Chapter 16: Regulation and Reproduction

Produces female
sex hormones
Stimulates
egg production
in ovaries
The Reproductive
System
Reproduction and the
Endocrine System
Reproduction is the process that continues life on Earth.
Most human body systems, such as the digestive system and the
nervous system, are the same in males and females, but this is
not true for the reproductive system. Males and females each
have structures specialized for their roles in reproduction.
Although structurally different, both the male and female reproductive
systems are adapted to allow for a series of events that
can lead to the birth of a baby.
Hormones are the key to how the human reproductive system
functions, as shown in Figure 4. Sex hormones are necessary
for the development of sexual characteristics, such as breast
development in females and facial hair growth in males.
Hormones from the pituitary gland also begin the production of
eggs in females and sperm in males. Eggs and sperm transfer
hereditary information from one generation to the next.
Brain
Pituitary
gland
Produces male
sex hormones
Stimulates
sperm production
in testes
■ Identify the function of the
reproductive system.
■ Compare and contrast the major
structures of the male and
female reproductive systems.
■ Sequence the stages of the
menstrual cycle.
Human reproductive systems help
ensure that human life continues
on Earth.
Review Vocabulary
cilia: short, hairlike structures
that extend from a cell
New Vocabulary
• testes • uterus
• sperm • vagina
• semen • ovary • menstruation
menstrual cycle •
• ovulation
Figure 4 The pituitary gland
produces hormones that control
the male and female reproductive
systems.
SECTION 2 The Reproductive System 473