THE FEMALE RERODUCTIVE
SYSTEM!!
The vagina is a tube about four to five inches long and is surrounded by flexible muscles. It
connects the uterus with the outside of the body. The part of the uterus that meets the
vagina is called the cervix. The cervix is a very tiny opening that leads into the uterus and is
made up of a strong ring of muscles. The uterus is about the size and shape of an upsidedown pear and is made up of strong muscular walls and a soft lining. Sometimes you might
hear the uterus called the womb. The womb or the uterus is where a baby grows and develops
inside the mother. The inside lining of the uterus is called the endometrium. The uterus is
located inside of a female’s body between the hips. The fallopian tubes lead from the uterus to
the ovaries and are thin tubes through which the egg cell travels to get to the uterus. The
interior of a fallopian tube is only the thickness of two human hairs. Attached to the end are
small organs called ovaries. The ovaries contain thousands of egg cells. These egg cells are only
about the size of a tiny grain of sand. The egg cells formed inside of a girl's ovaries before she is
even born. During puberty these egg cells will begin to mature and be released from the ovary.
When an egg cell is released from an ovary it must travel to the uterus.
How does pregnancy happen?!
In woman, an egg is released from one of the two ovaries, about once a month. This is called
ovulation. The egg travels down a fallopian tube. The mucus in the cervix (opening to the uterus)
changes just before ovulation and becomes clear and stretchy. This happens so the sperm can
swim through it more easily. When a couple have sexual intercourse the man releases semen into
the woman’s vagina. Within minutes the sperm travel through the cervix and uterus and into the
fallopian tubes. If the sperm joins with an egg, the egg is fertilised. If it is fertilised, the egg
continues down the fallopian tube and attaches to the wall of the uterus where is grows as a
baby. If the egg is not fertilised, the lining of the uterus is shed, and this is what the bleeding is in a girl’s monthly period.
The Male Reproductive System
The penis is made of a soft sponge like tissue called erectile tissue. This
specialized erectile tissue has the ability to absorb extra blood when there is
an increased blood flow to the penis. When more blood than usual flows into
the blood vessels of the penis the penis becomes larger and harder and stands
away from the body. This is an erection.
The testicles and scrotum grow and develop during puberty. The scrotum is a
sac of loose skin that holds the testicles. The testicles will begin to produce
sperm cells. Sperm cells are unbelievably tiny. Four to five hundred million
sperm cells will fit on one teaspoon. Now that's what I call microscopic! When
viewed under a powerful microscope you can see that sperm cells are shaped
like a tadpole. The testicles can produce millions of sperm cells each day.
Sperm cells are the father's contribution to making a baby. When a sperm cell
from the father joins with an egg cell from the mother a new life begins.
What is semen?
Semen is a milky white fluid that carries the sperm cells out of a man's body. About a teaspoon of semen comes out of the penis during an
ejaculation. You can see the semen but you cannot see the hundreds of millions of sperm cells that come out in the teaspoon of semen.
How do the sperm cells get out of the body?
During an ejaculation the sperm cells move from the epididymis (storage chamber) up through a thin tube called the vas deferens. Once in the vas
deferens, the sperm move into the seminal vesicles. The seminal vesicles are small sac-like structures that contain a special fluid. Once the sperm mix
with this fluid called semen, they become active and swim around. Sperm cells can whip their tails back and forth and
move by themselves. The sperm cells then move on through the prostate gland into the urethra. The prostate gland
contributes a thin, milky fluid that makes up the largest part of the semen. The semen carries the sperm through the
urethra and out the tip of the penis. Small muscles in the penis contract and squeeze the semen through the urethra and
out of the body. When semen is ejected from the penis it will amount to about a teaspoonful of fluid. Amazingly there are
about 400-500 million sperm cells in one teaspoon of semen!!!
Reproductive Questions
Use the information sheets to answer the following questions!
1. Label the male and female reproductive systems with the correct anatomical terms
2. Copy and complete the following tables, based on the male and female reproductive systems:
(allow plenty of room!)
The FEMALE reproductive system:
The MALE reproductive system:
Working parts!
Vagina
Cervix
Uterus
Fallopian Tube
Ovary
Working parts!
Penis
Testicles
Scrotum
Semen
Vas Deferens
Description
Description
3. Copy out the sentence and stipulate whether it is true or false. If its false, add in the correct
sentence.
a) Egg cells are formed inside a girl’s ovaries before she is born. T/F
b) The testicles are full of sperm cells when a boy is born. T/F
c) Every time a boy ejaculates he releases one sperm. T/F
d) Sperm and urine both travel through the urethra to exit the body. T/F
e) Penis and vaginas come in different shapes and sizes. T/F
f) A baby grows and develops inside the cervix. T.F
4. Scan the info sheet to find 4 facts about the male/female reproductive system, where parts
are COMPARED to other objects to describe their size. Jot these down.
5. Choose ONE of the following and answer in your books:
a) Write a story about the life of an egg in the female reproductive system using the information
provided. Name your egg. You can choose whether it is fertilised or not. E.g Today I will tell
you the story of Bob. Bob is an egg and was made before the female was even born!! He lives
in………
b) Draw a flowchart of the life of an egg starting from the ovaries.
c) Draw a rough poster in your books of Spike the Sperm, who is the hero of the day as he has
reached the egg first and fertilised it! Include what he has had to go through to reach the
egg!