Sex Organs: What Our Sex Organs do

Our internal and external sex organs change due to the influence of hormones at different stages of life and have different tasks to perform. 20.8px;”>Learn what those tasks are, what role hormones play in them, and what diseases can affect the sex organs.

What counts as the sex organs?

We all have external and internal sex organs that we need for sexual union and reproduction. Under the influence of hormones, the sex organs produce the sperm and egg cells, produce sex hormones and make secretions to positively influence reproduction. The sexual organs are divided into an internal and an external part.

The internal female sex organs include the vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries and Bartholin’s glands, while the external ones include the mons pubis, labia, clitoris and vaginal entrance.

The internal male sex organs include testes and epididymis, vas deferens and spermatic cord, and the prostate gland , seminal vesicles and Cowper’s glands. The external sex organs are the scrotum and penis.

The sex organs constitute the primary sexual characteristics, and the secondary characteristics include the changes that develop during puberty, such as beard growth and the pronounced change in voice pitch in males, and the growth of breasts in females. Tertiary sex characteristics are the differences in female and male physique and body size, as well as the various sex-typical behaviors.

What is the function of the sex organs?

The sex organs are needed for both sexual union and reproduction. There was uncertainty for a long time about the exact function of the sex organs: until the 17th century, there was, on the one hand, the theory that an embryo develops from a female egg and is only stimulated by the male sperm, and the other thesis that the embryo develops from the sperm filament of the male and the female egg is only a food depot. It was not until the 19th century that chromosomes were discovered as transmitters of genetic information and the exact processes of fertilization.

Function of the sexual organs in women

In the ovaries, eggs are present in an unfinished form even before birth. Beginning at puberty, a few cells each month mature through intermediate stages into at least one fertilizable egg, which is then transported through the fallopian tubes to the uterus, where it implants if fertilized.

The uterus consists of strong muscles, is usually the size of a plum and is lined on the inside with a layer of mucous membrane. During pregnancy, it surrounds the growing baby, forms the placenta and can reach pumpkin size.

The uterus protrudes with its neck into the vagina – this is the connection between internal and external sexual organs. Its glands produce secretions that make it difficult for germs to spread and contribute to the lubrication of the sexual organs during sexual intercourse.

The external female genitals, with their erogenous zones, clitoris and glands, play an important role in sexual stimulation aimed at sexual union.

Function of the sexual organs in men

The development, maturation, and storage of sperm cells (spermatozoa) take place in the testes and epididymis attached to them. During an ejaculation, the sperm are ejected into the urethra via the muscular vas deferens.

Just before the vas deferens opens into the urethra, a secretion from the prostate (prostate gland), seminal vesicles, and Cowper’s glands is added to the sperm, which improves the sperm’s motility and provides them with some protection from the vaginal secretions. This seminal fluid, sperm, is released during ejaculation and can contain up to 500 million sperm.

During sexual arousal, the erectile tissue of the penis fills with blood so that an erection occurs. Most often, ejaculation occurs as the climax of sexual arousal, and sperm is transported out of the male body by involuntary contractions of the muscles of the vas deferens, urethra, and penis.