Male Reproductive How does the male reproductive system function?

System The entire male reproductive system depends on

hormones. Hormones are chemicals that stimulate
The male reproductive system mostly exists outside or regulate activity in your cells or organs. The
of your body. The external organs include the penis, primary hormones that help the male reproductive
scrotum, and testicles. Internal organs include the system function include:
vas deferens, prostate, and urethra. The male
reproductive system is responsible for sexual Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Your pituitary
function and urination. gland makes FSH. FSH is necessary to produce sperm
(spermatogenesis).
What is the male reproductive system?
The male reproductive system includes a group of Luteinizing hormone (LH). Your pituitary gland also
organs that make up the reproductive system and makes LH. LH is necessary to continue the process of
urinary system in men and people assigned male at spermatogenesis.
birth (AMAB).
Testosterone. Testosterone is the main sex hormone
The male reproductive system contains internal and in people AMAB. It helps you develop certain
external parts. Internal parts are inside your body, characteristics, including muscle mass and strength,
and external parts are outside your body. Together, fat distribution, bone mass and sex drive (libido).
these organs help you urinate (pee), have sexual
intercourse, and make biological children. Anatomy
What are the external parts of the male
reproductive system?

Most of the male reproductive system is on the

outside of your abdominal cavity or pelvis. The
external body parts of the male reproductive system
include the penis, scrotum, and testicles. Another
name for these parts is genitals or genitalia.

Penis
The penis is the male organ for sexual intercourse. It
contains many sensitive nerve endings, and it has
three parts:

Root. The root is the base of your penis. It attaches

to the wall of your abdomen.

Function Body (shaft). The body has a shape like a tube or

cylinder. It consists of three internal chambers: the
What does the male reproductive system do? two larger chambers are the corpora cavernosa, and
• The organs that make up the male the third chamber is the corpus spongiosum. The
reproductive system perform the following: corpora cavernosa run side by side, while the corpus
spongiosum surrounds your urethra. There’s a
• Produce, maintain, and transport sperm cells special, sponge-like erectile tissue inside these
and semen. Sperm cells are male chambers. The erectile tissue contains thousands of
reproductive cells. Semen is the protective spaces. During sexual arousal, the spaces fill with
fluid around sperm. blood, and your penis becomes hard and rigid
(erection). An erection allows you to have
• Discharge sperm. penetrative sex. The skin of the penis is loose and
stretchy, which lets it change size when you have an
• Produce and secrete male sex hormones. erection.
Glans (head). The glans is the cone-shaped tip of the Epididymis
penis. A loose layer of skin (foreskin) covers the The epididymis is a long, coiled tube that rests on
glans. Healthcare providers sometimes surgically the back of each testicle. It carries and stores the
remove the foreskin (circumcision). sperm cells that your testicles create. The
In most people, the opening of the urethra is at the epididymis also brings the sperm to maturity — the
tip of the glans. The urethra transports pee and sperm that emerge from the testicles are immature
semen out of your body. Semen contains sperm. You and incapable of fertilization. During sexual arousal,
expel (ejaculate) semen through the end of your muscle contractions force the sperm into the vas
penis when you reach sexual climax (orgasm). deferens.

When your penis is erect, your corpora cavernosa What are the internal parts of the male
press against the part of your urethra where pee reproductive system?
flows. This blocks your pee flow so that only semen There are several internal (accessory) organs in the
ejaculates when you orgasm. male reproductive system. They include:

What is a normal size of the penis? Vas deferens

Studies suggest that the average penis is about 3.5 The vas deferens is a long, muscular tube that travels
inches (8.9 cm) when flaccid (soft) and a little more from the epididymis into the pelvic cavity, just
than 5 inches (13 cm) when erect. behind the urinary bladder. The vas deferens
transports mature sperm to the urethra in
Scrotum preparation for ejaculation.
The scrotum is the loose, pouch-like sac of skin that
hangs behind the penis. It holds the testicles (testes) Ejaculatory ducts
as well as nerves and blood vessels. Each testicle has a vas deferens that joins with
seminal vesicle ducts to form ejaculatory ducts. The
The scrotum protects your testicles and provides a ejaculatory ducts move through your prostate,
sort of “climate-control system.” For normal sperm where they collect fluid to add to semen. They
development, the testes must be at a temperature empty into your urethra.
that’s slightly cooler than body temperature
(between 97 and 99 degrees Fahrenheit or 36 and Urethra
37 degrees Celsius). Special muscles in the wall of The urethra is the tube that carries pee from your
the scrotum let it contract (tighten) and relax. Your bladder outside of your body. If you have a penis, it
scrotum contracts to move your testicles closer to also ejaculates semen when you reach orgasm.
your body for warmth and protection. It relaxes
away from your body to cool them. Seminal vesicles
The seminal vesicles are sac-like pouches that attach
Testicles to the vas deferens near the base of the bladder.
The testicles (testes) are oval-shaped organs that lie Seminal vesicles make up to 80% of your ejaculatory
in your scrotum. They’re about the size of two large fluid, including fructose. Fructose is an energy
olives. The spermatic cord holds the testicles in source for sperm and helps them move (motility).
place and supplies them with blood. Most people
AMAB have two testicles, on the left and right side Prostate gland
of the scrotum. The testicles make testosterone and The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that rests below
produce sperm. Within the testicles are coiled your bladder, in front of your rectum. The prostate
masses of tubes. These are the seminiferous adds additional fluid to ejaculate, which helps
tubules. The seminiferous tubules produce sperm nourish sperm. The urethra runs through the center of
cells through spermatogenesis. the prostate gland.

