Human Reproductive

Systems
Framework
⮚ Life cycle
⮚ Reproductive organs
⮚ Fertilisation 🡪 pregnancy
⮚ No fertilisation 🡪 period
⮚ Adolescence
Objectives
⮚ Identify Gametes
⮚ Differentiate between Sperm cell & Egg cell
⮚ Identify chromosomes
⮚ Explain fertilisation process
⮚ Explain zygote formation
⮚ Explain the male reproductive system
⮚ Explain the female reproductive system
⮚ Explain what happens after the egg cell is fertilised
⮚ Explain what happens if the egg cell is not fertilised
⮚ Identify the menstrual cycle
⮚ Explain foetal development
⮚ Explain the adolescence stage
⮚ Explain the effects of drugs on Human’s health
 Rules for Learning
The next unit we are studying is reproduction. Some people can find
this difficult or embarrassing to talk about. Before we start we are going
to create a set of rules that helps everybody feel safe and comfortable.

This is your chance

to contribute to the
rules for learning.
Write down some
suggestions on a
sticky note.

The aim of these rules is to develop an environment where people feel

safe to contribute and ask questions.
 Rules for Learning
• You can ask questions but not personal ones. Think about whether
your question is appropriate before you ask it.
• Try to use scientific terms for organs and processes. We will be learning
these during the lessons if you don’t already know them.
• Be respectful.
 Question Box
If you have a question during this lesson that you don’t want to ask
in front of everyone, write it down on one of the cards provided and
put it in the question box.
Cycles
The word cycle makes us think about things that go round and round, like
the wheels on your bike or scooter. Today we are going
to be looking at life cycles.

“Title of Image Used” by [Author] is licensed under CC BY 2.0

The Human Life Cycle
Click on a picture to find out more about the different stages of the human
life cycle.
 Human Development
Puberty

Puberty is the stage of

development between childhood
and adulthood.
Physical growth occurs so that
the body changes to that of an
adult, which enables
reproduction.
Two parts of the brain start to
make more of some hormones.
E.g. (hormone for growth &
hormone for hair).
Reproduction
What does reproduction mean?

Let’s explore what you might already know about reproduction.

Plants reproduce to Animals reproduce to

make new plants. make baby animals.
All living things
reproduce – it’s
what sets living
things apart
from non-living
matter.
 Reproduction
Continuing the Human Species

So, the male and female bodies are

different because they have different
jobs to do when it comes to human
reproduction. If humans didn’t
reproduce, the species would
die out and there would be
no more humans.
 Types of Reproduction
How does new life start?

Asexual Sexual Both Sexual and

Reproduction Reproduction Asexual
Reproduction
What is it? One parent produces Two parents – one male Either one or two
new life. and one female – are parents.
required to produce
new life.

How does One cell simply starts to Male sex cells Some living things have
it occur? divide itself. (sperm/angiosperm/polle the capacity to reproduce
n are different versions of in sexually or asexually.
All cells of the offspring male sex cells) fertilise
are identical to the female sex cells (eggs).
parent. This means
that it is a clone of This fusion means that
the parent. the offspring resembles
but is not identical to
the parents.
 Sorting Activity Answers
Asexual Reproduction Sexual Reproduction Both Sexual and Asexual
Reproduction
 Sex vs Gender
For your knowledge

Sex is determined by the biological reproductive organs you have, the sex
chromosomes in your body or hormone levels you produce. The three
biological sexes are:
•Male: The sex given to an individual who produces sperm cells, has XY
chromosomes and produces higher levels of testosterone.
•Female: The sex given to an individual who produces egg cells, has XX
chromosomes and produces higher levels of oestrogen.

Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, expressions and

identities of girls, women, boys, men.
 What are the
differences
between a male
body and a What are the
female body? male and female
parts of the body
for?
Reproduction
Boys and Girls Growing and Changing

You discussed the differences between female and male bodies at the start
of the lesson. You have probably been aware of these differences since
you were very young. As children grow into adults, their bodies change.
Adult female and male bodies are still different.
 Brilliant Bodies
All Change!

nerves
brain eyes

lungs skeleton heart

nipples

stomach belly button

vagina penis
Reproduction
Our Amazing Bodies

There are other similarities and differences between the male and female
body that you can’t see because they are inside us.

