SUMMARY
(1) Animals may reproduce by asexual or
sexual modes to maintain continuity of the species. (2)
The human male reproductive system consists of paired testes in
the scrotum, epididymis, vas deferens, a urethra which passes
through the penis, and the associated glands: a prostate gland,
two seminal vesicles and Cowper’s glands. (3) The human
female reproductive system consists of two ovaries, two Fallopian
tubes, a uterus and a vagina. (4) The primarily male sex
hormone is testosterone. The female sex hormones are estrogen,
and progesterone, production and release of these sex hormones
are regulated by FSH, LH, and LTH. (5) The menstrual cycle
consists of cyclic changes in human female from puberty to menopause,
usually 28 days per cycle. The cycle consists of various phases,
controlled by hormones, and it culminates into a menstrual flow
of blood from the vagina. (6) Early development begins
with fertilization of the ovum by the sperm sucessive cleavages
result in the formation of a morula then a blastula. The blastula
or the blastodisc implants in the uterus and then undergoes the
process of gastrulation to form 3 germ layers, i.e., ectoderm,
mesoderm and the endoderm. Definite organ systems are formed from
each of these layers.
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