The Three Reproductive Processes

1. The Three Reproductive Processes By: Jake Ballantyne, Robbie Harding and Mac Fisher

2. The Menstrual Cycle

3. The Menstrual Cycle • Cycle of changes occurring in ovaries and uterus. • Basically, menstration is a woman’s monthly bleeding. • Beginning with the egg preparation. • When outer cells break, egg released for fertilization-which is ovulation. • Egg travels in a cycle until it sheds (endometrium)-called menstruation (means bleeding)

4. Ovulation • Release of egg from ovaries. • Occurs approximately 2 weeks after first day of last menstrual cycle. • Ovulation-when egg is released into Fallopian tube; ready for fertilization. • All occurs inside the female body; menstrual cycle is a female body process.

5. Menstrual Cycle: How does it Work? • On average, menstrual cycle: 28 days/4 weeks. • Length varies depending on female (stress, weight differentials) • First half of cycle, egg ripening inside ovaries- after 2 weeks, ready to be released. • When this happens, brain signals egg to be released-Fallopian tube picks it up (ovulation). • Begins journey to uterus (7 days).

6. Menstrual Cycle:…(continued) • After 3 weeks, if egg not fertilized, production of estrogen and progesterone stop. • Basically, the body realizes the egg will not be fertilized, so the process starts all over again. • Expecting egg to be fertilized, uterus is thickly lined. • Body gets rid of lining by bleeding (menstruation). The menstrual cycle, all 28 days displayed in order

7. Importance of the Menstrual Cycle • Allows an egg to be released into the female body,……… enabling females to reproduce. • Provides important body chemicals (estrogen). • Regular cycles mean your body is functioning properly.

8. Spermatogenesis

9. Spermatogenesis • Male body process. • Occurs in male genitalia. • The process of creating sperm-sending it through the male genitalia. • Begins at age 13- for life. • A man produces millions of sperm a day- once he has reached puberty.

10. The Process of Spermatogenesis • First created in testes. • Travels through epididymus, powered by their tails (4-6 weeks). • Moves to vas deferens-also known as the sperm duct. • Prostate gland and seminal vesicles produce liquid. • Mixes with sperm to form semen.

11. The Process of…(continued) • Semen then forced out of male body through urethra (ejaculation). • Sperm in semen carries genetic info to female body- eventually will produce a baby.

12. The Importance of Spermatogenesis • Provides the egg with a sperm-reproducing a fetus. • Creates sperm, which mixes with a fluid to create semen-leading to a male being able to ejaculate. • Ejaculation makes possible for fetus.

13. Did you Know…? • When a male ejaculates, the semen can hold up to 500 million sperm! Wow!

14. Fertilization

15. Fertilization • Once released, sperm die within minutes. • Can be hours • Must find egg and fuse with it in the process of fertilization.

16. Process of Fertilization • Fertilized egg-called an embryo. • Gets pushed along the Fallopian tube. • Approximately four days from fertilization, zygote has 100 cells. • Called a blastocyst. Fertilized egg-cells.

17. Process of…(continued) • When blastocyst reaches uterus lining, it floats around for approximately two days. • Implants itself in uterus wall 6 days after fertilization. • Signals the beginning of pregnancy.

18. Conclusion • Eight weeks after fertilization, embryo becomes a fetus. • Fetus develops in uterus. • As fetus grows, uterus will grow till it is the size of a basketball.

19. Thanks for Watching! -Jake, Mac, and Robbie!