Some things inside are the But some things inside are
same in males and quite different.
females.
penis and
lungs testicles

heart uterus and

ovaries
 Reproductive Systems Card Sort
Now you know the name of each part, see if you can match the functions to
the correct parts of the reproductive systems.

oviduct uterus sperm gland

duct
Prostate
gland

uterus ovary urethra

Penis
lining
testis
vagina
 Male Reproductive System
sperm duct Seminal
vesicle gland

Prostate
urethra gland

testis penis

Sperm cells are made in the testes (singular: testis).

They travel along the sperm duct, into the urethra.
The seminal vesicles and the prostate gland make a sugary fluid for the sperm cells
to swim in. The sugar helps to give the sperm cells energy to swim.
 P.56
CB
1 Name the part of the male reproductive system that has each of these
functions:
a makes sperm cells
🡪testis

b carries sperm cells from where they are made, into the urethra
🡪sperm duct

c makes a sugary fl uid for sperm cells to swim in.

🡪prostate gland or seminal vesicle
 Female Reproductive System
oviduct uterus
(fallopian tube)

uterus lining
ovary

vagina

Egg cells are made in the ovaries. In an adult woman, one egg cell leaves one of
the ovaries approximately each month. This is called ovulation.
The egg cell goes into the oviduct. Tiny hairlike structures on the oviduct walls,
called cilia, move the egg cell slowly along the oviduct.
This is where fertilization can happen, if there are any sperm cells there.
The zygote that is formed by fertilisation carries on travelling down the oviduct,
until it gets to the uterus. This is where it will develop and grow into a baby.
 P.57
CB
2 Name the part of the female reproductive system that has each of these
functions:
a makes egg cells
🡪ovary

b where fertilisation happens

🡪oviduct

c where the zygote develops into a baby.

🡪uterus
 Reproductive Systems Card Sort
Match the names of the parts of the reproductive systems to the diagrams.

uterus lining uterus testis Prostate gland

vagina cervix urethra gland

oviduct ovary sperm duct penis

 Plenary: Anagrams
Unscramble the anagrams to reveal some key words from this lesson.
Can you write a definition for each word?

stiset testis

snipe penis

invaga vagina

cixver cervix

merps tucd sperm duct

suture uterus

rayvo ovary

dangl gland

tiudcov oviduct
Reproduction
Our Amazing Bodies

Egg cells and sperm cells are called gametes.

Gametes are cells that are adapted for reproduction.

egg

sperm

Chromosomes
Every cell has chromosomes in its nucleus.
Chromosomes are long, thread-like structures.
They are made up of the genetic material, which contains information about
how the cell will develop. You have 46 chromosomes in every cell in your
body. But gametes have only 23 chromosomes.
Sperm cells are the male gametes.
They are smaller than most other cells.
They have only a tiny amount of cytoplasm.
They have a long tail, so that they can swim.
Egg cells are the female gametes.
They are bigger than most other cells.
They are about the size of the full stop at the end of this sentence.
Egg cells need to be quite large to make space for food stores in their cytoplasm.
 P.55
CB
1 List three ways in which an egg cell diff ers from other cells in the
human body.
🡪 It is larger. It has food stores in its cytoplasm. It has
only 23 chromosomes instead of 46.

2 List three ways in which a sperm cell diff ers from other cells in the
🡪 It is smaller. It has a long tail and can swim.
It does not have much cytoplasm. It has only
23 chromosomes instead of 46.
How are
babies
made?

How are
babies
born?
 Human Reproduction
When a sperm cell meets an egg cell, the head of the sperm goes into the
egg cell. The nucleus of the sperm cell and the nucleus of the egg cell join.
This is called fertilization.

The new cell that is

produced is called a zygote.
For your knowledge
 P.55
3 How many chromosomesCB
will there be in a human zygote?
🡪46

4 Explain why it is important that an egg cell and a sperm cell have only
half the normal number of chromosomes.
🡪When the egg cell and sperm cell join together,
the zygote ends up with the normal number of
chromosomes.
Growth
Soon after fertilisation, the zygote begins to divide. The single cell divides to form
two cells, then four and so on.
As the embryo grows into a foetus, and the foetus grows into a baby, this cell
division continues. Each cell grows, then divides, grows, then divides – over and
over again. This carries on all through childhood, until a person has reached
adulthood and stops growing.
 Pregnancy

Photo courtesy of Travis Isaacs (@flickr.com) -granted under creative commons licence – attribution
Babies develop inside their
mothers.
After about 9 months, most
babies are born.
When the sperm and the egg meet,
they join together and form the start of an
embryo.

