Human Reproduction and Health
NCERT Class 10 • Science • Chapter "How do Organisms Reproduce" | NCERT Class 8 • Science • Chapter "Reproduction in Animals"
Human Reproduction and Health
Human beings reproduce sexually, which means a new individual begins when a male gamete fuses with a female gamete. The body becomes capable of this only after puberty, when the reproductive organs mature and secondary sexual characters appear.
The Reproductive Systems
- The male reproductive system consists of the testes, vas deferens, associated glands and the penis.
- The testes produce sperm and also the hormone testosterone, which brings about male secondary sexual characters.
- The testes lie outside the abdominal cavity because sperm production needs a temperature slightly lower than body temperature.
- The female reproductive system consists of a pair of ovaries, oviducts or fallopian tubes, the uterus and the vagina.
- The ovary produces the egg and the hormones oestrogen and progesterone.
- Fertilisation takes place in the fallopian tube when a sperm fuses with the egg to form a zygote.
- The zygote divides and implants in the wall of the uterus, where it develops into an embryo and then a foetus.
- The placenta is the special tissue that supplies the developing foetus with nutrition and oxygen and removes its waste.
Menstruation and Reproductive Health
- If the egg is not fertilised, the thickened lining of the uterus breaks down and is shed, which is menstruation.
- The whole cycle is controlled by hormones and repeats at roughly monthly intervals.
- Reproductive health means complete physical, mental and social wellbeing in matters of reproduction, not merely the absence of disease.
- Family planning methods are grouped as barrier methods, chemical methods, surgical methods and intrauterine devices.
- Barrier methods also protect against sexually transmitted infections, which the other methods do not.
- Determining the sex of an unborn child is illegal in India, because it led to a fall in the number of girls.
- Adequate nutrition, hygiene, awareness and timely medical care are the foundation of reproductive health.
- Family planning also helps stabilise population growth alongside its health benefits.
| Organ | Produces | Hormone |
|---|---|---|
| Testis | Sperm | Testosterone |
| Ovary | Egg | Oestrogen and progesterone |
| Uterus | Site of development | Supports the embryo |
Placenta — the tissue connecting the foetus to the uterine wall, which supplies nutrition and oxygen and removes waste.
Exam me kaise aata hai
- Fertilisation in humans takes place in the — fallopian tube
- The male hormone produced by the testis is — testosterone
- The structure that nourishes the foetus is the — placenta
- The fertilised egg is called a — zygote
UPSC/State PSC ke liye
- Testes lie outside the body cavity because spermatogenesis requires a temperature a few degrees below core body temperature.
- Sex determination of an unborn child is prohibited because the practice distorted the sex ratio, which is a demographic consequence of a medical technology.
Yahan confuse hote hain
✗ Fertilisation takes place in the uterus | Fertilisation occurs in the fallopian tube; development occurs in the uterus | ✓
✗ All family planning methods prevent infection | Only barrier methods also protect against infection | ✓
✗ Menstruation means an infection | Menstruation is the normal shedding of the uterine lining | ✓
Ek nazar me
- Testes make sperm and testosterone; ovaries make eggs and female hormones.
- Fertilisation occurs in the fallopian tube and development in the uterus.
- The placenta nourishes the foetus and removes its waste.
- Reproductive health covers physical, mental and social wellbeing.