We have already studied male reproductive
 
system, and now in this lesson will
 
mainly focus on female reproductive
 
system. Male reproductive system and
 
female reproductive system are quite
 
different from each other.
 
They differ because there's some
 
different purposes. Male reproductive
 
system mainly aims to produce male
 
gametes and transfer it to female body.
 
While female reproductive system mainly
 
aims to produce female gametes and is
 
also responsible for carrying the baby
 
throughout the development. The main
 
organs present in female reproductive
 
system are a pair of ovaries, a pair of
 
fallopian tubes or oviduct, a uterus,
 
a cervix and a vagina. When a girl is born,
 
her ovaries contain thousands of
 
immature eggs, as she grows and reaches
 
puberty, some of these eggs begin to
 
mature. On maturation, eggs are released
 
from the ovaries. Every time one egg is
 
released from each ovary. So, alternate
 
ovaries release the egg every month.
 
That is, one ovary releases the egg one
 
month, and in second month second
 
releases the egg. Now, this released egg
 
enters the fallopian tube, or the
 
oviduct and from oviduct it reaches
 
the womb or the uterus. Uterus is a bag
 
which opens into vagina through a
 
cervix. During intercourse, male deposits
 
the sperms in the female body through
 
the vaginal passage. These sperms then
 
float and reach to the fallopian tube or
 
the oviduct. And there if it meets an
 
ova it fuses with it.
 
This fusion of an ova or an egg with
 
the sperm is known as fertilization. So,
 
we can see that fallopian tube acts as a
 
site of fertilization. This fertilization
 
results in the formation of a zygote.
 
The zygote then reaches the uterus where
 
it gets implanted in the lining of the
 
uterus thickens, and is richly supplied
 
with blood to nourish the growing embryo.
 
This growing embryo receives its
 
nourishment or its nutrition from the
 
mother's body through a placenta.
 
Placenta is a disk-like tissue present in
 
the uterus. It has many villi and
 
these villi increase the surface area so
 
that glucose etc., can pass from the
 
mother's body to the fetus or the embryo.
 
Hence, this way mother provides sufficient
 
nutrients and oxygen to the baby. Now, the
 
baby also produces some waste
 
materials. So, these waste materials are
 
removed by passing these to the mother's
 
blood through placenta. The development
 
of the child inside the mother's body
 
takes approximately nine months, and once
 
the development is completed the walls
 
of the uterus undergo rhythmic
 
contractions, which help the child to take
 
birth. So, ultimately we can say that uterus
 
acts as the site for development
 
of fertilized egg. Now, what happens to
 
the unfertilized egg? Uterus prepares
 
every month by thickening its lining to
 
receive the fertilized egg. Now, if it
 
does not receive any egg, that is if
 
the egg is not fertilized, then this
 
lining is disrupted, and it is released
 
from the body in the form of blood and
 
mucus through vagina.
 
This process is known as menstruation. It
 
occurs every month, and it lasts from
 
two to eight days. So, we saw how the
 
egg is fertilized and the child is born.
 
We also saw what happens to the
 
unfertilized egg. Now, let's discuss about
 
reproductive health of male and
 
females. As the sexual act can lead to
 
pregnancy in the female body, so it is
 
very important that the females should
 
be ready for it, else it would affect her
 
health severely. There are many ways to avoid
 
pregnancy. So, various contraceptive
 
ways are, first to use mechanical
 
barriers. For example, condoms can be used.
 
Condoms are the coverings for the penis
 
and similarly some coverage for vagina
 
can also be used as well. Secondly,
 
pregnancy can be avoided by changing the
 
hormonal balance of our body. By doing
 
this the eggs will not be released and
 
so fertilization will not happen. But as
 
this can be done by taking pills, so it
 
has some side effects. Next method to
 
avoid pregnancy can be with the use of
 
loop or Copper T.
 
These can be placed in uterus to avoid
 
pregnancy, but again a side effect of
 
this is it causes irritation in the
 
uterus. Next, vast difference in males can
 
be blocked. By doing so,
 
sperm transfer can be blocked and thus
 
there will be no fertilization. We can
 
also block fallopian tube in females.
 
Moreover, these blocks can also be
 
created by surgeries. These surgeries are
 
considered safe for long run, but these
 
surgeries itself can cause some
 
infections. Surgeries can also be misused
 
by some people who do not want girl
 
child and so we can see how reproductive
 
health can be maintained in
 
males and females.
