13.5 Critical Thinking Questions
- Follow the path of ejaculated sperm from the vagina to the oocyte. Include all structures of the female reproductive tract that the sperm must travel through to reach the egg.
- Identify some differences between meiosis in males and females.
- Explain the hormonal regulation of the phases of the menstrual cycle.
- Endometriosis is a disease characterized by the presence of endometrial-like tissue found outside the uterus—in the uterine tubes, on the ovaries, or even in the pelvic cavity. Offer a hypothesis as to why endometriosis increases a woman’s risk of infertility.
- Identify the changes in sensitivity that occur in the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and gonads as a person approaches puberty. Explain how these changes lead to the increases of sex steroid hormone secretions that drive many pubertal changes.
- Explain how the internal female reproductive structures develop from a duct system.