Reproductive System Vocabulary

1. Corpus luteum-a yellow, progesterone-secreting mass of cells that forms from an ovarian follicle after the release of a mature egg
2. Epididymis-a long, narrow, convoluted tube, part of the spermatic duct system, that lies on the posterior aspect of each testicle, connecting it to the vas deferens
3. Gonad-a sex gland in which gametes are produced; an ovary or testis
4. Meiosis-part of the process of gamete formation, consisting of chromosome conjugation and two cell divisions, in the course of which the diploid chromosome number becomes reduced to the haploid
5. Oocyte-an immature egg cell of the animal ovary
6. Ovary-the female gonad or reproductive gland, in which the ova and the hormones that regulate female secondary sex characteristics develop
7. Placenta-the organ in most mammals, formed in the lining of the uterus by the union of the uterine mucous membrane with the membranes of the fetus, that provides for the nourishment of the fetus and the elimination of its waste products
8. Scrotum-the pouch of skin that contains the testes
9. Seminiferous tubule-any of the coiled tubules of the testis in which spermatozoa are produced
10. Testis-the male gonad or reproductive gland, either of two oval glands located in the scrotum
11. Vulva-the external female genitalia
12. Blastocyst-the blastula of the mammalian embryo, consisting of an inner cell mass, a cavity, and an outer layer, the trophoblast
13. Embryo-the young of a viviparous animal, esp. of a mammal, in the early stages of development within the womb, in humans up to the end of the second month
14. Fetus-the young of an animal in the womb or egg, esp. in the later stages of development when the body structures are in the recognizable form of its kind, in humans after the end of the second month of gestation
15. Implantation-the attachment of the early embryo to the lining of the uterus
16. Lactation-the secretion or formation of milk
17. Umbilical cord-a cord or funicle connecting the embryo or fetus with the placenta of the mother and transporting nourishment from the mother and wastes from the fetus
18. Yolk sac-an extraembryonic membrane that encloses the yolk of eggs in birds, reptiles, and marsupials and that circulates nourishment from the yolk to the developing embryo
19. Zygote-the cell produced by the union of two gametes, before it undergoes cleavage
20. Ultrasound-using the reflections of high-frequency sound waves to construct an image of a body organ (a sonogram); commonly used to observe fetal growth or study bodily organs