Encyclopedia of Homeopathy

198 •SERIOUS AILMENTSREPRODUCTIVE SYSTEMSThe urge to procreate is one of the most basic instinctsdriving human beings. Reproduction involves thefertilization of an egg from the ovary of the female bya sperm from the male, and the development of a fetusto term. Contraception has facilitated greater control overchildbearing than ever before. In parallel, the science ofassisted reproduction has developed as couples delay havingchildren until their fertility may have begun to decline.How the system worksReproduction depends upon the efficientfunctioning of both the female and malesystems. This is impaired by physiologicalproblems such as blockages, which areeither congenital or the result of infectionor scarring and which may give rise toinfertility; growths such as fibroids; andmalformation such as an enlarged prostategland. The reproductive process may alsobe interrupted by hormonal imbalances.Female reproductionThe vagina receives sperm from the penisof the male during sexual intercourse.The sperm pass through the opening of thecervix into the uterus on their way to findan egg that has been expelled from an ovary.A fertilized egg travels down the fallopiantube and, after many cell divisions, embedsitself in the wall of the uterus. For the firsteight weeks of its development it is calledan embryo; thereafter, it is a fetus.If no fertilization occurs, the lining of theuterus, or endometrium, is shed duringmenstruation. This occurs about every28 days. The menstrual cycle is under thecontrol of hormones produced by thepituitary gland in the brain.Male reproductionMale sex cells, or sperm, are produced in thetestes. These are outside the body so that thesperm are kept cool. From the testes, spermtravel up a narrow tube, the vas deferens,in which they are joined by secretions fromthe seminal vesicles and the prostate glandto create semen. During sexual intercourse,semen is ejaculated into the vagina of thefemale. Erectile tissue in the penis expandsas a result of increased blood flow duringsexual arousal, allowing the insertion of theerect penis into the vagina during intercourseand the emission of semen. Once in thevagina, sperm “swim” by means of long,whiplike tails. Each sperm head containsgenetic material.FEMALE REPRODUCTION An egg shed byan ovary is swept up by the pronglike endsof the fallopian tube. A fertilized egg willpass down into the uterus and embed itselfin the lining. The uterus expands greatly toaccommodate a developing fetus.OvaryFallopian tubeUterusLOCATION OF SYSTEM The femalereproductive system lies inside thepelvic cavity, surrounded and protectedby the pelvic bones. This space is widerthan in the male to accommodate theenlarging uterus in pregnancy.MALE REPRODUCTION During sexualintercourse sperm are propelled by meansof muscle contractions from the testes alongthe vas deferens to the ejaculatory duct. Atejaculation, semen is propelled along theurethra and out of the penis.Vas deferensPenisBladderScrotumLOCATION OF SYSTEM The malereproductive organs are not within thepelvic cavity. In fact, they lie outsidethe body altogether—in the scrotum.FallopiantubeBladderVaginaBladderVas deferensUrethraPenisScrotumUterusTestis contains coiledtubes that producethousands of spermCervixProstateglandFollicle is cavity inwhich egg developsOvary contains millionsof follicles from birthEjaculatoryductSeminalvesicle