The Sperm and the Egg Differences - Essay Example

The Sperm and the Egg The Sperm and the Egg Introduction The male and female sex organs differ from each other. The male genital organs include the penis, the scrotum, testes, the vas deferens and the seminal vesicles. All this organs performs different factions in men. Female sex organs, on the other hand, include the mons veneris, labia majora, labia minora, clitoris, vestibule, urethral opening, vaginal opening, perineum and other strictures that underlie the external sex organs. All these organs also perform different functions in female. This paper describes the life of a sperm and the egg from start to finish, by tracing the development of a sperm and egg cell from generation to fertilization. It will also discuss the functions of each of the male and female internal and external sex organs in relation to sperm and egg cell. The paper also examines the role of sex organs in the process of fertilization. The Sperm Cell (Sperm) Sperm is produced by the testes of the male reproductive system. The production of sperm is initiated by the follicle stimulating hormone located at the adenohypophysis to the pituitary gland. The hormone moves to the seminiferous tubules located inside the testes that initiate the manufacture of Sperm. It is estimated that about 50 million sperms are produced every day. Once Sperm have been produced, they leave the uniferous tubules and move to the epididymis. From here, sperm enter the ductus deferens or vas deferens. The vas deference is a long tube that transports sperms to the urethra during ejaculatory. The ejaculatory duct is co-joined to the penile urethra that moves Sperm out of the penis to the vagina (Rathus, Nevid, and Fichner-Rathus, 2011). A sperm is made of two parts: the head and the tail also known as the falagellum. The work of the flagellum is to propel Sperm. During sexual intercourse, sperms ejaculated are propelled through the penis via the vas deferens to the virginal opening in the female reproductive organ. The head of sperm has a cap known as acrosomal cap which has an enzyme known as hyaluronidase. The enzyme is charged with the responsibility of decomposing the wall/barrier of the female to allow for penetration of sperm into a mature egg cell. In case Sperm meets a mature egg cell in the fallopian tube, it gets fertilized. It is estimated that about 300 million sperms are deposited in a single ejaculation. Victors are deposited in an ejaculation, however just about 20 will travel arrive toward the fertilized egg cell (Rathus, Nevid, and Fichner-Rathus, 2011). The Egg Cell (Egg cell) The egg is a female sex cell produced by the ovaries through meiosis. A normal woman is usually born with about one million egg cells. However, only about three hundred thousand egg cells remain after puberty. Two ovaries are situated at the lower part of the female abdomen. Once the egg cell has been formed, it is stored in within the follicle of the ovary until it matures before getting released. After being released, the egg cell moves along a short fallopian tube to the uterus for fertilization. The release of mature egg cell is known as ovulation. This occurs usually every 14 days before the succeeding menstrual cycle begins. In case a woman engages in sexual intercourse during the ovulation period and a mature egg cell meets a sperm cell, fertilization occurs leading to pregnancy. Function of the Male and Female Internal and External Sex Organs in Relation to the Sperm and the Egg Male Sex Organ Penis The penis is an external male sex organ. It is usually filled with blood during sexual arousal. It contains the urethra and three cylinders composed of two copora cavernosa and corpus sponglosum. The cylinders are bound with connective tissues. It is the penis that is inserted into the vaginal opening of the female during sexual intercourse. Scrotum The scrotum is another external male sex organ that contains testicles. The sperm usually requires a temperature that is slightly lower than the body temperature for survival. Therefore, to ensure that this situation is maintained, the cremaster muscle ensures that the scrotum is well positioned depending on temperature. When it is hot, the muscle allows the scrotum to hang away from the body. In this case, the muscle elevates the body so as to get closer to the body (Faller and Schuenke, 2004). Testes Testicles are internal male organs, usually two in number, that lie in the scrotum. Testicles are responsible for the production of testosterone hormone which is involved in production of sperms. Within the testicles are masses of tubes known as tubules. The tubules are responsible for the production of Sperm (Bassett, 2011). Epididymis The epididymis is a long-coiled tube located at the backside of testicles. Its purpose is the storage and transportation of sperms from testis. It is also involved in bringing sperm to maturity considering that sperms from the testicles are usually immature and cannot fertilize an egg cell. (Bassett, 2011). Vas deferens The vas deferens is a long tube connecting epididymis with the pelvic cavity. Its purpose is to transport mature sperm to the urethra during ejaculation as noted by Rathus, Nevid, and Fichner-Rathus (2011). Prostate gland The prostate gland is a nut-shaped structure found below the urinary bladder just in front of the rectum. It produces a fluid used for the nourishment of Mr.Victor (Bassett, 2011). Seminal vesicles Seminal vesicles are sack-like pouches attached to the vas deferens near the bladder. The Seminal vesicle produces an energy -rich fluid that provides sperms with energy to propel. Urethra The Urethra is a tube-like structure that transports urine from the bladder to out of the body. However, in the male, it assists in the ejaculation of sperms during orgasm. During sexual intercourse when the penis has erected, the flow of urine is usually blocked to give way to sperms (Faller and Schuenke, 2004). Female Sex Organs Ovaries Ovaries are small oval shaped glands positioned on either side of the uterus. The main purpose of the ovary is to produce eggs cells and hormones. Oviduct/Fallopian tube The fallopian tube is a narrow tube that is attached to the upper part of the uterus. It is a hole through which a mature egg cell travels from the ovary to the womb. It is at this oviduct where fertilization of a mature egg cell takes place after sexual intercourse (Faller and Schuenke, 2004). Uterus The uterus is a hollow-shaped internal female sex organ. It is within the uterus that implantation of fertilized egg cell usually takes place. Role of the sex organs in fertilization Fertilization refers to the fusion of sperm and mature egg cell. This usually takes place after sexual intercourse. During sexual intercourse, sperms are deposited on the vagina of a female as the penis penetrates the vagina. Sperms then swim via the cervix through to the oviduct. In case a sperm fuses with a mature egg cell at this point, fusion takes place resulting in fertilization. The fertilized egg cell then moves to the uterus for implantation (Faller and Schuenke, 2004). References Bassett, S. (2011). CliffsStudysolver Anatomy & Physiology. New Jersey: John Willey & Sons. Faller, A., & Schuenke, M. (2004). The Human Body: An Introduction to structure and function. New York: Thieme. Rathus, S.A., Nevid, J.s., & Fichner-Rathus, L. (2011). Human sexuality in a world of diversity (8th e.d.) Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Read More