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19.1: Prelude to the Reproductive System

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    57595

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    Chapter Objectives:

    • Describe the anatomy of the male and female reproductive systems, including their accessory structures
    • Explain the role of hypothalamic and pituitary hormones in male and female reproductive function
    • Trace the path of a sperm cell from its initial production through fertilization of an oocyte
    • Explain the events in the ovary prior to ovulation
    • Describe the development and maturation of the sex organs and the emergence of secondary sex characteristics during puberty

    Small, uncoordinated, and slick with amniotic fluid, a newborn encounters the world outside of her mother’s womb. We do not often consider that a child’s birth is proof of the healthy functioning of both her mother’s and father’s reproductive systems. Moreover, her parents’ endocrine systems had to secrete the appropriate regulating hormones to induce the production and release of unique male and female gametes, reproductive cells containing the parents’ genetic material (one set of 23 chromosomes). Her parent’s reproductive behavior had to facilitate the transfer of male gametes—the sperm—to the female reproductive tract at just the right time to encounter the female gamete, an oocyte (egg). Finally, combination of the gametes (fertilization) had to occur, followed by implantation and development.

    The uterine tube
    Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Ovulation. Following a surge of luteinizing hormone (LH), an oocyte (immature egg cell) will be released into the uterine tube, where it will then be available to be fertilized by a male’s sperm. Ovulation marks the end of the follicular phase of the ovarian cycle and the start of the luteal phase.

    Contributors and Attributions

    This page titled 19.1: Prelude to the Reproductive System is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Simantini Karve.