The primary reproductive organs for the male are the testes and their connecting tubes, and the prostate gland. The primary female reproductive organs are the ovaries, fallopian tubes and the uterus. The ovaries and testes are collectively called the gonads, and their job is to make reproductive hormones and the germ cells (sperm and eggs). The male and female tubes are supporting players in delivering the germ cells to the fertilization site, and the uterus provides an environment for the development of the embryo.
Testes
The testes are the primary male reproductive organs. They produce androgens, which are important hormones for normal male appearance and fertility. Testosterone and di-hydrotestosterone (DHT) are the primary androgens made by the testes.
Testes have another critical role as the factories for sperm production. After puberty, the testes continuously produce sperm. Human testes are held outside the body in a sac called the scrotum. This keeps the testes slightly lower than normal body temperature and in the optimal range for sperm production. Sperm in the testes are not capable of swimming or fertilizing an egg. Sperm fully mature in the epididymis, a convoluted tube leading from the testes to the vas deferens, which in turn leads to the penis. The prostate supplies a fluid for the sperm called seminal fluid.
Ovary
The ovary is the primary female reproductive organ. Like the testes, ovaries produce steroid hormones that are important for female appearance and fertility. Ovaries primarily produce estrogen and progesterone.
Ovaries also house the germ cells (eggs, or oocytes), each of which is enveloped in a nest of specialized cells near the surface of the ovary called a follicle. The eggs are held in an immature state and even after puberty, they will not mature unless their follicle is chosen to develop during the monthly cycle. At the start of each menstrual cycle, several ovarian follicles will begin to grow. Only one of them will gain dominance and fully mature and ovulate its egg.
Once released from the ovary, the egg is wafted into the fallopian tubes that connect to the uterus. If fertilization occurs, it usually happens in the fallopian tubes. The fertilized egg begins to grow and divide as travels down the fallopian tubes and into the uterus.
Uterus
The uterus is a muscular cavity where the embryo will implant and grow. In each monthly cycle, the uterus grows a thick lining richly supplied with blood to prepare for a potential pregnancy. If an embryo makes it to the uterus, it will burrow into that lining and eventually connect with the maternal blood supply. If there is no pregnancy in a given cycle, the uterine lining sloughs off causing menstrual bleeding.
References
- "Primary Care for Women"; Phyllis Leppert and Jeffrey Peipert; 2004
- "Endocrinology: an Integrated Approach"; S. S. Nussey and S. A. Whitehead; 2001
