The Human Reproductive System Essay Example for Free

The Human Reproductive System Essay The human reproductive system requires both the female and male to procreate. Although the reproductive organs will function separately, they will not create another human being without each other. The Male Sperm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The male reproductive system is more external than the female. Sperm must be created to fertilize the female’s egg and this is done in the testes or testicles of the male. Sperm are mobile cells that contain the male’s chromosomes, to be passed on the offspring. There are hundreds of thousands of sperm produced during a male’s lifetime, all of which have the potential to fertilize an egg. Sperm die off and are recreated at the rate of 1% day and sperm that are released from the body live only a few hours. Scrotum The testes are contained in a fleshy pouch known as the scrotum, which hangs outside the male body in the groin area. The testes themselves are actually over 850 feet of tiny tubing, curled into two balls inside the scrotum. It is in these tubes that the sperm are formed. The scrotum is a highly sensitive area. Normal body temperature will kill the sperm due to their sensitivity to high temperatures; this is why the scrotum lies outside the body rather than internally. In cold weather, the scrotum will pull the testicles closer to the body to maintain the proper temperature. Once formed the sperm must pass through into the epidiymis, which is a larger tube that stores the sperm and lets them mature until it is time to be ejaculated into the female. The epidiymis is encased in the scrotum along with the testes. Ducts   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When the sperm is ready to be ejaculated it leaves the epidiymis and travels through the vasa deferentia. The vasa deferentia extend from the epidymis and go around the bladder in many different directions. The ends of the vasa deferentia are called ejaculatory ducts. These ducts are located behind the bladder and empty into the urethra. Before the sperm reach the urethra they must also travel through the seminal vesicles, which are also located behind the bladder. Accessory Glands   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The seminal vesicles are part of a group of accessory glands. The seminal vesicles add the semen that coats the sperm during ejaculation. The seminal fluid â€Å"contains mucus, amino acids, fructose as the main energy source for the sperm, and prostaglandins to stimulate female uterine contractions to move the semen up into the uterus.† (biology.clc.uc.ed, 2007)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Inside the body, at the beginning of the urethra, is the prostate gland. The prostate gland is considered an accessory gland and is the largest of these glands. It secretes directly into the urethra and mixes with the seminal fluid. The secretions of the prostate gland are high in alkaline. Alkaline neutralizes the acid left by urine and produced by the female body. It protects the sperm as they make their way through the female to the egg.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hanging from the front of the abdominal cavity on the outside of the body, in front of the scrotum, is the penis. It is made from several cylinders of spongy, erectile tissue. When the male becomes sexually excited, the spongy tissue becomes filled with arterial blood and the veins, which allow this blood to drain off to other areas, seal off. This causes an erection, which is required for ejaculation. The erection is also required to be able to enter the female’s vagina and fertilize the egg. Running through the center of the penis is a hollow tube called the urethra. It allows semen or urine to be released from the body. The male reproductive system  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookREPROD.html The Female   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The female reproductive organs are internal and produce eggs rather than sperm. The eggs are produced in the ovaries, which are located on either side of the abdominal cavity. The â€Å"eggs† are not like chicken or other animal eggs but more like a collection of special cells. While a female has almost a half million eggs at birth, only about 500 will be released from the ovaries during the time that she is fertile and able to reproduce. Eggs   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The eggs are formed with a process known as â€Å"meiosis†. This means that the egg only has half of the chromosomes needed to complete a new being. The process known as fertilization provides the other half of the needed chromosomes, thus giving the offspring half from each contributing parent. Of the hundreds of thousands of eggs a female is born with, only about 300 of these are ever released to be fertilized. Ovaries   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The ovaries, located on either side of the abdominal wall, create the eggs that are released for fertilization. The ovaries are connected to the fallopian tubes and store the unused eggs as well.   Ovaries also produce the female hormone estrogen, which affects mood, weight and other aspects of the body. Fallopian Tubes From the ovaries are the fallopian tubes, which extend from the ovaries on each side and down into the females uterus. The fallopian tubes lead into the uterus where the fertilized egg will remain as it gestates. In the female human, hormones contribute to the egg being released into the fallopian tubes. This is normally limited to one egg per cycle. Ovulation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ovulation is the period when an egg matures and is released into the fallopian tubes. This is â€Å"due to the stimulation of leutenizing hormone (LH), which then stimulates the remaining follicle cells to turn into a corpus luteum which then secretes progesterone to prepare the uterus for possible implantation. If an egg is not fertilized and does not implant, the corpus luteum disintegrates and when it stops producing progesterone, the lining of the uterus breaks down and is shed.† (biology.clc.uc.ed, 2007) Uterus   Ã‚  Ã‚   The uterus is located in the female abdominal cavity. It is lined with millions of cilia. These are tiny follicles that both attach the egg to the wall of the uterus and sweep the lining out when the egg disintegrates. At the end of the uterus is the cervix. The cervix has thick walls and a tiny opening leading into the vaginal canal. The cervix will open to pass the baby through when it is time for it to be born. Vaginal Canal   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The vaginal canal extends from the cervix to the outside opening of the female vagina. It allows the penis to be inserted to fertilize the egg, pass menstrual blood out of the body and allow a baby to pass from the body. The walls are highly elastic and will stretch to accommodate the baby’s head. The Vagina   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The vagina is the outer area of the female reproductive system. It contains the opening leading to the vaginal canal and a tiny opening located right above it. This is the urethra and it allows urine to pass from the body. Directly above the urethra is the clitoris. This is the female counterpart to the male penis and is also highly sensitive. Covering the openings is the vulva. This consists of inner and outer labia, which are folds of skin. The vulva becomes covered with body hair when the female matures. Fertilization   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fertilization of the egg occurs when the sperm meet the egg at the far end of the fallopian tube. The sperm fertilize the egg, the egg implants itself into the lining of the uterus and a new human is created. The female reproductive system  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookREPROD.html References http://emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookREPROD.html http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio105/reproduc.htm http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/general/body_basics/female_reproductive_system.html