When the embryo is growing inside the

female’s body, it is called a foetus.

A woman will carry the fetus inside

her as it grows. This is called being pregnant.

Then, when it is ready, the baby will be born.

 Where Do I Come From?
(for your knowledge)
When the baby is growing inside the female’s
body, it is called an embryo at first, then at eight
weeks, it becomes a foetus.

Four weeks after the sperm fertilises the egg, the

embryo is the size of a poppy seed.

By seven weeks, it is the size of a blueberry and

by 14 weeks, the foetus is the size of a lemon.

We were all this small once! It’s how we all started.

The moment at which
the zygote is formed is
called conception. It is
the start of a new life.

It takes several days

for the zygote to
become an embryo,
and to travel into the
uterus. When the
embryo has sunk into
the wall of the uterus,
the woman is pregnant.

It takes about nine

months for the tiny
embryo to develop into
a foetus and then a
baby. You can read
about this in the next
topic.
 P.58
CB
1 Name the part of the reproductive system in which fertilisation happens.
🡪oviduct

2 What is an embryo?
🡪A little ball of cells that forms after the zygote
divides. (The embryo continues to grow and develop,
and becomes a foetus at about 11 weeks after
fertilisation.)

3 Where does the embryo develop into a foetus, and then a baby?
🡪in the uterus
The embryo sinks into the thick, spongy lining of the uterus.
This will be its home
for the next nine months. It is safe here, protected by
its mother’s body.

The placenta and amnion

When it sinks into the uterus wall, the embryo is only the
same size as the egg cell from which it was formed.
It has not grown at all. However, it is now made up of
many tiny cells, rather than one big cell.
These little cells were made as the zygote divided, over and over again.
The food stores in the egg cell provided energy for it
to do this.
To grow and develop, the embryo now needs more food. A special organ develops
that allows it to obtain food and oxygen from its mother’s blood. This organ is the
placenta. The embryo is attached to the placenta by the umbilical cord.

The little embryo fl oats in its own private pond, containing amniotic fluid. This
fluid is made by a bag called the amnion, which grows around the embryo. The
amniotic fluid supports the embryo, and protects it from bumps and knocks.
 P.60
CB
1 In which part of the body does the growing embryo develop?
🡪in the uterus

2 Explain how the growing embryo obtains food.

🡪From its mother’s blood, through the placenta.

3 What is the amnion, and what is its function?

🡪It is a bag or membrane that surrounds the
developing embryo and foetus. It produces amniotic
fluid, which supports the embryo and cushions it.
While the foetus is growing inside
the woman’s uterus, it is
protected by a special bag of
fluid. This is called the amniotic
sac.

The foetus is getting all the

oxygen and food it needs from its
mother’s blood, through a special
tube called the umbilical cord.
This is attached to the baby’s
tummy. It is what becomes your
belly button!
The baby grows and develops inside the mother’s uterus (womb) over
nine months. It develops a heart, a spine, lungs and a brain. At about
seven weeks, the foetus develops the internal sex organs that
determine whether it is male or female. At around nine weeks, the
external male and female body parts start to form.
Foetal development
By the time it is 6 weeks old, the embryo is about
4 mm long. All its major organs have begun to
grow.
At 8 weeks old, the embryo is about 13 mm long.
It is already beginning to move.
At 11 weeks old, all the body organs have
developed. The embryo has now become a foetus.
It is about 50 mm long. It is moving quite
vigorously now. From 11 weeks onward, the foetus
grows steadily. Most foetuses have fi nished
growing and developing about 38 or 39 weeks
after fertilisation happened. The baby is now ready
to be born.
Birth
A few days before it is born, the baby usually turns so that it is lying head
downwards.
The muscles in the wall of the uterus contract (get shorter). They make the opening
of the uterus wider, so that the baby can pass through.
Then the muscles contract in a diff erent way, to push the baby out through the
opening of the uterus, and through the vagina.
 P.61
CB
4 How long after fertilisation does an embryo become a foetus?
🡪at 11 weeks

5 How long after fertilisation are most babies born?

🡪about 38 or 39 weeks

6 Describe how the muscles in the uterus wall help a baby to be born.
🡪They contract to first widen the opening of the
uterus, and then to push the baby out through
the vagina.
The foetus continues to grow during the
nine months of pregnancy. Many women
go for a scan at the hospital, to see how
their baby is growing and developing.

