Reproductive Structure and Function

How long does puberty typically last?

2-3 years

Puberty occurs from ages ____ to ____.

8 to 12

At what age does puberty typically begin for girls? What about for boys?

8-9 for girls. 11 for boys.

What parts of the body are involved in reproductive maturation?

CNS (hypothalamus), endocrine system (anterior pituitary), gonads

What is thelarche?

breast development

In both the male and female embryo, when are the internal and external structures completely present?

by 9 months gestation

Female embyronic development: What hormone is present? What hormone is absent? What do the two female gonads develop into? What happens to the ducts?

estrogen is present but testosterone is absent. the ovaries. the mesonephric ducts deteriorate. the lower end of the paramesonephric duct join to become the uterus and the upper portions develop into the fallopian tubes.

What triggers sexual maturation in puberty?

increased production of sex hormones

What may be a trigger for puberty? What tissue does this come from? What is the relationship between this and early puberty?

leptin, an adipose tissue hormone. increasing childhood obesity rates may result in early puberty.

What are the two pairs of ducts that are part of the reproductive system as it develops? What do they each empty into?

mesonephric ducts (wolffian ducts) and paramesonephric ducts (mullerian ducts). both empty into the urogenital sinus.

In the male embryo, what allow the differentiation of the genital tubercle into the male genitalia?

testosterone

Male embryonic development: what do the male embryo gonads begin to produce? What do the gonads develop into? What happens to the two ducts?

testosterone. two testes. the paramesonephric ducts degenerate and the mesonephric ducts develop into the vas deferens.

Until what week of development are the male and female embryo reproductive structures the same?

the 8th week of gestation

What will cause the development of female genitalia?

the ABSENCE of testosterone

What marks the beginning of puberty for girls?

thelarche (breast development)

When is puberty considered "complete?"

when an individual is capable of reproduction