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A gonad, sex gland, or reproductive gland [1] is a mixed gland and sex organ that produces the gametes and sex hormones of an organism. Female reproductive cells are egg cells, and male reproductive cells are sperm. [2] The male gonad, the testicle, produces sperm in the form of spermatozoa. The female gonad, the ovary, produces egg cells
The primary sex organs are the gonads, a pair of internal sex organs, which diverge into testicles following male development or into ovaries following female development. [8] As primary sex organs, gonads generate reproductive gametes containing inheritable DNA. They also produce most of the primary hormones that affect sexual development, and ...
In both males and females, the sex organs consist of two structures: the internal genitalia and the external genitalia. In males, the gonads are the testicles and in females, they are the ovaries. These are the organs that produce gametes (egg and sperm), the reproductive cells that will eventually meet to form the fertilized egg .
Gametogenesis is the formation or production of gametes (taking place during meiosis). The development and maturation of sex cells also takes place during meiosis. Gametogenesis is also the process of formation in male and female gametes that occur in the gonads (ovary and testis). Both male and female produce gametes.
Differences between gametes and somatic cells [ edit ] In contrast to a gamete, which has only one set of chromosomes, a diploid somatic cell has two sets of homologous chromosomes , one of which is a copy of the chromosome set from the sperm and one a copy of the chromosome set from the egg cell.
In invertebrates and plants, hermaphrodites (which have both male and female reproductive organs either at the same time or during their life cycle) are common, and in many cases, the norm. In other varieties of multicellular life (e.g. the fungi division, Basidiomycota ), sexual characteristics can be much more complex, and may involve many ...
Despite the differences between them, the adult male and female are determined in early development in the 6th week. The gonads and external genitals are derived from the intermediate mesoderm. [7] The three main fetal precursors of the reproductive organs are the Wolffian duct, the Müllerian ducts, and the gonads.
Male gonad (testes, left) and female gonad (ovaries, right) Males have two testicles of similar size contained within the scrotum, which is an extension of the abdominal wall. [1] Scrotal asymmetry, in which one testicle extends farther down into the scrotum than the other, is common. This is because of the differences in the vasculature's ...