1.
3 The reproductive system
1.3 The reproductive system
We are going to...
• describe body changes that happen during puberty
• name the parts of the reproductive system.
Getting started
Think about what you already know about
reproduction and write down your answers
to these questions.
1 What is reproduction?
2 Why do living things need to reproduce?
3 Reproduction is part of the life cycle of
all living things.
Look at the picture of the human
life cycle.
a Which stage of the life cycle are you
in now?
b Which stage or stages are your family members in?
fertilisation
hormones
menstruation
ova
puberty
reproductive system
sperm
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1 The human body
Growing and developing
When you were born you were
very small. You couldn’t walk
or talk or do anything for
yourself. Now you are much
bigger and can do many
things for yourself.
Throughout your childhood
you continue to grow and
develop. You not only grow
taller and heavier, but your
body changes in other ways
too. Some of the changes
mean that you are becoming an adult and
will be able to reproduce. This stage in your life is called puberty.
Puberty starts at different ages in boys and girls. In boys, puberty
usually starts when they are about 13 years old. In girls, puberty
often happens from the age of 11. The changes that happen
during puberty don’t happen all at once, but in stages. These
changes are caused by chemicals in your body called hormones.
The first change you will notice is that you grow very fast. Boys
can easily grow 10 cm in a year. Girls can grow up to 12 cm in a
year as puberty starts.
One of the other changes you will notice is that your body grows
more hair. In boys, hair begins to grow on the face, armpits and
other parts of the body. In girls, hair begins to grow in the armpits
and other parts of the body.
Your skin can also get oily. Many boys and girls get pimples
during puberty.
A boy’s shoulders and chest will get broader as his body muscles
develop. His voice will change and become deeper.
A girl’s hips will get wider and she will start to develop breasts.
Her voice will also become a little deeper.
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1.3 The reproductive system
Activity
What do you know or want to know about puberty?
1 Write one or two sentences to explain in your own words
what puberty is.
2 Make a table to compare your body before puberty with the
changes you can expect in your body during puberty.
3 Write down a question you have about puberty on a piece
of paper. Fold up the paper and give your question to your
teacher. In the next lesson, your teacher will discuss
answers to the questions your class has asked.
How am I doing?
Answer ‘Very well’, ‘Quite well’ or ‘I need help’ to these questions:
• How well can I explain what puberty is?
• How well can I identify the body changes that happen during puberty?
Changes in the reproductive system
There are also important changes that take place inside the
bodies of boys and girls during puberty. These changes happen in
the reproductive system and make it possible for a boy to become
a father and for a girl to become a mother when they are older.
The main job of the reproductive system is to make special cells
called sex cells that are needed for reproduction. In males, the sex
cells are called sperm. In females, the sex cells are called eggs or
ova (one egg is called an ovum). During reproduction, a sperm
and an egg join together to form a new living being that will grow
into baby. This process is called fertilisation.
A boy’s body starts to make sperm during puberty. In girls, ova
start to develop. Menstruation in girls starts about a year after
puberty begins. This is when an unfertilised egg is released
from the body together with the lining of the uterus, which
causes some bleeding. Menstruation happens about once a
month but is often not regular until a girl is older.
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1 The human body
The male reproductive system
The male reproductive organs include:
• two testes, which produce the sperm
(one is called a testis)
• the sperm duct, which carries the
sperm to the penis
• the penis, which transfers the sperm
into the female’s body.
The diagram shows the parts of the
sperm duct
male reproductive system.
testis
penis
The female reproductive system
The female reproductive organs include:
• ovaries, which produce the
ova or egg cells oviduct
• the uterus or womb,
where the baby develops
• oviducts, where fertilisation
takes place ovary
uterus uterus lining
• the birth canal, which
receives the sperm from
the male and through which
the baby is born. birth canal
The diagram shows the parts
of the female reproductive system.
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1.3 The reproductive system
Questions
1 What is the main job of the reproductive system?
2 a What are the male sex cells called?
b What are the female sex cells called?
3 Which part of the male reproductive system has the following functions?
a makes sex cells
b carries sex cells to the penis
c where the sperm leave the body
4 Which part of the female reproductive system has these functions?
a makes sex cells
b where fertilisation takes place
c where the baby develops
d where the sperm enters the body
What did I learn about myself in the different activities?
Have I changed any ideas I used to have about puberty and
the reproductive system?
Look what I can do!
I can describe body changes that happen during puberty.
I can name the parts of the reproductive system.
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