At around nine months, the baby turns head down

as it gets ready to be born. It will be pushed by the
mother’s body down through the vagina and will
come out between the mother’s legs.
 Prenatal means before birth. This stage of development is from the
time of fertilisation (when the male and female sex cells fuse together)
to the time of birth.

one-month-old nine-week-old
fertilisation embryo embryo

three-month-old five-month-old seven-month-old 39-week-old baby

foetus foetus foetus in womb
Fetus learns lots of things
in the uterus.
(For your knowledge)
An Ear for Language

Seeing the Light

Discriminating Tastes

A Nose for Mom

Perchance, to Dream?

Click
me
How are
babies
made?

How are
babies
born?
Development
The change from a zygote to an adult does not involve only growth. It also
involves development. As the tiny embryo develops, its organs gradually form.
For example, it develops a heart, lungs and a brain.
When a baby is born, it has all of its organs. But development continues. Its
muscles become stronger as it learns to crawl, walk and run. Its brain develops, as
it learns to talk and play with toys.
Each person is an individual. Each of us develops in slightly different ways, and
at a slightly different pace. The chart shows the main stages in development that
everyone passes through. Notice that there are no sharp changes from one stage
to another.
 P.62
CB
1 You have millions of cells in your body. Where did they all come from?
🡪They all arose by division of the original zygote.
Each new cell grows and divides to form new cells,
which again grow and divide and so on.

2 Look at the chart. By what age have most people become adults?
🡪at about 19 years old
Growing Up
We are learning about how we change as we grow older.

baby toddler child adolescent adult adult

Baby (For your knowledge)
The human life cycle starts with the baby stage. When
babies are born, they can’t do anything for themselves.

Up until they are six months old, babies don’t eat normal
food, they only drink milk. It isn’t like the milk you might
put on your cereal, it has all the things a baby needs to
grow properly.

Babies need lots of sleep. They don’t usually sleep all

the way through the night but they will often sleep during
the day as well.

Babies can’t talk – when something is wrong, they will let

people know by crying.

Pretend you are holding a baby. Show how

Try It you would carry the baby to keep it safe.
back
Toddler (For your knowledge)
Just like the name suggests, the toddler stage is when a child
is starting to toddle, which means wobbly walking. The toddler
stages are from ages 1 to 3.

As well as learning to walk, toddlers go through lots of other

changes…

•Their teeth start to grow.

•They start learning to talk.
•Toddlers start learning to eat lots of food and to feed
themselves.

Toddlers still can’t do many things for themselves and need

lots of help from their grown-ups.

Stand up and pretend to be a toddler. Do

Try It some wobbly walking around the room. back
Try not to fall over!
 Child (For your knowledge)
This is the stage you are at now. You are learning to be
independent, which means there are more things you can do
on your own.

Talk
About What can you do on your own now that
you used to need help with?
It

An important part of this stage is starting school. This stage is full of lots of
changes and children learn to do lots of things, such as:
•reading
•writing
•counting
•riding a bike
•swimming
back
Adolescent (For your knowledge)

The teenage stage is from ages (12 or 13) – 19. Teenagers

are getting ready to be adults and are becoming independent.

Teenagers’ bodies change a lot during this stage. They get

taller and start to look more like adults. These changes are
because of things called hormones. Hormones are things
inside your body that make your body change.

Because they are growing so quickly, some teenagers eat a

lot. Many teenagers like to sleep for a very long time. Some
teenagers can be a bit grumpy at times!

Talk
About Do you know any teenagers? What are
they like?
back
It
Adult (For your knowledge)
Being an adult is also called being a grown-up.
There are lots of things that grown-ups can do. A lot
of adults get jobs and live on their own, with friends
or with a partner. At some point, many adults have
children of their own, which starts the human life
cycle again.

Talk
About What job would you like to do when you
are an adult?
back
It
Old Age (For your knowledge)
Old age is the later stage of being an adult.

Older people retire, which means they stop working.

This means they have plenty of time to enjoy
themselves. They may find a new hobby or spend extra
time with their grandchildren.

Some old people have grey or white hair. Sometimes

old people might move more slowly because their joints
and muscles ache. Older people’s eyes might not work
as well so they might need glasses for reading or
seeing far away.

