The reproductive system does not begin to fully function until puberty, which is usually between the ages of 11 and 13 in girls and 14 and 16 in boys. Following puberty, the individual is capable of producing offspring. The reproductive system has the following functions:
- Males produce sperm within testes, and females produce eggs within ovaries.
- Males nurture and transport the sperm until they exit the penis, and females transport the eggs in uterine tubes to the uterus.
- Sexual intercourse occurs when the male penis penetrates the female vagina.
- Pregnancy is the period of time during which the offspring develops within the female body.
- The testes and ovaries produce the sex hormones that have a profound effect on the body, including the masculinization and feminization of the skin, skeleton, voice, muscles, and brain.
Collectively, the sperm and eggs are called the gametes, while the testes and ovaries are the gonads. The gonads produce the sex hormones that are necessary for their own growth and maintenance and for the growth and maintenance of the accessory reproductive organs. The accessory reproductive organs include the ducts through which the sperm and egg pass after leaving the gonads, the external genitals (that is, the external sexual organs.
