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Women's Index > The Reproductive System
The reproductive system begins with the egg and the sperm. Each
carries the genetic material that will determine the aspects of the
human created from the fertilisation process. Their sex, the colour
of their hair and eyes, the shape of their nose, how tall they will
be – all this and more is carried in these two tiny sex cells.
The eggs, from the woman, are produced in the ovaries. When born, a
woman already has a lifetime stock of immature eggs in her ovaries. The
ovaries are about the size and shape of almonds, and sit at the sides of
the pelvis. Every month, an egg will develop into an ovum and be
released into the fallopian tubes. These connect to the womb, or
uterus. The womb is about the size of a pear, yet can stretch to 30
times its size during pregnancy! When an ovum is fertilised it is known
as a zygote. This attaches itself to the sides of the womb and from
there, grows into a foetus and then a baby. At the bottom of the womb
is a layer of tissue known as the cervix, the entrance to the vagina.
Women have a monthly reproduction cycle, where in the first week, the
mature ovum passed out of the ovary into the fallopian tubes. While the
ovum makes its way along the tube, the lining of the womb grows thicker,
in anticipation of pregnancy. This is when women are most fertile.
But, if no fertilisation occurs, the lining is shed from the body in the
fourth week, known as menstruation.
The sperm, from the men, are produced in the testicles, which hang
outside the body in a pouch called the scrotum. In each testicle are a
mass of tubes, which is where the sperm is formed. It then matures in a
tube known as the epididymis, coiled alongside the testicles. Sperm
moves from the epididymis to the urethra, where it is mixed with seminal
fluid produced in a gland called the seminal vesicle, to form semen.
The seminal fluid gives sperm nutrients to live and also provides
protection, as the vagina is slightly acidic. The urethra has two
functions for a man – one to carry urine from the bladder out of the
body, but also to carry semen out. When the penis stiffens for sex, the
tube from the bladder is shut off, so that only semen can be ejaculated.
The obvious difference between the reproductive systems of men and women
is that some of the man’s organs lie outside the body. They are
designed to deposit the semen within the women for reproduction. During
sex, fertilisation takes place when the sperm joins with the ovum. Up
to 400 million sperm can be ejaculated by the man! However, only about
100 will actually reach the fallopian tubes where the ovum is.
Fertilisation can actually take place up to 24 hours after sex, as ovum
live for between 12 and 24 hours, and sperm up to three days!
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