Talk
About When you are older, what hobbies would
you like to try?
back
It
If the egg cell is not fertilised
Most egg cells are not fertilised. They
just carry on travelling along the
oviduct
and eventually die.
We have seen that, on average, one
egg cell is released from an ovary each
month. The uterus has to get ready,
just in case the egg cell is fertilised. The
lining of the uterus becomes thick and
spongy, ready to receive the embryo.
If the egg cell is not fertilised, this thick
lining is not needed. It breaks down,
and
is lost through the vagina. In an adult
woman, this takes about fi ve days and
happens about once a month.
The loss of the uterus lining through
the vagina is called menstruation, or
a period.
The monthly pattern of the thickening
and loss of the uterus lining is called the
menstrual cycle.
 P.59
CB
4 Why does the uterus lining start to grow thick and spongy, as an egg cell
develops in an ovary?
🡪to be ready in case an embryo arrives

5 What happens to the uterus lining if the egg cell is not fertilised?
🡪it breaks down and is lost through the vagina

6 How often does an egg cell leave an ovary, in an adult woman?

🡪about once a month

7 How often does menstruation happen, in an adult woman?

🡪about once a month
Menstruation
The biggest change during adolescence for
girls (though not usually the first change) is
probably starting their periods. This is also
called menstruation.

It happens to all females and it is perfectly

natural. It’s good to learn about what to
expect so you understand what it is when
it happens.

Girls can start their periods as young as 10 or

11. Other girls can be 16 or 17 before they start
theirs.
 Menstruation

As you may remember, to make a baby you

need an egg. Girls are born with all their eggs
in their body. The eggs are so tiny you can
only see them under a microscope.

The eggs are stored in the ovaries. Females

have two ovaries, one each side of the uterus.

If the egg is not fertilised by the male seed (a

sperm), then it doesn’t need protecting and
It doesn’t mean that a
girl is ready to be a the female body simply gets rid of the egg
mum when she starts and the special lining out of the vagina.
to get her period - it This is what is called a period (or
means that her body is
getting ready to make a
menstruation). It means some blood comes
baby. out of the vagina for a few days.
 Menstrual Cycle
Click on a box to see what happens in a menstrual cycle

Day 1 - 5 Day 14

Day 6 - 13 Day 15 - 28

Click this button to come back

 Menstruation

Do you remember?!
Fallopian Tube

Egg
Ovary

Uterus

Fallopian tube
Ovary
Egg
Vagina
Uterus
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 Day 1 - 5

The lining is lost

from the uterus.
This is called a
period.

The lining is lost from the uterus.

This is called a period.
Next
 Day 6 - 13

The lining of the

uterus thickens
to be ready to
receive an egg.
The egg will
start to ripen
on day 12.

The lining of the uterus thickens to be ready to receive an egg.

The egg will start to ripen on day 12.
Next
 Day 14

When ripe, the

egg is released
from an ovary.

This is
called
When ripe, the egg is released from an ovary. ovulation.
This is called Ovulation.
Next
 Day 15 - 28

The lining of the

uterus will stop
developing if The cycle will
the egg is not start again.
fertilised.

If the egg is not fertilised, the lining of the uterus will stop developing and will
be shed from the body. The cycle will start again.
Next
 Menstruation

The Menstrual Cycle

The menstrual cycle is

usually around 28 days.
However, it can vary from
between 23-35 days.
(for your knowledge)
Periods (menstruation) happen due to the hormones changing in your body.
Even before birth, a girl has 1-2 million tiny eggs (ovum) in her ovaries.

by the time of puberty, only about 300,000 remain. Of these, only 300 to 400
will be ovulated during a woman's reproductive lifetime. Fertility can drop as
a woman ages due to decreasing number and quality of the remaining eggs

The egg moves from the ovary and along the fallopian tube and down into the
uterus (womb).

If the egg is not fertilised by a sperm, the lining of the uterus and the egg
leave your body through your vagina; this is called a ‘period’.

After starting her menstrual cycle, a woman loses about 1,000 (immature)

eggs every month
 Menstruation

(for your knowledge)

Your first period

Bleeding can The average may be so light,
last between blood loss is you may not
3 and 8 days. only around even realise that
80ml (roughly 3 you are having
tablespoons). one.