The United States and the Normandy Invasion :: World War II History

The United States and the Normandy Invasion The year was 1944, and the United States had now been an active participant in the war against Nazi Germany for almost three and a half years. During this time, numerous battles had occurred which were fought with determination and intensity on both sides. Amongst the many invasions of World War II, there is one day which stands out more in the minds of many American soldiers than the others. That day was June 6, 1944, more commonly known as D Day, part of the invasion of Normandy, known as "Operation Overlord." This operation was the largest amphibious assault in history. It was a day in which thousands of young Americans, who poured onto the beaches of France, matured faster than they would have ever imagined. Little did they know of the chaos and torment that awaited them on their arrival. The attacks on Utah and Omaha were strategically made, and carried out in careful preciseness. The Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France began on June 6, 1944, and the American assault on the Utah and Omaha beaches on this day played a critical role in the overall success of the Normandy operation. An extensive plan was established for the American attack on Utah and Omaha Beaches. The plan was so in-depth and complex, its descriptions detailed the exact arrivals of troops, armour, and other equipment needed for the invasion, and where exactly on the beach they were to land. Before the landings were to begin, the coastal German defences had to be broken down by a combination of a massive battering by United States Naval ships, and by bombing from the United States Air Force. Between the hours of 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. on the morning of June 6, over 1,000 aircraft dropped more than 5,000 tons of bombs on the German coastal defences. As soon as the preliminary bombing was over, the American and British naval guns opened fire on the Normandy coastline. A British naval officer described the incredible spectacle he witnessed that day: "Never has any coast suffered what a tortured strip of French coast suffered that morning." Along the fifty-mile front the land was shaken by successive explosions as the shells from the ships' guns tore holes in fortifications and tons of bombs poured down on them from the skies. Through smoke and falling debris German defenders crouching in their trenches would soon faintly see the hundreds of ships and assault craft closing in on the shore.

