ScienceLiving systems: breathing, digestion and energy28 min★★★ difficulty

Human reproduction and the menstrual cycle

Human reproduction combines genetic information from two parents. Understanding the structures and the monthly cycle explains both fertility and the changes of puberty.

Part of your national curriculum

Biology: structure and function: Understand reproduction in humans, including the structure and function of the male and female reproductive systems and the menstrual cycle

Lesson overview

What you'll learn in this lesson

Understand reproduction in humans, including the structure and function of the male and female reproductive systems and the menstrual cycle

Key learning points

• Reproductive structures
• Fertilisation and development
• The menstrual cycle
• Puberty and adolescence

This lesson at a glance

28 minutes
25 parts to scroll through
4 quick checks
Marked quiz at the end
Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses

Words to know

reproductionhumansstructurefunctionfemale

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Part 1 of 25 · Discover4%

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Part 1 of 25

Human reproduction and the menstrual cycle illustration

Visual introduction

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Human reproduction and the menstrual cycle

Human reproduction combines genetic information from two parents. Understanding the structures and the monthly cycle explains both fertility and the changes of puberty.

In a nutshell

Understand reproduction in humans, including the structure and function of the male and female reproductive systems and the menstrual cycle

What you already know

Part 2 of 25

Before we start

What you already know

You should already know that living things reproduce, and that cells carry the instructions passed from parents to offspring.

Key words

Part 3 of 25

Key words

Words you'll need today

Fertilisation: A sperm cell and egg cell joining.
Gamete: A sex cell: sperm or egg.
Ovulation: The release of an egg from an ovary.
Gestation: The time a baby develops in the uterus.
Puberty: The stage when the body becomes able to reproduce.

Reset break

Part 4 of 25

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Learning cycle

Part 5 of 25

Learning cycle 1 of 2

Structures and fertilisation

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

Explore the idea

Part 6 of 25

Learn

Reproductive structures

The testes produce sperm cells and the hormone testosterone; sperm travel along the sperm duct and are released through the urethra. The ovaries release egg cells and produce oestrogen; an egg travels along the oviduct towards the uterus, whose thick lining can support a developing embryo.

Explore the idea

Part 7 of 25

Learn

Fertilisation and development

Fertilisation is the fusion of a sperm nucleus with an egg nucleus, usually in the oviduct. The resulting cell divides repeatedly and implants in the uterus lining. The placenta then exchanges oxygen, nutrients and waste between the mother's blood and the fetus, while the amniotic fluid cushions and protects.

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Part 8 of 25

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Quick check

Part 9 of 25

Quick check

Egg cells are produced in the

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Quick check

Part 10 of 25

Quick check

Fertilisation usually occurs in the

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Learning cycle

Part 11 of 25

Learning cycle 2 of 2

The cycle and growing up

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

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Part 12 of 25

Pause

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Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

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Explore the idea

Part 13 of 25

Learn

The menstrual cycle

Across roughly 28 days the uterus lining is shed during menstruation, then rebuilt; an egg is usually released around day 14. If no fertilisation occurs the lining breaks down again and the cycle repeats. Cycle length varies considerably between individuals and over time, and irregular cycles are common.

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Part 14 of 25

Learn

Puberty and adolescence

Hormones released during puberty cause physical changes and the start of the reproductive cycles. The timing varies widely and is not an indicator of health. Understanding these processes in scientific terms supports informed, respectful discussion rather than rumour.

Quick check

Part 15 of 25

Quick check

During menstruation the body

Give me a hint

Reset break

Part 16 of 25

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Quick check

Part 17 of 25

Quick check

The placenta allows

Give me a hint

Explore the idea

Part 18 of 25

Worked example

Worked answer: describe the role of the placenta (3 marks)

The placenta provides a large surface where the mother's blood and the fetal blood run close together without mixing (1). Oxygen and dissolved nutrients such as glucose diffuse from the mother's blood into the fetal blood (1), while carbon dioxide and other waste products diffuse in the opposite direction to be removed by the mother (1).

Common mix-ups

Part 19 of 25

Common mix-ups

Things people often get wrong

People often think the menstrual cycle is always exactly 28 days. It varies a lot between people and between months.
People often think the placenta lets blood mix. It allows substances to pass across, but the two blood supplies stay separate.

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Part 20 of 25

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Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

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Challenge round

Part 21 of 25

Game · Sort it

Which of these are true?

Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.

True

Not true

Challenge round

Part 22 of 25

Game · Recall cards

Where are sperm cells produced?

Card 1 of 4

Exit quiz

Part 23 of 25

Exit quiz

Show what you've learned

6 questions, marked together at the end. Nothing is timed.

1. Gametes are...
2. Fertilisation usually takes place in the...
3. Ovulation is the...
4. The placenta allows...
5. Which change happens during puberty?
6. The uterus lining thickens so that...

Mastery quiz

Part 24 of 25

Marked quiz

End of lesson quiz: Human reproduction and the menstrual cycle

4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.

1. Where are sperm cells produced?
2. Where does fertilisation normally occur?
3. Roughly how long is a typical menstrual cycle?
4. Egg cells are produced in the

Lesson round-up

Part 25 of 25

Lesson round-up

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Understand reproduction in humans, including the structure and function of the male and female reproductive systems and the menstrual cycle