BIOL-2230 Chapter Notes - Chapter 27: Hypophyseal Portal System, Collagen, Rete Testis
27 Jan 2017
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The sperm-producing testes, or male gonads, lie within the scrotum. The reproductive system appears to slumber until puberty. The male"s reproductive role is to manufacture male gametes called sperm and organs, or gonads, are the testes in males and the ovaries in females. The gonads produce sex cells, or gametes, and secrete a variety of steroid hormones commonly called sex hormones. The remaining reproductive structures are accessory reproductive organs. deliver them to the female reproductive tract, where fertilization can occur. The complementary role of the female is to produce female gametes, called ova or eggs. As a result of appropriately timed intercourse, a sperm and an egg may fuse to form a fertilized egg, or zygote. Once fertilization has occurred, the female partner"s uterus provides the protective environment where the embryo develops until birth. Sex hormones play vital roles both in the development and function of the reproductive organs and in sexual behavior and drives.