The Illusion of Freedom in Miss Julie

The Illusion of Freedom in Miss Julie August Strindberg’s Miss Julie is a naturalistic play which deals with the themes of love, lust, and power struggles between social classes and genders. Being a naturalistic play, Miss Julie deals with the upbringing of and the environment surrounding the two main characters, Julie and Jean, and how these factors affect their motivations.As with the convention in naturalism, the two main characters would have no real control over their fates and instead be subjugated to hereditary and environmental forces. Julie, being of aristocratic descent, seemed to have complete freedom. She had access to the best of luxuries and yet could heavily interact with the servants, such as participating in their Midsummer Eve celebration and dancing with Jean, without severe consequences other than some gossip among the servants.However, Julie’s gender and upbringing seems to be a great disadvantage and hinders her freedom. Raised by her mother to act like a man and yet despise men and subsequently herself, Julie became what Strindberg refers to as a â€Å"man-hating half-woman† (page 60), though this upbringing allowed Julie to ignore the social norms of her time and assert her dominance upon male characters (her fiance and Jean), it is also responsible for her eventual suicide which was implied in the end of the play.The illusion of Julie’s supposed freedom is revealed throughout the play, with Jean holding power over her during a significant portion of the play and her father, the Count, being an absent, but nevertheless imposing presence throughout the play, especially in the end. Jean is diametrically opposite to Julie in his heredity, being of common descent and a male, although Jean is well travelled and possesses a degree of sophistication in his speech and manners.He has access to little resources other than his own ambitions and determination. Jean dreams vaguely of someday opening a hotel and using the p rofits and prestige gained from such an enterprise to purchase a title and make himself a Count like Julie’s father. Despite the numerous power reversals that occurred after his seduction of Julie, he remains subjugated to authority throughout the play, both to that of Julie and especially her father.Any reminder of the Count such as his boots, Jean’s inferior clothing, and especially the ringing bell reduced Jean from a normally eloquent or sadistic speaker to a pathetic servant. There were multiple factors, other than the supposed love that was professed by both characters towards one other, which caused Julie and Jean to engage in such a tryst. The Midsummer Eve celebration and its intoxicating drinks and passion-inducing dancing lowered the inhibitions of both characters.The celebration increased Julie’s lust and her emotional vulnerability from her recently broken engagement with her fiance made Julie vulnerable to Jean’s seduction; his tale of falli ng in love with her upon laying his eyes on her and subsequently wanting to kill himself because of the obviously lack of romantic relationship that would form between them was especially effective; Julie’s vulnerability to Jean’s seduction could also be attributed to her female sensibilities.Likewise, the celebration likely emboldened Jean to proceed with his seduction, with Jean’s ultimate goal being using Julie’s wealth to finance his dreams of opening a hotel and becoming a Count. Before Julie’s seduction by Jean, she possessed the power or the appearance of power in the relationship. Jean addressed her respectfully, as befitting a servant talking to his mistress. Julie could toy with Jean and command him to do almost anything, such as forcing him to dance with her or kissing her shoes, as she was of a higher class and had authority over Jean, who was a lowly servant.However, after Jean’s successful seduction of Julie, the class lines th at existed between them were broken down and they were became social equals, thus their relationship shifted focus to power struggles with respect to gender. While Julie still insults Jean regarding his lower social standing, Jean responds with derogatory remarks such as calling her a whore (page 90) for throwing herself at one with such a lower social standing, which was unthinkable for women in her position at the time.Despite the antagonistic and sadomasochistic relationship that arose between them after the seduction, Julie and Jean still could use each other to benefit themselves. Julie was tired of the social standards that were imposed upon her, thus she desired to fall to Jean’s social level. Whereas Jean, with his grand ambitions of becoming a Count, sought to rise in the social ladder through Julie’s wealth. Julie and Jean were able to temporarily rebel, against the social norms that constrained them, through having an affair despite the immense difference in their social standings.They planned to further this rebellion through running away together and starting their own hotel. However, this radical plan was stopped by Christine, who prevented the lovers access to horses and their escape, who embodied the social disapproval at the inappropriateness of a tryst between two of such different class and their plan to escape the consequences. Julie and Jean still could have escaped by foot but for the ringing of the bell that signaled the return of the Count.The Count, whose presence pervaded throughout the story, whose very mention reduced Jean to sniveling servility, and shamed and angered Julie greatly, ultimately held power over both the lovers. Despite never being physically present in the play, the Count still commanded great fear and respect in both Julie and Jean. He symbolized the omnipresence of social authority and the power it commanded over its subjects. The most convincing example of this is in the end of the play, Julie wished to commit suicide to escape her shame and indignity but lacked the willpower to do so.She implored Jean to command to do so, but he suffered the same problem and lacked the willpower too. Only through hypnotizing himself, by acting as the Count giving him a command, was Jean able to command Julie to commit suicide. Only through both Julie and Jean submitting to the social authority, represented by the Count, was Julie able to achieve the end that she desired. In the end, though Julie and Jean were able to temporarily fight against the environmental forces through their affair and hatching a fantastic escape plan for a new life, neither of the lovers were able to escape their respective upbringings and social classes.One could argue that Julie was able to rebel against the social authority through suicide which released its power over her; one must also consider that an aristocrat such as her would be ingrained to avoid bringing such great shame upon her family through her upbringin g and surrounding environments , thus the social authority is responsible for her suicide, which is almost unsurprising or even expected.Likewise, Jean was not able to escape the social authority either, he was not able to commit suicide because of his lack of aristocratic pride is replaced with a greater sense of self preservation, thus Jean will suffer the full wrath of the Count and the social authority for causing Julie’s death and attempting to disrupt the social equilibrium.Ultimately, Jean and Julie have been and always will be subject to the social authority for the entirety of their lives, any control or freedom is merely a temporary illusion which will be broken quickly and dramatically. Work Cited 1. Strindberg, August. Miss Julie and Other Plays. Oxford University Press, 1988. Print.

How to Use a French Dual Flush Toilet

What is so special about a restroom in France? If you come from Japan, French toilets are going to be a piece of cake, but for everybody else, they may pose a challenge. Now that youve mastered the delicate question and etiquette about how to politely ask for the restroom in French, lets talk about what youll face when going to the bathroom in France. Dual Flush Newer toilets in France now have two buttons for the flush: a big one and a smaller one. Alternatively, there may be two buttons that have different icons: one with one drop, another with several drops. These buttons control the water amount being flushed. These toilettes à   double chasse  are designed to save water, and they do—about 69.000 liters (18,200 gallons) per year for a family of four, according to Ecovie.com, so its quite a good move for the planet. Other Quirks Very old toilets on the contrary, such as those you might find in a countryside house, have their own character.  These fixtures would have a handle hanging directly from the water reservoir, close to the ceiling. To flush, just pull on the handle. Its quite simple, but still surprising when youve never seen anything like that! In many private homes, there is no sink in the water closet—the room with the toilet. This is just something you are going to get accustomed to if you move to France and be prepared with some antibacterial hand wipes. Some toilets in restaurants or cafà ©s are sometimes, though rarely, equipped with a rolling seat cover. If you encounter these, they are often motion activated, but there is sometimes a button you can push. Public Restrooms The public restrooms in France are infamous. Unfortunately, public restrooms in France are sometimes a little too public, as there is a cultural tendency to urinate au dehors (outside).