Bulbourethral (Cowper) glands

The bulbourethral glands are pea-sized structures
on the sides of your urethra, just below your
prostate. They create a clear, slippery fluid that
empties directly into the urethra. This fluid
lubricates the urethra and neutralizes any acids that
may remain from your pee.
Female Reproductive The main parts of your vulva or external genitals are:

System Labia majora: Your labia majora (“large lips”)

enclose and protect the other external reproductive
organs. During puberty, hair growth occurs on the
The female reproductive system consists of internal
skin of the labia majora, which also contains sweat
and external organs. It creates hormones and is
and oil-secreting glands.
responsible for fertility, menstruation, and sexual
Labia minora: Your labia minora (“small lips”) can
activity.
have a variety of sizes and shapes. They lie just inside
your labia majora and surround the opening to your
What is the female reproductive system?
vagina (the canal that joins the lower part of your
The female reproductive system is the body parts
uterus to the outside of your body) and the urethra
that help women or people assigned female at birth
(the tube that carries pee from your bladder to the
(AFAB):
outside of your body). This skin is very delicate and
can become easily irritated and swollen.
• Have sexual intercourse.
Clitoris: Your two labia minora meet at your clitoris,
• Reproduce.
a small, sensitive protrusion that’s comparable to a
• Menstruate. penis in men or people assigned male at birth
(AMAB). Your clitoris is covered by a fold of skin
What are the parts of the female reproductive called the prepuce and is very sensitive to
system? stimulation.
The female reproductive anatomy includes both Vaginal opening: Your vaginal opening allows
external and internal parts. menstrual blood and babies to exit your body.
Tampons, fingers, sex toys or penises can go inside
your vagina through your vaginal opening.
Hymen: Your hymen is a piece of tissue covering or
surrounding part of your vaginal opening. It’s
formed during development and present during
birth.
Opening to your urethra: The opening to your
urethra is the hole you pee from.

