What is reproduction process?

          The key feature of all living things is that they can make more of their kind. This is called reproduction. The human body reproduces in much the same way as animals such as cats, dogs, horses and tigers. A female and male come together and have sexual intercourse. A microscopic tadpole-shaped cell from the male joins with, or fertilizes, an egg cell from the female. This fertilized egg grows and develops in the womb of the female, into a baby ready to be born.

SEX ORGANS

          The parts of the body involved in reproduction are called the sex organs. They are present at birth, but they develop rapidly and start to work from the ages of about 11-14 years in girls and 13-16 years in boys. This time of rapid growth and changes in bodily features is known as puberty. A girl develops a more rounded body outline and her breasts enlarge. A boy grows facial hair and his voice breaks. These changes are controlled by hormones.

 

 

THE FIRST WEEK OF LIFE

          The egg cell (ovum) contains a set of genetic material from the mother. The sperm cell (spermatozoon) has a set from the father. When sperm and egg join, the fertilized egg contains the normal double-set of genetic material found in all body cells. The fertilized egg is larger than most cells, almost one-tenth of one millimetre across. But it divides many times by the process of cell division, so the cells reduce back to normal size. During this time the ball of cells passes along the egg duct to the womb.

          The womb lining has become thickened and rich with blood and nutrients, as part of the menstrual cycle. When the ball of cells reaches the inside of the womb, it burrows into the lining. The cells in the ball continue to multiply and the ball becomes hollow. A flatter, disc-shaped part appears in the middle of the hollow ball. As the cells multiply into many thousands and begin to move about, the disc changes shape into a tiny, tadpole-like object. This is a very young baby, called an embryo. It is hardly larger than a grain of rice, but its heart is already beating.

Picture Credit : Google