Reproduction systems

Key parts include: 

Ovaries 

Produce eggs and hormones like oestrogen and progesterone

Location: One on each side of the uterus 

Fallopian tubes 

Transport eggs from the ovaries to the uterus

Uterus (womb) 

A fertilised egg develops into a foetus in the uterus 

Cervix 

Connects the uterus to the vagina 

Dilates during labour to allow the baby to pass through

Vagina 

Birth canal, passage for menstrual blood, receives the penis during sexual intercourse

Muscular tube leading from the cervix to the outside of the body. 

Key parts include: 

Testicles 

Produce sperm and the hormone testosterone

Where: Housed in the scrotum, a pouch of skin outside the body

Prostate gland 

Produces a fluid that protects sperm

Where: Below the bladder

Urethra 

Carries urine and semen out of the body

Where: Tube running through the penis

Penis 

Delivers sperm into the female reproductive system and excretes urine

Contains the urethra. 

Fertilisation 

Occurs when a sperm cell meets and penetrates an egg cell, usually in the fallopian tube.

The fertilised egg then moves to the uterus and implants itself into the lining to develop into an embryo.

Menstrual cycle 

A monthly cycle in females that prepares the body for pregnancy

Involves the thickening of the uterine lining and the release of an egg (ovulation)

Pregnancy 

Begins with the implantation of a fertilised egg in the uterus

Last around 40 weeks from the last menstrual period to childbirth. 

Women's health | NHS inform

Family Planning Association