WHAT CONSTITUTES SEX?

Humans experience various changes (physical and emotional) from childhood to

adulthood. These changes are gradual and progress at different ages and speed in
different people. These stages are based on human growth and development from
childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age.

DEFINITION OF TERMS
1. Reproduction – the process of producing offspring
2. Genitals- external sex organs
3. Primary sex characteristics – sex characteristics that are present at birth
4. Secondary sex characteristics – sex characteristics that emerge during puberty

*For purposes of our discussion, we will focus on the adolescent stage of human
development because this stage is dynamic in terms of change in physical and behavioral.
* Despite differences in physical appearance, the sexual organs of men and women arise
from the same structure and fulfill similar functions.
* Each has what we call pair of GONADS
For female: it is called OVARIES
For male: it is called TESTES

Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/802696333575943940/
 The GONADS produce germ cells (ova/egg and sperm) and sex hormones.
The ova and the sperm are the basic units of reproduction; their union can lead to
the creation of new life.

The female sexual anatomy is designed for the production and fertilization of ovum, as
well as carrying and delivering infant offspring.
The female external genitalia consists of the following:
Vulva – all the external genital structures taken together;
Mons veneries – pads of fatty tissue between the pubic bone and skin;
Labia majora – outer lips surrounding all other structures.
Prepuce – clitoral hood (foreskin above and covering clitoris).
Clitoris – glands; particularly sensitive to stimulation.
Labia minora – inner lips surrounding the vestibule where sweat and oil glands
extensive blood vessels, and nerve endings are located.
Vestibule – area surrounding the urethral opening and vagina, which is highly
sensitive with external blood vessels and nerve ending.
Urethral opening – end of tube connecting to bladder and use for urination.
Vaginal opening – also called introitus; and perineum
Perineum – area of skin separating the genitalia from the anus; distance is less in
female than males.

B. The female reproductive structure

Vagina – collapsible canal extending from vaginal opening back and upward into
body to cervix and uterus. During arousal, it is engorged with blood. This aids its
expansion and triggers the release of lubricants from vaginal mucosa;
Cervix- small end of uterus to which vagina leads. It is the opening in cervix leading
to interior of uterus.
Uterus- womb, organ within pelvic zone where fetus is carried.
Fallopian tubes- carry egg cells from ovaries to uterus, this is where fertilization
occurs;
Ovaries – produces estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen influences female sex
characteristics and initiates menstrual cycle. Progesterone aids in regulation of
menstrual cycle and promotes mature development of uterine lining to allow for
zygote implantation.

Puberty
The menstrual cycle marks the beginning of puberty in females. The first
episode occurs between 11-15 years of age. Menstruation pertains to the
sloughing off of the uterine lining if conception has not occurred. It may last within
two to six days following the cycle ranging from 24 to 42 days.

Secondary sexual characteristics emerge after puberty

1. Widening of hips and pelvis – accommodates giving birth, bur also results in
downward shift in center of gravity.

2. Enlargement of breasts- at puberty, both the glandular and fatty tissues of the
breasts develop considerably. Differences in breast size between women are
primarily due to differences in the amount of fatty tissue. It is also not
uncommon for one of a woman’s breast to be slightly larger than the other. The
glandular tissue of the breast responds to sex hormones, and the breasts are
involved in women’s sexual arousal. The glandular tissue produces milk toward
the end of pregnancy and after childbirth in response to hormone levels.

MORE FEMALE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Generally shorter than men;
- Greater proportion of body weight composed of fat than men
 - Two X chromosomes reduces expression of many sex-linked conditions;
and
- Lower mortality rate at every age and longer projected lifespan than
men.

B. THE BIOLOGICAL MALE

The male sexual anatomy is designed for the production and delivery of sperm for
fertilization of the female’s ovum. Puberty signals the final development of primary and
accessory organs that support reproduction.

What’s the male reproductive system?

The male reproductive system includes a group of organs that make up a man’s
reproductive and urinary system. These organs do the following jobs within your body:
They produce, maintain and transport sperm (the male reproductive cells) and
semen (the protective fluid around sperm).
 They discharge sperm into the female reproductive tract.
They produce and secrete male sex hormones.
The male reproductive system is made up of internal (inside your body) and
external (outside your body) parts. Together, these organs help you urinate (rid your body
of liquid waste materials), have sexual intercourse and make children.

What are the external male reproductive structures?

Most of the male reproductive system is located outside of your abdominal cavity or
pelvis. The external parts of the male reproductive system include the penis, the scrotum
and the testicles.

