○ PHASE 4: Resolution- During the phase, the body slowly returns to its normal level
of functioning, and swelled and erect body parts return to their previous size and
color.

12. Identify the hormone responsible for the male and female secondary sex characteristics and
what causes the production of these hormones.
○ The male and female reproductive cycles are controlled by hormones released from
the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary as well as hormones from reproductive
tissues and organs. The hypothalamus monitors the need for the FSH and LH
hormones made and released from the anterior pituitary. FSH and LH affect
reproductive structures to cause the formation of sperm and the preparation of
eggs for release and possible fertilization. In the male, FSH and LH stimulate
Sertoli cells and interstitial cells of Leydig in the testes to facilitate sperm
production. The Leydig cells produce testosterone, which also is responsible for the
secondary sexual characteristics of males. In females, FSH and LH cause estrogen
and progesterone to be produced. They regulate the female reproductive system
which is divided into
 the ovarian cycle and the menstrual cycle. Menopause occurs when the ovaries lose
their sensitivity to FSH and LH and the female reproductive cycles slow to a stop.

13. Enumerate and describe the stages of the menstrual cycle.

○ The day count for menstrual cycle begins on the first day of menstruation when
blood starts to come out of the vagina. In this section, the length of menstrual cycle
has been assumed to be 28 days (which is the average among women). The entire
duration of a Menstrual cycle can be divided into four main phases:
■ Menstrual phase (From day 1 to 5)
● Menstrual phase begins on the first day of menstruation and lasts till
the 5th day of the menstrual cycle. The following events occur during
this phase:
● The uterus sheds its inner lining of soft tissue and blood vessels
which exits the body from the vagina in the form of menstrual fluid.
● Blood loss of 10 ml to 80 ml is considered normal.
● You may experience abdominal cramps. These cramps are caused by the
contraction of the uterine and the abdominal muscles to expel the
menstrual fluid.
■ Follicular phase (From day 1 to 13)
● This phase also begins on the first day of menstruation, but it lasts
till the 13th day of the menstrual cycle. The following events occur
during this phase:
● The pituitary gland secretes a hormone that stimulates the egg cells
in the ovaries to grow.
● One of these egg cells begins to mature in a sac-like-structure
called follicle. It takes 13 days for the egg cell to reach maturity.
● While the egg cell matures, its follicle secretes a hormone that
stimulates the uterus to develop a lining of blood vessels and soft
tissue called endometrium.
■ Ovulation phase (Day 14)
● On the 14th day of the cycle, the pituitary gland secretes a hormone
that causes the ovary to release the matured egg cell. The released egg
cell is swept into the fallopian tube by the cilia of the fimbriae.
Fimbriae are finger like projections located at the end of the fallopian
tube close to the ovaries and cilia are slender hair like projections on
each Fimbria
■ Luteal phase (From day 15 to 28)
● This phase begins on the 15th day and lasts till the end of the cycle.
The following events occur during this phase:
● The egg cell released during the ovulation phase stays in the
fallopian tube for 24 hours.
● If a sperm cell does not impregnate the egg cell within that time, the
egg cell disintegrates.
● The hormone that causes the uterus to retain its endometrium gets
used up by the end of the menstrual cycle. This causes the menstrual
phase of the next cycle to begin.

14. Define menopause and cite changes that occur as a result.

 ○ Menopause occurs when you’ve stopped producing the hormones that cause your
menstrual period and have gone without a period for 12 months in a row. Once this
has occurred, you enter postmenopause.You may start to experience side effects of
menopause, like hot flashes or vaginal dryness.

15. Discuss the process of labor and delivery.

○ First stage of labor

■ Labor and delivery are divided into three stages. The first stage of labor
incorporates the onset of labor through the complete dilation of the cervix.
This stage is further subdivided into three stages.

○ Early labor

■ This is normally the longest and least intense phase of labor. Early labor is also
called the latent phase of labor. This period includes the thinning of the cervix
and dilation of the cervix to 3-4 cm. It can occur over several days, weeks, or
just a few short hours.Contractions vary during this phase and can range from
mild to strong, occurring at regular or irregular intervals. Other symptoms
during this phase can include backache, cramps, and a bloody mucus
discharge.Most women will be ready to go to the hospital at the end of early
labor. However, many women will arrive at the hospital or birthing center
when they are still in early labor.

○ Active labor

■ The next phase of the first stage of labor occurs as the cervix dilates from 3-4
cm to 7 cm. Contractions become stronger and other symptoms may include
backache and blood.

○ Transitional labor

■ This is the most intense phase of labor with a sharp increase in contractions.
They become strong and occur about two to three minutes apart, and average
60 to 90 seconds. The last 3 cm of dilation usually occur in a very short period
of time.
○ Second stage of labor: Delivery
■ During the second stage, the cervix is fully dilated. Some women may feel the
urge to push right away or soon after they’re fully dilated. The baby may still
be high up in the pelvis for other women.It may take some time for the baby to
descend with the contractions so that it’s low enough for the mother to start
pushing.Women who don’t have an epidural typically have an overwhelming
urge to push, or they have significant rectal pressure when the baby is low
enough in the pelvis.Women with an epidural may still have an urge to push
and they may feel rectal pressure, although typically not as intensely. Burning
or stinging in the vagina as the baby’s head crowns is also common.It’s
important to try to stay relaxed and rest between contractions. This is when
your labor coach or doula can be very helpful.
○ Third stage of labor: Delivery of the placenta
 ■ The placenta will be delivered after the baby has been born. Mild contractions
will help separate the placenta from the uterine wall and move it down towards
the vagina. Stitching to mend a tear or surgical cut (episiotomy) will occur
after the placenta is delivered.

Assessment: Scoring Tool:

Agonoy, Aliyah Kate

Ardaniel, Gwyneth
Basilio, Wayne Lester
Calawagan, Rissalyn
Cudiamat, Ceidrich John 1-D
Galinato, Ryven CON 12/15/21 Gaiserica Lea Mae Salic-O
Gonzales, Kyla Rizziely
Nabor, Princess Kaye
Puzon, Raniah May
Sanchez, Justin
Velasco,Angeline Angel

Student’s Name Yr & Sec Date Clinical Instructor

Book References:
1. Tortora, G., and Derrickson, B., Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, 14th Ed, 2. John
Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2014
2. VanPutte, C., Regan, J., and Russo, A., Seeley’s essentials of Anatomy and Physiology,
7th Ed, McGrawHill, 2016

Online References:
Planned Parenthood (2021). Sex, Pleasure, and Sexual Dysfunction. Retrieved from:
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/sex-pleasure-and-sexual-dysfunction
 INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE PENIS (FRONTAL)

INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE PENIS (TRANSVERSE)

SECTION OF TETES

SPERM CELL
DIAGRAM OF THE SPERMATOGENESIS