Professional Documents
Culture Documents
LESSON PROPER
Marieb, E.N. (2001) explains that the gonads begin to form until about the eight
week of embryonic development. The embryonic structures of males and females during
the early stages of human development are alike and are said to be in indifferent
stage. When the reproductive structures are formed development of the accessory
structures and external genitalia begins. [See the miracles of life - video clip]
Beginning of life
Life begins at fertilization. It refers to the meeting of the female sex cell and the
male sex cell. These sex cells are developed in the reproductive organs called GONADS.
The male sex cell called spermatozoa [sing. –zoon] are produced in the male gonads
called testes. On the other hand, the female sex cells called ova are produced in the
female gonads known ovaries. The fertilized egg cell known as zygote contains all the
hereditary potentials from the parents. This zygote goes to the uterus and continues to
grow during the gestation period of about 280 days or 36 weeks or 9 calendar months.
Both male and female chromosomes contain several thousands of genes – called
deoxyribonucleic acid which is the code of heredity. Maturation is the unfolding ofthe
inherent traits.
Human Development
Human anatomy
Puberty is the period of life when the reproductive organs grow to their adult size
and become functional under the influence of rising levels of gonadal hormones
[testosterone in male and estrogen in female] and generally between the age of 10-15
years old.
At the age of 13, male puberty is characterized by the increase in the size of the
reproductive organs followed by the appearance of hair in the pubic area, axillary and
face. The reproductive organs continue to grow for two years until sexual maturation
marked by the presence of mature semen in the testes.
For the female, the budding of their breasts usually occurring at the age of 11 as
a sign of their puberty stage. Menarche is the first menstrual period of females which
happens two years after the start of puberty. Hormones play an important role in the
regulation of ovulation and fertility of females.
Factors in development of the physical self
The development of the individual is caused by two interacting forces: heredity and
environment. Heredity [nature] is the transmission of traits from parents to offspringit
provides the raw materials of which the individual is made up. While the environment
[nurture] is the sum total of the forces or experiences that a person undergoes from
conception to old age. It includes family, friends, school, nutrition and other agencies
one is in contact with.
Vaginal infections are more common in young and elderly women and those whose
resistance to diseases is low, like, Escherichia coli which spread through the digestive
tract, the sexually transmitted microorganisms such as syphilis, gonorrhea andherpes
virus and yeast fungus.
Pelvic inflammatory disease and sterility are also the effect of vaginal infections.
For males, the most common inflammatory conditions are prostatitis, urethritis, and
epididymitis, STD, Orchiditis.
Major treat to reproductive organs are Neoplasms, tumor of the breast and cervix
cancers in adult females and prostates cancer in adult males.
Most women hit the highest point of their reproductive abilities in their late 20‟s,
i.e. irregular ovulation and shorter menstrual periods – menopausal period.
The production of estrogen may continue after menopause but the ovaries finally
stop functioning as endocrine organs. The reproductive organ and breast begin to atrophy
or shrink if estrogen is no longer released from the body. With this case, the vaginal
becomes dry that causes intercourse to become painful if frequent and the vaginal
infections become increasingly common.
Note: there is no counterpart for menopause in males. Although aging men show
a steady decline in testosterone section, their reproductive capability seems unending.
Healthy men are still able to father offspring well into their 80‟ and beyond.
Erogenous zones
It refers to part of the body that are primarily receptive and increase sexual arousal
when touched in a sexual manner. Examples: mouth, breast, genitals, anus. However,
erogenous zones may vary from one person to another. Some people may
desire and enjoy being touched in certain area more than the other area, like, neck,
thighs, abdomen and feet.
Solitary behavior
This is common for males but becomes less frequent or is abandoned when socio-
sexual activity is available.
Nowadays, human are frequently being exposed to sexual stimuli esp. from
advertising and social media. Some adolescents become so much aggressive when they
respond to such stimuli.
Socio-sexual behavior
It is the greatest amount of socio-sexual behavior that occurs b/w only one male
and one female. This usually begins in childhood and may be motivated by curiosity, such
as showing or examining genitalia.
Physical contact involving necking and petting is considered as an ingredient of
the learning process and eventually of courtship and selection of a marriage partner.
Petting differs from hugging, kissing and generalized caresses of the clothed
body to produce stimulation of the genitals. This is done due to affection as source of
pleasure, preliminary to coitus [this is an insertion of male reproductive organ into
female organ]. This is regarded as an important aspect in selecting partner but also a way
of learning how to interact with another person sexually.
3. Sexual climax = a feeling of abrupt, intense pleasure, and rapid increase in pulse rate
and blood pressure, and spasms of the pelvic muscles causing contractions of the female
reproductive organ and ejaculation by the male that last only for few seconds normally
not over ten.
The nervous system plays a significant role during sexual response. The
autonomic system is involved in controlling the involuntary responses.
The efferent cerebrospinal nerves transmit the sensory messages to the brain to
create stimulus and later initiating a sexual response. The brain will interpret the sensory
message and dictate what will be the immediate and appropriate response of the body.
The muscles contract in response to the signal coming from the motor nerve fibers while
glad secretes their respective product. So, sexual response is dependent the activity of
the nervous System.
Hypothalamus and limbic system are part of the brain believed to be responsible
for regulating the sexual response, but there is no specialized “sex center” that has
been located in the human brain.
Apart from brain-controlled sexual responses is the reflex. This reflex is mediated
by the lower spinal cord that leads to erection and ejaculation for male, vaginal discharges
and lubricant for female when the genital areas are stimulated. But still, the brain can
overrule and suppress such reflex activity, when sexual response is socially
inappropriate.
Sexual problems
1. Chlamydia
2. Gonorrhea
3. Syphilis
4. Chancroid
5. Human Papillomavirus
7. Trichomonas vaginalis
1. Abstinence
2. Calendar method
5. Symptothermal method
6. Ovulation detection
7. Coitus interruptus
1. Oral contraceptive
2. Transdermal patch
3. Vaginal ring
4. Subdermal implants
5. Hormonal injections
6. Intrauterine device
7. Chemical barriers
8. Diaphragm
9. Cervical cap