KEY STAGE 3

REPRODUCTION

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 Reproduction
What is reproduction?
Reproduction is when organisms produce new living
things. Plants and animals reproduce to make
new individuals of the same species.

What do you think might happen if organisms

didn’t reproduce?

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 Asexual vs Sexual
Not all organisms reproduce like humans
do. In fact there are actually two
types of reproduction:

1. Asexual
2. Sexual

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 Asexual Reproduction
In asexual reproduction there is only one parent.
The new individual is genetically identical to its
parent. Organisms can reproduce asexually in many
different ways. e.g:

•Some very small organisms can simply divide

into two e.g. bacteria
• Some organisms can reproduce by ‘budding’.
A part of their body breaks off and grows into a
new organism. e.g some flowering plants

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 Sexual Reproduction
Most animals reproduce sexually.

In sexual reproduction there are two parents.

The parents have sex organs which produce
sex cells or gametes.

The offspring of sexual reproduction are

genetically quite different to their parents.

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Activity

Asexual or sexual?

On the next slide is the names of eight different

organisms. Drag their name to the correct table
depending on whether you think that they carry out
asexual or sexual reproduction.

Think carefully!

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Activity

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 A Bit of Both?

Some organisms can carry out both sexual

and asexual reproduction

For example: Strawberry plants can reproduce by

producing a miniature plant on a long shoot called
a stolon. They can also produce new plants by
sexual reproduction using flowers and seeds.

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 Human Reproduction
Humans use sexual reproduction to produce their
young.

In order to do this the two parents have to have

sex organs so that they can produce sex cells.

In humans males and females have different

reproductive systems and sex organs

Go to the activity on the next page to see how

much you know.

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Activity

Male or female

On the next slide is the names of eight different

parts of the male and female human reproductive
systems. Drag their name to the correct table
depending on whether you think that they are part of
the male system or part of the female system.

Do you really know as much as you think you do!

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Activity

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The Male Reproductive System

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The Female Reproductive System

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Activity

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 Sex cells - Sperm
In males the sex cells are called sperm. Sperm are
produced in sex organs called testes

Nucleus containing
Cell membrane
chromosomes

Head
Tail Middle piece

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 Sex cells - Eggs
In females the sex cells are called eggs. Eggs are
produced in sex organs called ovaries.
Nucleus
containing cytoplasm
chromosomes

membrane
jelly coat

An egg is so big that this is how

big a sperm looks next to it.

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Activity

Sperm or Egg?
Both sperm and eggs have special features that makes it possible for them
to carry out their jobs. Look at the statements on the next page and decide
which one you think belongs to an egg and which one belongs to a sperm.
Once you think you know push the buttons to see if you are right.

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Activity

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 Ovulation, and Fertilisation

In the female one of the ovaries produces an egg

every 28 days. This is called ovulation.

During sexual intercourse sperm is ejaculated into

the vagina.

If the sperm and egg meet the sperms nucleus will

join with the eggs nucleus. This is called
fertilisation.

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Fertilisation and Implantation

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Activity
Word Check

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 The Placenta
How does the embryo get food and oxygen and
get rid of waste?

It forms a plate like structure called the placenta.

The umbilical cord joins the foetus to the placenta.
In the placenta food and oxygen diffuse from the
mothers blood into the blood of the foetus.
Carbon dioxide and waste products diffuse from
the blood of the foetus to the mothers blood.

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The Placenta

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Activity
Embryo Development

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Activity
Embryo Development

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Birth

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 Puberty
Human children are born with a complete set of
sex organs. However they do not become active
until later in life.

Between 10 and 18 the testes start to make

sperm and the ovaries start to make eggs.

This time of development in their life is called

PUBERTY.

As well as these changes other changes may also

occur.
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Activity
Puberty in Girls

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Activity
Puberty in Boys

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 Menstruation
One change that happens to girls at puberty is
that they start to undergo a monthly cycle called
the menstrual cycle.

This cycle is a process where the uterus lining

builds up to receive a fertilised egg.

If an egg is not fertilised then the lining of the

uterus breaks down and is lost from the body.
This is called menstruation or a period.

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The Menstrual Cycle

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 Control of the menstrual cycle
• A pituitary hormone called follicle stimulating
hormone (FSH) stimulates follicle to develop. This
causes the eggs to divide and grow.
• The follicle secretes oestrogen. This causes the uterus
to thicken. The oestrogen travel to the pituitary gland
via blood to stop FSH production and produce
luteinising hormone(LH) which stimulates ovulation
and transforms follicles into a yellow body.
• The yellow body makes progesterone which thickens
the uterus lining for pregnancy.

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 Fertility Drugs

• Often the cause of infertility in women is that

ovaries do not release eggs. This is due to the
lack of FSH.
• Treatment: Injections containing FSH
• Treatment: Tablets that makes pituitary
insensitive to oestrogen. Why?
• What if the man does not produce enough sperm?
• AI: artificial insemination

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Methods of birth control

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