The penis supports the urethra as it passes from the seminal vesicles, through the corpora cavernosa, to the meatus at the glans of the penis. The corpora cavernosa are made of spongy tissue which fill with blood during sexual arousal. As the blood fills these tissues, the penis begins to expand and become firm, and this condition is known as an erection. The erection facilitates the ejaculational transport of the semen to the female's vagina. Research Corpora Cavernosa
The female reproductive system is responsible for generating the ovum, or egg, for storing the fertilized ovum, and nourishing the gestating embryo and fetus. The chief organs include the ovaries, the uterus, vagina, and the fallopian tubes. External (vulvar) organs include the labia majora, the labia minora, the mons pubis, the clitoris, the vestibule, and the greater vestibular cleft. The ovum, or egg, contains the female's contribution to the genetic make-up of the new child, and is generated in the ovaries. The newly generated ovum is passed through the fimbriated extremity of a fallopian tube, into the fallopian tube and there is fertilized by a spermatozoon (a sperm cell). During sexual arousal, a fluid created by the male's seminal vesicles and the prostate gland combines with the sperm cells to create semen, which is carried through the urethra and out of the opening, or meatus, in the end of the erect penis.
When the semen is deposited in the female vagina, the spermatozoa swims through the uterus to the fallopian tube, where it fertilizes the ovum, or egg. The fertilized egg travels down the fallopian tube within the next three days and becomes attached to the wall of the uterus (womb). There, during pregnancy, the fertilized egg will be nourished and will develop into the embryo and, later, the fetus. Once fully developed (after about 9 months), muscular contractions (labor) will push the fetus out of the womb. Research Female Reproductive System
The male reproductive system is responsible for generating, storing, and transporting the genetic material contained in the sperm cells, or spermatozoa. The chief organs include the testicles (or testes), the epididymides, the vas deferens, the ejaculatory duct, the urethra, and the penis. Auxiliary organs include the bulbourethral (Cowper's) glands, the prostate gland, and the seminal vesicles. Spermatozoa (sperm cells) contain the chromosomes which will combine with those of the ovum, or egg (produced by the female reproductive system), to form the embryo of a new human. These spermatozoa are generated within the testicles and stored within the epididymides. During sexual arousal, a fluid created by the seminal vesicles and the prostate gland combines with the sperm cells to create semen, which is carried through the urethra and out of the opening, or meatus, in the end of the erect penis. When the semen is deposited in the female vagina, the spermatozoa swim through the uterus to the fallopian tube, where one, or more, may fertilize an egg, or ovum. Research Male Reproductive System
The seminal vesicles are responsible for secreting a fluid component of semen as the sperm cells pass through the vas deferens. The two vesicles resemble small, bulbous pouches and are located just above the prostate gland. Research Seminal Vesicles
The testes consist of two oval-shaped glands about three centimeters long and two centimeters wide. The testes are suspended in a sac called the scrotum outside the body to maintain the lower temperature necessary for efficient sperm production. Each of the testes consists of several lobules, and each lobule consists of a narrow, but long, coiled seminiferous tubule. From the age of puberty, the cells of the seminiferous tubules are almost continuously producing spermatozoa (sperm), the male reproductive cells. Other cells, referred to as interstitial cells, secrete the male hormonetestosterone into the blood. These cells are located in numerous clusters in the connective tissue between the seminiferous tubules. Testosterone performs several functions: it is important to the development of masculine characteristics, it promotes and maintains the development of the male accessory organs (the prostate gland, seminal vesicles, etc.), and it has a stimulating effect on protein anabolism. Research Testes
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Corpora Cavernosa
