Female reproductive systemThe human female reproductive system is made up of the internal and external sex organs that function in the reproduction of new offspring. The reproductive system is immature at birth and develops at puberty to be able to release matured ova from the ovaries, facilitate their fertilization with sperm, and create a protective environment for the developing fetus during pregnancy.
Human reproductionHuman sexual reproduction, to produce offspring, begins with fertilization. Successful reproduction typically involves sexual intercourse between a healthy, sexually mature and fertilemale and female. During sexual intercourse, sperm cells are ejaculated into the vagina through the penis, resulting in fertilization of an ovum to form a zygote.Sexual differentiation in humansSexual differentiation in humans is the process of development of sex differences in humans. It is defined as the development of phenotypic structures consequent to the action of hormones produced following gonadal determination. Sexual differentiation includes development of different genitals and internal genital tracts.
Male reproductive systemThe male reproductive system consists of a number of sex organs that play a role in the process of human reproduction. These organs are located on the outside of the body and within the pelvis. The main male sex organs are the penis and the scrotum, which contains the testicles that produce semen and sperm, which, as part of sexual intercourse, fertilize an ovum in the female's body; the fertilized ovum (zygote) develops into a fetus,which is later born as an infant.Internal fertilizationInternal fertilization is the union of an egg and sperm cell during sexual reproduction inside the female body. Internal fertilization, unlike its counterpart, external fertilization, brings more control to the female with reproduction. Most taxa that reproduce by internal fertilization are gonochoric. Male animals inseminate females in order to internally fertilize their egg cells.
SpermSperm (pl.: sperm or sperms) is the male reproductive cell, or gamete, in anisogamous forms of sexual reproduction (forms in which there is a larger, female reproductive cell and a smaller, male one). Sperm cells contribute approximately half of the nuclear genetic information to the diploid offspring (excluding, in most cases, mitochondrial DNA).
Egg cellThe egg cell or ovum (pl.: ova) is the femalereproductive cell, or gamete, in most anisogamous organisms (organisms that reproduce sexually with a larger, female gamete and a smaller, male one). The term is used when the female gamete is not capable of movement (non-motile). If the male gamete (sperm) is capable of movement, the type of sexual reproduction is also classified as oogamous.
Sexual intercoursePenetrative sexual activity for reproduction or sexual pleasureThe missionary position, painted by Édouard-Henri Avril (1892), inspired by the erotic sonnets of Pietro AretinoSex, more formally known as sexual intercourse, coitus, or copulation, is an intimate social activity typically involving the insertion of the erect male penis inside the female vagina and followed by thrusting motions for erotic pleasure, biological reproduction, or both.
Secondary sex characteristicA secondary sex characteristic (or secondary sexual characteristic) is a physical characteristic of an organism that is related to or derived from its sex, but not directly part of its reproductive system. In humans, these characteristics typically start to appear during puberty—and include enlarged breasts and widened hips of females, facial hair and Adam's apples on males, and pubic hair on both.
MaleMale (symbol: ♂) is the sex of an organism that produces, or is organized to produce, the gamete (sex cell) known as sperm, which fuses with the larger female gamete, or ovum, in the process of fertilisation. A male organism cannot reproduce sexually without access to at least one ovum from a female, but some organisms can reproduce both sexually and asexually.
FetusA fetus or foetus (; pl.: fetuses or foetuses) is the unborn offspring of a viviparousanimal that develops from an embryo. Following the embryonic stage, the fetal stage of development takes place. Prenatal development is a continuum, with no clear defining feature distinguishing an embryo from a fetus.
ChildbirthConclusion of the human pregnancyMedical conditionChildbirth, also known as labour or delivery, is the completion of pregnancy, where one or more fetuses exits the internal environment of the mother vaginally or via caesarean section and becomes a newborn. In 2023, there were about 132 million human births globally. In developed countries, most births occur in hospitals, while in developing countries most are home births.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.