Blood flow may Periods happen once a month but your body
be heavier in takes time to get into a routine so for the
the first few first year or so the time between each period
days. may vary.
Everyone is different. Some of these differences are the result of the genes
that we inherit from our parents.
Each of us – unless we have an identical twin – has a different set of genes from
everyone else.
You will learn more about genes in the coming chapter .

There are many other things that affect the kind of person you are, and that make
you
different from everyone else. For example, your appearance and personality are
affected by what you eat, any illnesses that you have, or any drugs that you take.
 P.64
1 Think about the work that you did on diet in Unit 2. Imagine that one
CB
two-year-old child has a diet with plenty of protein, and another has a
low-protein diet. How might their growth differ?
🡪A child with a low-protein diet will grow more slowly than a child with a
good diet. (If there is very little protein, the child may develop kwashiorkor.)

2 Think back to the work that you did on diet and fitness in Unit 4. Imagine
that one man eats too much and is overweight, while another eats a
balanced diet. How might their ability to play football diff er?
🡪An overweight person will find it more difficult to play football. (This is
because they have more weight to move around, and because their heart and
circulatory system may not be able to supply enough oxygen to their muscles.)

3 Think back to the work that you did on smoking in Unit 4. Imagine that
one woman smokes, and another woman does not smoke. How might
their likelihood of getting lung cancer differ?
🡪A smoker is much more likely to develop lung cancer than a non-smoker.
 Infancy
1 month 2 months 3 months 4 months 5 months
This stage of
development is
from birth to 2
years old.

This includes
babies and
6 months
toddlers. 7 8 months
Click here for a 9 months 10 months
months rough timeline of
The rate of physical the period from
development is fast infancy to a toddler!
at this stage.

Infants are totally

dependant on
others for food and
11 months 1 year toddler
care.
Human Growth and Development
It is possible to study human growth in lots of ways:

Psychologica
Physical Emotional Social
l

In science, the focus is on the stages of human growth and

development physically.
Questions? Questions?

Remember…
puberty is not a secret!

Every adult or older teenager

has already experienced it,
so if there’s anything you
feel worried about,
they will probably understand.
 Adolescence
(Puberty)

At around the age of 12 or 13 in boys,

and 10 or 11 in girls, a big step in
development takes place.

The reproductive organs and the brain

undergo quite large changes.

There is often a growth spurt (a sudden,

rapid period of growth) at this time.

This time of change from childhood to

adulthood is called adolescence.
 What changes
happen to boys’
bodies as they
grow up? Why do
these
changes
happen?
Male Bodies
Boys’ bodies start changing from around the age of 12 but it can
be earlier or later than that.

The changes don’t all come at once, they happen over a

few years.

It’s good to know about the changes that

are going to happen before they happen.
That way you won’t get any surprises
or shocks!
 Male Bodies
In boys, sperm production begins. Hormones produced by the reproductive
organs cause body shape changes, as shoulders broaden. The voice becomes
deeper. Hair begins to grow on the face, armpits and other parts of the body.

What are the differences between the boys you know and the
men you know?

Can you list three differences between boys and men?

 Changes in Boys
(for your knowledge)
You may notice you are getting an Adam’s apple – this
is your voice box getting larger, which makes your voice
deeper.

Your testes (or testicles) and your penis will grow bigger

You will grow more hair on your body, such as under

your arms, around your penis and on your chest.

Your body will grow bigger and stronger.

 Changes in Boys
(for your knowledge)
Your body will start to sweat more – and
that means you get more smelly!

Washing more often is a good idea and you

might want to start using a deodorant to keep
you smelling fresh.

You may find your hair is more greasy.

You start to grow hair on your face.

You may get spots on your face or other parts of your

body, such as your chest, back or shoulders.

It’s best to leave spots alone. Keep clean and

maybe try treating acne with special spot cream.
What changes
happen to girls’
bodies as they
grow up? Why do
these
changes
happen?
Female Bodies
Girls’ bodies start changing from around the age of 10
but it can be earlier or later than that.

The changes don’t all come at once,

they happen over a few years.

It’s good to know about the changes

that are going to happen before they
happen. That way you won’t get
any surprises or shocks!
 Female Bodies
In girls, menstruation begins. Hormones produced by the reproductive
organs cause changes in body shape, as breasts develop, and hips widen.
Hair begins to grow in the armpits and other parts of the body.

