Human Sexuality

Human Sexuality

The female reproductive system begins at the external genital area-- or vulva--which runs from the pubic area downward to the rectum. After intercourse, sperm ejaculated in the vagina pass through the cervix. The female reproductive process is the production of one or more mature eggs being released from the ovary (known as ovulation) and drawn in by the fallopian tubes where they await fertilization from a migrating sperm. The fertilized egg then continues traveling down the Fallopian tube. About four or five days after fertilization, it enters the uterus and implants itself on the endometrium, which has been primed by the sex hormones to accept and nurture it.

The Male has reproductive organs, or genitals, that are both inside and outside the pelvis. The male genitals include the testicles, or testes, produce and store millions of tiny sperm cells. The testicles are oval-shaped and grow to be about 2 inches in length and 1 inch in diameter. Alongside the testicles are the epididymis and the vas deferens, which make up the duct system of the male reproductive organs. The vas deferens is a muscular tube that passes upward alongside the testicles and transports the sperm-containing fluid called semen. The epididymis is a set of tubes (one for each testicle) that connects to the vas deferens. The epididymis and the testicles hang in a pouch-like structure outside the pelvis called the scrotum. This bag of skin helps to regulate the temperature of testicles, which need to be kept cooler than body temperature to produce sperm. The accessory glands, including the seminal vesicles and the prostate gland, provide fluids that lubricate the duct system and nourish the sperm. The seminal vesicles are sac-like structures attached to the vas deferens to the side of the bladder. The urethra is the channel that carries the semen to the outside of the body through the penis.

The penis (external part) is made