The Male Reproductive System
Pgs. 374-377 Blue Book
On your diagram of the male anatomy label the internal and
external organs according to the instructions below.
Vocabulary words that need to be written on the diagram have
been underlined, bolded, italicized.
Start at the lower right hand side of your diagram (at #1). The sac
that surrounds the testicle is called the scrotum. The scrotum is a
sac of loose skin divided into two parts. Each part contains a
testicle, epididymis (small kidney shaped gland at the top of the
scrotum), and the end of the vas deferens tube. Follow the tube up
passed the bladder to label it. Label the three words epididymis,
testicle (left), and scrotum (bottom) at the lower right side of your
diagram.
Each testicle contains tiny tubules that are continuously creating
sperm and the hormone testosterone at the start of puberty and
throughout a man’s life. When puberty occurs, sperm move to the
epididymis to mature. The vas deferens is a tube that allows the
sperm to move up pass the bladder and around to the seminal
vesicle.
Follow the vas deferens tube up to the top of the diagram. The
large egg-shaped organ in the center of your diagram is the
bladder. This organ stores urine until it is expelled from the body.
As the vas deferens curves around the top of the bladder and back
down again, it passes the seminal vesicle. This gland is oblongshaped, and is located behind the bladder on your diagram. The
seminal vesicle produces fluids that activate the sperm.
The prostate gland is located just below the bladder. It supplies a
liquid that combines with sperm prior to ejaculation. When a man
is sexually aroused to the point of orgasm, the fluid from the
seminal vesicle and prostate gland combine with the sperm to form
semen. Strong muscle contractions in and around the prostate
gland contract rapidly to force the semen out through the urethra.
Just under the prostate gland rests two small round gland called the
cowpers gland. This gland secretes a fluid that removes any
acidity from the urethra just before ejaculation.
The tube leading from the various glands down the length of the
penis is called the urethra. The urethra is a passageway that allows
urine and semen to travel out of the body in the same tube. Both
urine and semen cannot be in the urethra at the same time. During
an erection, a small valve at the entrance from the bladder seals it
off.
The organ in which the urethra is housed is called the penis. The
penis has spongy tissue containing small blood vessels and nerves.
During sexual arousal, the spongy tissue fills with blood, and the
penis hardens. This is called an erection.
At the very tip of the penis is the glans, which is the head of the
penis. This part of the male reproductive system may be covered
and it may not be covered. If the parents choose to circumcise
their son the glans will not be covered, if they do not choose to
circumcise the glans will be covered.
The Female Reproductive System
Pgs. 378-382 Blue Book
On your diagram of the female anatomy, label the internal and
external organs according to the instructions below.
Vocabulary words that need to be written on the diagram have
been underlined, bolded, and italicized.
Start at the very bottom left of your diagram (at #1). The opening
leading up into the internal reproductive system is called the
vagina. The vagina is an elastic muscular tube. During sexual
arousal, the walls of the vagina secrete a lubricant to assist in
intercourse. The vagina also functions as the birth canal for a
baby, and allows menstrual flow to exit the body from the uterus.
Above the vaginal opening and to the left is the bladder. In
females, this organ, along with the urethra, is separate from the
reproductive organs.
The uterus is above and to the right of the bladder. It is a pair
shaped organ where a baby grows inside of the mother. At the top
of the vagina is the bottom of the uterus. The bottom of the uterus
is called the cervix, which is the opening of the uterus. When a
baby is about to be born, the cervix opens to about 10cms.
The thick tissue inside the entire uterus is the uterine lining. If
fertilization (joining of the egg cell and sperm cell) does not occur,
this lining is shed every month. This is called menstruation, the
process by which the uterus rids itself of its old lining, and
prepares for the possibility of conception the following month.
About 14 days after ovulation, the body begins to shed the uterine
lining, which is made up of blood and fluid. This is known as a
girls “period.”
Follow the tube out of the uterus to the right of your diagram. This
is called the fallopian tube. The fallopian tube carries the egg
from the ovary down to the uterus. This journey takes about 3
days. Usually conception occurs in the fallopian tube.
The internal, very tiny hair-like structures, inside the fallopian tube
are called cilia. They help the egg move down the fallopian tube
from ovary.
Two egg-shaped organs on either side of the uterus are the ovaries.
An ovary is about the size of an almond. When a woman is born,
the ovaries already contain all of the ova (eggs) she will ever
produce. There are up to 400,000 ova. The ovary releases one
ovum (a single egg) each month. This process is called ovulation.
When the ovary releases the egg it travels down the fallopian tube,
with help from cilia. If a sperm does not fertilize the egg, it will
not stick to the uterine wall. As a result, menstruation occurs.
At the top of your diagram is the external female. There is
round sensitive area at the top right hand side of the external
genitals known as the clitoris. (#1) Right under the clitoris is a
layer of skin that protects the inner part of the external genital area
and this is called labia minora. Under the labia minora is the
vaginal opening or the birth canal. Below the clitoris, on the left,
is the urethra which is where urine is excreted. Under the urethra
is a layer of skin that protects the outside of the external genitals
called the labia majora.