What are the differences between the girls you know and the
women you know?

Can you list three differences between girls and women?

 Changes in Girls
(for your knowledge)
Your body starts to release eggs from the ovaries,
which have been inside you since you were born.

You start your periods. This is your body getting rid of the egg and the
protective lining it made for the egg.

This is called menstruation. All females menstruate

– it’s part of becoming a woman.

Breasts will develop and hips will get wider.

You grow more hair on your body, such as under your

arms and other body parts.
 Changes in Girls
(for your knowledge)
Your body starts to sweat more and
your hair may become more greasy.

Washing more often is a good idea and you

might want to start using a deodorant to keep
you smelling fresh.

You may get spots on your face or other parts of

your body, such as back or shoulders.

This is called acne. Never pick spots. Keep

the area clean and maybe try some special
treatment for acne.
Adolescence
Changes in the brain

The brain does not grow any larger

during adolescence. But there is quite a
lot of reorganization in the brain, which
makes a person think and feel differently
from when they were a child.

There is
even more
brain
development
.
 Adolescence

• The person becomes better at making decisions and planning ahead. The
ability to think logically improves. This is a time when many people find they
can learn more quickly.
• Emotions may become stronger. People may worry more. They may begin to
have romantic feelings. They become more self-aware.
• During adolescence, there is often a strong need for approval by friends and
others. Young people may want to be like a role model. This can be stressful if
they set themselves impossible standards, perhaps trying to be like someone
they see on television.
 How do
feelings change
as we grow up?
Changing Emotions
Remember those things called hormones, which are responsible for all the
changes your body goes through during puberty?

Well, your changing emotions are because of those hormones, too!

Testosteron
e Oestroge
n
Changing Emotions

What emotions can you see in these pictures?

Managing Emotions
What can you do when you have difficult feelings?
Do something
Get some time and Do something
active – exercise
space alone to you enjoy.
releases feel-good
calm down.
chemicals in your
brain.

Phone or visit Write your feelings Talk to an adult

a friend. down – it can help you trust.
to get them out.

Spend time with Go for a walk. Count to ten.

a pet.
 Early Adulthood
(for your knowledge)

This stage of
development takes place
from the ages of 18/19 to
39.
The human body is at
its peak of fitness and
strength.
There is still some growth
but not of height.
This is the age at which
most humans reproduce.
Humans are able to take
care of their physical
needs completely
independently.
 Middle Adulthood
(for your knowledge)

This stage of Physical changes can

development takes include loss of hair
place between 40 among men and
greying hair for both
and 59 years of
men and women.
age.
Both male and
female ability to
reproduce declines
with age.
Women experience
menopause in their
40s or 50s when
they no longer
produce eggs.
 Late Adulthood / Old Age
(for your knowledge)

This is the last stage of human

development and takes place after the
age of 60.
There is no physical growth although
mental development is possible.
The body declines in fitness and health.
Some older people can become more
fragile physically.
This can sometimes result in increasing
dependency on others to care for them.
The end of the human life cycle is when
a human dies. (The age at which this
happens varies and is not simply
dependent on physical factors.)
Drugs and health
A drug is something that affects the way
that the body works.
Some drugs are very useful. For example,
antibiotics kill harmful bacteria in the
body. Without antibiotics, many more
people would die of diseases caused by
bacteria.
Some drugs are not necessary for health,
but are not really harmful either, if
taken in moderation. For example, many The seeds of the
people enjoy drinks like coffee and cola, coffee
which contain caffeine. Caffeine can tree contain caffeine.
make you feel more alert and awake.
Some drugs are harmful. For example,
The leaves of tobacco
nicotine in cigarette smoke has many
plants make nicotine,
damaging effects on health.
which kills insects that
try to eat them.
 Effects of nicotine
When tobacco was first discovered, no-one knew that it was harmful to
health. Now, research continues to discover more and more different
damaging effects of nicotine on the body.

• Men who smoke tend to produce less healthy sperm than men who do not
smoke. Smoking also reduces a woman’s chance of getting pregnant. Both of
these effects are caused by nicotine.

• Women who smoke before they get pregnant are more likely to have
problems during pregnancy, even if they stop smoking then.

• When a pregnant woman smokes, the nicotine gets into her foetus’s blood.
This makes the foetus likely to grow more slowly.
It is more likely to have a low birthweight – that is, to be smaller than usual
when it is born.

