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What is reproduction?

Reproduction is one of the

seven life processes.

All living things reproduce.

Humans use sexual

reproduction to
produce their young.

In order to do this, the two

parents (male and female)
have different reproductive
systems and organs that
produce different sex cells.

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The male reproductive system

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The female reproductive system

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Male or female?

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Roles of the reproductive system

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Sex cells sperm
In males, the sex cells are called sperm.

tail middle piece head

cell membrane nucleus containing

DNA

Sperm are produced in sex organs called testes.

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Sex cells egg
In females, the sex cells are called eggs.

nucleus containing cytoplasm

DNA

membrane jelly coat

Eggs are produced in sex organs called ovaries.

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Sperm or egg?

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Ovulation and fertilization
In a female, one of the ovaries produces an egg
approximately every 28 days. This is called ovulation.

During sexual intercourse,

millions of sperm are
ejaculated into the vagina.

If a sperm meets the egg,

the sperms nucleus can
join with the eggs nucleus.

The fusing of the two nuclei

is called fertilization.

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Fertilization and implantation

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Reproduction terms

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The placenta
How does an embryo receive food and oxygen and how
does it get rid of waste?
An embryo forms a structure called the placenta, which
attaches to the uterus wall.
umbilical
The umbilical cord joins cord
the fetus to the placenta.
In the placenta, food and oxygen
diffuse from the mothers blood
into the blood of the fetus.
Carbon dioxide and waste
products diffuse from the blood of
the fetus into the mothers blood.

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How does the placenta work?

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From embryo to fetus
In the earliest stages of development, a human baby is
called an embryo.

After the first eight weeks of pregnancy, a human embryo

is then called a fetus.

At this stage, the fetus has all the main human features.

The fetus continues to

develop and grow inside
its mothers uterus for a
total of 40 weeks.

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What are the stages of development?

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The stages of pregnancy

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Birth
After 40 weeks of gestation, the baby
is ready to be born. At this point, the
head usually lies just above the cervix.

Birth begins with small contractions

of the uterus wall, which gradually
become stronger and more frequent.

Eventually the contractions cause the amnion to break

and the fluid escapes. The cervix then widens and dilates
as the baby is pushed through the vagina.

After a few minutes, the placenta comes away from the

uterus wall. This is pushed out as the afterbirth.

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What happens during puberty?
Humans are born with a complete set
of sex organs. However, they do not
usually become active until between
the ages of 10 and 18.

In males, the testes start to make

sperm, and in females, the ovaries
start to release eggs.

This stage of development

is called puberty.

During this important time, many

changes take place in the bodies
of young men and women.

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Puberty in males

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Puberty in females

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Menstruation
An important part of puberty for girls is the beginning of
their monthly cycle. This is known as the menstrual cycle.

The menstrual cycle

involves the preparation of
the uterus lining so that it
can receive a fertilized egg.

If an egg is fertilized, it
can implant itself in the
prepared uterus lining.

If the egg is not fertilized, the lining of the uterus

breaks down and is lost from the body. This is called
menstruation, or a period.

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Periods

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Glossary
egg The female sex cell.
embryo An unborn baby during its first two months of
development.
fertilization When the egg and sperm nuclei fuse.
menstruation The monthly cycle in females.
ovary The part of the female reproductive system that
produces eggs.
ovulation The release of an egg from the ovary.
placenta The structure made by an embryo to obtain
food and oxygen from its mother.
puberty The time when sex organs begin to work.
sperm The male sex cell.
testis The part of the male reproductive system that
produces sperm.
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Anagrams

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Multiple-choice quiz

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