Internal parts
Vagina: Your vagina is a muscular canal that joins the
cervix (the lower part of uterus) to the outside of the
body. It can widen to accommodate a baby during
delivery and then shrink back to hold something
narrow like a tampon. It’s lined with mucous
membranes that help keep it moist.
Cervix: Your cervix is the lowest part of your uterus.
A hole in the middle allows sperm to enter and
menstrual blood to exit. Your cervix opens (dilates)
to allow a baby to come out during a vaginal
childbirth. Your cervix is what prevents things like
tampons from getting lost inside your body.
Uterus: Your uterus is a hollow, pear-shaped organ
that holds a fetus during pregnancy. Your uterus is
External parts divided into two parts: the cervix and the corpus.
The function of your external genitals is to protect Your corpus is the larger part of your uterus that
the internal parts from infection and allow sperm to expands during pregnancy.
enter your vagina. Ovaries: Ovaries are small, oval-shaped glands that
are located on either side of your uterus. Your
Your vulva is the collective name for all your external ovaries produce eggs and hormones.
genitals. A lot of people mistakenly use the term
“vagina” to describe all female reproductive parts.
However, your vagina is its own structure located
inside your body.
Fallopian tubes: These are narrow tubes that are Follicle-stimulating hormone.
attached to the upper part of your uterus and serve Luteinizing hormone.
as pathways for your egg (ovum) to travel from your Estrogen.
ovaries to your uterus. Fertilization of an egg by Progesterone.
sperm normally occurs in the fallopian tubes. The Follicular phase
fertilized egg then moves to the uterus, where it This phase starts on the first day of your period.
implants into your uterine lining. During the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle,
the following events occur:
What are the functions of the female reproductive
system? Two hormones, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
The female reproductive system provides several and luteinizing hormone (LH) are released from your
functions. In addition to allowing a person to have brain and travel in your blood to your ovaries.
sexual intercourse, it also helps a person reproduce. The hormones stimulate the growth of about 15 to
20 eggs in your ovaries, each in its own “shell,” called
Your ovaries produce eggs. These eggs are then a follicle.
transported to your fallopian tube during ovulation These hormones (FSH and LH) also trigger an
where fertilization by sperm may occur. The increase in the production of the hormone estrogen.
fertilized egg then moves to your uterus, where the As estrogen levels rise, like a switch, it turns off the
uterine lining has thickened in response to the production of follicle-stimulating hormone. This
normal hormones of your menstrual cycle (also careful balance of hormones allows the body to limit
called your reproductive cycle). Once in your uterus, the number of follicles that will prepare eggs to be
the fertilized egg can implant into the thickened released.
uterine lining and continue to develop. If As the follicular phase progresses, one follicle in one
implantation doesn’t take place, the uterine lining is ovary becomes dominant and continues to mature.
shed as your menstrual period. In addition, the This dominant follicle suppresses all of the other
female reproductive system produces sex hormones follicles in the group. As a result, they stop growing
that maintain your menstrual cycle. and die. The dominant follicle continues to produce
estrogen.
During menopause, the female reproductive system Ovulatory phase
gradually stops making the female hormones The ovulatory phase (ovulation) usually starts about
necessary for the menstrual cycle to work. At this 14 days after the follicular phase started (the exact
point, menstrual cycles can become irregular and timing varies). The ovulatory phase is the second
eventually stop. You’re considered to be phase of your menstrual cycle. Most people will
menopausal when you’ve gone an entire year have a menstrual period 10 to 16 days after
without a menstrual period. ovulation. During this phase, the following events
occur:
What happens during the menstrual cycle?
Women or people AFAB of reproductive age The rise in estrogen from the dominant follicle
(beginning anywhere from 11 to 16 years of age) triggers a surge in the amount of luteinizing
experience cycles of hormonal activity that repeat at hormone (LH) that your brain produces.
about one-month intervals. With every cycle, your This causes the dominant follicle to release its egg
body prepares for a potential pregnancy, whether or from the ovary.
not that’s your intention. The term menstruation As the egg is released (a process called ovulation) it’s
refers to the periodic shedding of your uterine lining captured by finger-like projections on the end of the
when pregnancy doesn’t occur that cycle. Many fallopian tubes (fimbriae). The fimbriae sweep the
people call the days that they notice vaginal egg into the fallopian tube.
bleeding their “period.” For one to five days prior to ovulation, many women
or people with AFAB will notice an increase in egg-
The average menstrual cycle takes about 28 days white cervical mucus. This mucus is the vaginal
and occurs in phases. These phases include: discharge that helps to capture and nourish a sperm
on its way to meet the egg for fertilization.
The follicular phase (the egg develops). Luteal phase
The ovulatory phase (release of the egg). The luteal phase begins right after ovulation and
The luteal phase (hormone levels decrease if the egg involves the following processes:
doesn’t implant).
There are four major hormones (chemicals that
stimulate or regulate the activity of cells or organs)
involved in the menstrual cycle. These hormones
include:
Once it releases its egg, the empty ovarian follicle
develops into a new structure called the corpus
luteum.
The corpus luteum secretes the hormones estrogen
and progesterone. Progesterone prepares your
uterus for a fertilized egg to implant.
If intercourse has taken place and sperm has
fertilized the egg (conception), the fertilized egg
(embryo) will travel through your fallopian tube to
implant in your uterus. This is how pregnancy
begins.
If the egg isn’t fertilized, it dissolves in your uterus.
Not needed to support a pregnancy, the lining of
your uterus breaks down and sheds. This is when
your period begins.
How many eggs does a woman have?
You’re born with all the eggs you’ll ever produce.
During fetal development, you have about 6 million
eggs. At birth, there are approximately 1 million eggs
left. By the time you reach puberty, only about
300,000 remain. The number of eggs you have
continues to decline as you age and menstruate
each cycle. Fertility also declines with age due to the
decreasing number and quality of your remaining
eggs.

How does reproduction work?

In humans, female and male reproductive systems
work together to reproduce. There are two kinds of
sex cells — sperm and eggs. When a sperm meets an
egg, it can fertilize it and create a zygote. This zygote
eventually becomes a fetus. Both a sperm and an
egg are needed for human reproduction.