• A foetus that is exposed to nicotine is more likely to develop diabetes when

it grows up. This is also true for a baby that is breast-fed, if its mother
smokes.

• The brain of a foetus that is exposed to nicotine may not develop normally.
 P.65
4 The bar chart shows the percentages of babies with
a low birthweight born to mothersCBwho smoked
different numbers of cigarettes per day.

a What percentage of babies born to mothers who do

not smoke have a low birthweight?
🡪3.5%

b Calculate the percentage of babies born to non-

smoking mothers which do not have a low
birthweight.
🡪100 − 3.5 = 96.5%

c What is the eff ect of smoking during pregnancy on

the chance of having a baby with
low birthweight?
🡪The more a mother smokes, the more likely that her
child will have a low birthweight. (Look out for
answers that incorrectly say that the child will have a
lower birthweight if the mother smokes. The data do
not tell us anything about the actual birthweights.)
Growing Up
How confident do you feel about your learning?
In your Learning Journeydescribe
Underneath, Record,why
tick you
the box that
ticked describes
that box. you best.

I think that I I think I know a bit I don’t feel that I

know lots about about growing up know very much
growing up. but there are some about growing up.
things that I’m not
sure about.
 Fact or Fiction?

Do you know Let’s find out with the

your facts about
puberty?

Are you getting

your information FACT OR
from a reliable
source? FICTION
QUIZ!
Or are you
starting to
believe in fiction?
 Fact or Fiction?

If you haven’t started puberty by the

1 age of 11, there is something wrong.
 Fact or Fiction?
You’re correct – it’s Fiction!

Puberty occurs at any time between 11 and 17.

It is different for each person and this is perfectly
normal.
 Fact or Fiction?
You’re incorrect – it’s Fiction!

Puberty occurs at any time between 11 and 17.

It is different for each person and this is perfectly
normal.
 Fact or Fiction?

Both boys and girls grow more hair

2 on their bodies.
 Fact or Fiction?
You’re correct – it’s a Fact!

Both boys and girls develop pubic hair and start

to grow hair under their armpits.
Overall, boys grow more hair and grow it on more
body parts than girls (including the face and
chest). However, how ‘hairy’ a person becomes is
based the genes you inherit from
your parents.
 Fact or Fiction?
You’re incorrect – it’s a Fact!

Both boys and girls develop pubic hair and start

to grow hair under their armpits.
Overall, boys grow more hair and grow it on more
body parts than girls (including the face and
chest). However, how ‘hairy’ a person becomes is
based the genes you inherit from
your parents.
 Fact or Fiction?

During puberty, it is normal to start

3 getting spots.
 Fact or Fiction?
You’re correct – it’s a Fact!

Everyone gets some spots during puberty;

however, it varies from person to person.
Acne is when you have a severe breakout of
spots and can be painful. Doctors can help to
treat this.
 Fact or Fiction?
You’re incorrect – it’s a Fact!

Everyone gets some spots during puberty;

however, it varies from person to person.
Acne is when you have a severe breakout of
spots and can be painful. Doctors can help to
treat this.
 Fact or Fiction?

When you go through puberty, your

4 sweat smells.
 Fact or Fiction?
You’re correct – it’s Fiction!

Sweat does not smell! Sweat is mostly just

water after all.
What people refer to as a ‘sweaty’ smell is
actually caused by bacteria on your body mixing
with the sweat.
 Fact or Fiction?
You’re incorrect – it’s Fiction!

Sweat does not smell! Sweat is mostly just water

after all.
What people refer to as a ‘sweaty’ smell is
actually caused by bacteria on your body mixing
with the sweat.
 Fact or Fiction?

All parts of the body grow at the

5 same rate during puberty.
 Fact or Fiction?
You’re correct – it’s Fiction!

All parts of the body grow during puberty but it is

not true that they grow at the same rate and the
same time.
For example, you may notice that you get taller
before your feet grow or that you start growing
pubic hair before you start getting spots. It’s
normal for growth to be uneven during puberty.
 Fact or Fiction?
You’re incorrect – it’s Fiction!

All parts of the body grow during puberty but it is

not true that they grow at the same rate and the
same time.
For example, you may notice that you get taller
before your feet grow or that you start growing
pubic hair before you start getting spots. It’s
normal for growth to be uneven during puberty.