Assignment: The Sperm and The Egg

One of the hardest things a parent encounters is telling their children, where babies come from. Many parents tell their children stories, because they are too embarrassed or just do not know who to explain it to children. They tell them that the stork delivers babies or they tell them about the birds and bees, because this is a shorter easier version of the true story. Some parents even try telling their children about babies using a scientific approach, which is a good way to teach children, but it is also very long and complicated.

The first thing needed to start the discussion is telling them where a baby comes from, specifically explaining that it is the sperm and egg that forms a baby. After explaining what the sperm (male reproductive cells) and egg (female reproductive cells) are, we move onto the journey of the sperm and egg. Explaining what the reproductive cells are and how reproductive cells are formed will make the explanation of the journey much easier.

The male reproductive cells, sperm, look like little tadpoles and because they are so small the only way to see one is through a microscope. Male sperm is manufactured in the testes and they can churn out around 1,000 sperm per second (Rathus, Nevid, & Fichner-Rathus, 2005). Sperm cells possess the same kind of receptors as the nose, thus they must find their way to an egg cell by detecting their scent (Rathus, Nevid, & Fichner-Rathus, 2005). A female egg is produced in a woman's body every month. This occurs when a woman has her menstruation cycle and the eggs that she produces can live anywhere from 12 - 24 hours after ovulation. If a woman is trying to conceive, it is in her best interest to have intercourse right before ovulation, because the sperm can live inside the woman's body for around two days. The egg is released exactly 14 days prior to a female's menstruation period.

The egg production of a female requires the use of the hormones, ovaries, fallopian tubes, vagina, and the uterus; they all work together during egg production to get an egg ready for possible fertilization by sperm. When the sperm fertilizes the egg, conception occurs. For conception to occur the sperm must meet the egg for the first time.

This is the story of Heather, and how Heather came to be. When her father Bernie's sperm, met her mother's egg, Heather she was formed. The first thing that occurs in the male is erection. This occurs from stimuli, which can be provided by their partner, through visual stimulation and sexual fantasy. Erection is caused by the engorgement of the penis with blood, such that the penis grows in size and stiffens. The erect penis is an efficient conduit, or funnel, for depositing sperm deep within the vagina (Rathus, Nevid, & Fichner-Rathus, 2005). At the same time the female (Barb) is also experiencing stimuli which allows the vagina to become lubricated. Generally, at this point the