Penis
1
The penis is the male organ for sexual intercourse. It has three parts:
The root: This is the part of the penis that attaches to the wall of your abdomen.
The body or shaft: Shaped like a tube or cylinder, the body of the penis is made up of three
internal chambers. Inside these chambers there’s a special, sponge-like erectile tissue that
contains thousands of large spaces that fill with blood when you’re sexually aroused. As
the penis fills with blood, it becomes rigid and erect, which allows for penetration during
sex. The skin of the penis is loose and elastic, allowing for changes in penis size during an
erection.
The glans: This is the cone-shaped end of the penis. The glans, which is also called the
head of the penis, is covered with a loose layer of skin called foreskin. This skin is
sometimes removed in a procedure called circumcision.
The opening of the urethra — the tube that transports both semen and urine out of
the body — is located at the tip of the glans penis. The penis also contains many sensitive
nerve endings.

Semen, which contains sperm, is expelled (ejaculated) through the end of the penis when
a man reaches sexual climax (orgasm). When the penis is erect, the flow of urine is blocked
from the urethra, allowing only semen to be ejaculated at orgasm.
Scrotum

The scrotum is the loose pouch-like sac of skin that hangs behind the penis. It holds the
testicles (also called testes), as well as many nerves and blood vessels. The scrotum
protects your testes, as well as providing a sort of climate control system. For normal
sperm development, the testes must be at a temperature slightly cooler than the body
temperature. Special muscles in the wall of the scrotum allow it to contract (tighten) and
relax, moving the testicles closer to the body for warmth and protection or farther away
from the body to cool the temperature.

Testicles (testes)

The testes are oval organs about the size of very large olives that lie in the scrotum, secured
at either end by a structure called the spermatic cord. Most men have two testes. The
testes are responsible for making testosterone, the primary male sex hormone, and for
producing sperm. Within the testes are coiled masses of tubes called seminiferous
tubules. These tubules are responsible for producing the sperm cells through a process
called spermatogenesis.

Epididymis

The epididymis is a long, coiled tube that rests on the backside of each testicle. It carries
and stores sperm cells that are created in the testes. It’s also the job of the epididymis to
bring the sperm to maturity — the sperm that emerge from the testes are immature and
incapable of fertilization. During sexual arousal, contractions force the sperm into the vas
deferens.

What are the internal male reproductive organs?

You have several internal organs — also called accessory organs — that play a big part in
the male reproductive system. These organs include:

Vas deferens: The vas deferens is a long, muscular tube that travels from the epididymis
into the pelvic cavity, to just behind the bladder. The vas deferens transports mature
sperm to the urethra in preparation for ejaculation.
Ejaculatory ducts: These ducts are formed by the fusion of the vas deferens and the
seminal vesicles. The ejaculatory ducts empty into the urethra.
Urethra: The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to outside of your
body. In males, it has the additional function of expelling (ejaculating) semen when you
reach orgasm. When the penis is erect during sex, the flow of urine is blocked from the
urethra, allowing only semen to be ejaculated at orgasm.
Seminal vesicles: The seminal vesicles are sac-like pouches that attach to the vas deferens
near the base of the bladder. The seminal vesicles make a sugar-rich fluid (fructose) that
provides sperm with a source of energy and helps with the sperms’ ability to move
(motility). The fluid of the seminal vesicles makes up most of the volume of your
ejaculatory fluid, or ejaculate.
Prostate gland: The prostate gland is a walnut-sized structure that’s located below the
urinary bladder in front of the rectum. The prostate gland contributes additional fluid to
the ejaculate. Prostate fluids also help to nourish the sperm. The urethra, which carries
the ejaculate to be expelled during orgasm, runs through the center of the prostate gland.
Bulbourethral glands: The bulbourethral glands, or Cowper’s glands, are pea-sized
structures located on the sides of the urethra, just below the prostate gland. These glands
produce a clear, slippery fluid that empties directly into the urethra. This fluid serves to
lubricate the urethra and to neutralize any acidity that may be present due to residual
drops of urine in the urethra.

Source: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9117-male-reproductive-system

MORE MALE CHARACTERISTICS

- Generally taller and greater proportion of body weight composed of
water.
- Proportionally larger heart and lungs, presumably to handle greater
blood fluid volume.
- Exposure to greater levels of testosterone resulting in heavier body and
facial hair, but also increased frequency and degree of baldness; and
- Single X chromosome resulting in sex-linked conditions such as
colorblindness and hemophilia.

MALE HORMONES
The testosterone is the major male hormone produced mainly by the testes, but
there are other glands called the adrenal gland that also produce some testosterone. In
case a man lost his testes, these glands would continue to produce testosterone to support
the male physical appearance. Testosterone is responsible for the growth and
development of a boy during adolescence and for the development of sperm and
secondary sexual characteristics.
MALE SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERISTICS THAT EMERGE AFTER
PUBERTY:

No monthly cycle;
Elongation of vocal cords (lower voice)
Broader shoulders; and
Deeper chest cavity.

Source: Gender and Society: A human Ecological Approach by Peralta, Eric Paul, Nephtaly and Laude