Notes

THE FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTE
1. The sexual organs of the human female reproductive system are the ovaries,
the fallopian tubes, the uterus and the vagina.
2. The function of the ovaries is to produce egg cells or ova.
3. An ovum is released by either of the ovaries about every 28 days.
4. The ovum moves out from the ovary into the fallopian tube or oviduct.
5. The fallopian tubes connect the ovaries to the uterus. The uterus is also known
as the womb.
6. The uterus is the place where the foetus develops during pregnancy. It has a
thick wall which is supplied with many blood vessels.
7. The wall of the uterus is the place where an embryo is implanted. The
development of embryo is completed in the uterus.
8. The cervix is the neck of the uterus. The wall of the cervix secretes cervical
mucus to protect the reproductive parts against bacteria infection. The cervix
opens into the vagina.
9. The function of the vagina is to receive sperms. It also serves as birth canal
during childbirth through which the baby comes out of the mother’s body.
The role of an ovum in reproduction
1. A normal woman has a pair of ovaries in her abdominal region.
2. The ovaries are able to produce female gametes called the ova.
3. An ovum is spherical structure surrounded by a layer of jelly coating. It
consists of a nucleus filled with chromosomes and cytoplasm containing stored
food.
4. An ovum is larger than a sperm, with a diameter of about 0.1 mm. Unlike the
sperm, it cannot move by itself.
5. Only one ovum is released from the ovary during a particular period of time.
6. Ovum will be released from the ovary of a woman who has reached puberty at
about 12 years old. The ovaries will stop producing ova when a woman is about
55 years old or when she reaches menopause.
7. The ovum is the largest cell in the female body because it contains dense
cytoplasm to provide food to the embryo at the early stage of its
development.
8. An ovum that is not fertilised by a sperm can only survive for 36 hours in the
human uterus. After this period, the ovum will die and is discharged from the
human body.
Compare and contrast male and female gametes
sperm differences ovum
0.01 mm to 0.05 mm Size 0.1 mm – 0.12 mm
Many Number Number a few
can move on it own Mobility Does not move on it own
Tadpole-shaped Shape Sphere and round
Testis Place of production Ovary
Million Number Produced One at a time
Up to 72 hours Life span Up to 36 hours