Sexual Reproduction
- Animals have separate reproductive systems for males and females, just like plants.
- The male and female gametes combine to form the zygote, which then develops into a new individual in both plants and animals.
- Sexual reproduction is the process of reproduction that starts with the fusion of male and female gametes.
Male Reproductive Organs
- The male reproductive system consists of a penis, two sperm ducts, and two testes (plural, testis).
- The male gametes known as sperms are produced in the testes.
- The testes produce millions of sperm.
- Despite their tiny size, sperms have a head, a central section, and a tail.
- Each sperm is a single cell that contains all of the typical cell elements.
Female Reproductive Organs
- The uterus, a pair of ovaries, and oviducts (fallopian tubes) constitute the female reproductive system.
- The female gametes known as ova (eggs) are produced in the ovary.
- Each month, one of the ovaries of a human releases one developed egg into the oviduct.
- The uterus is where the embryonic development of the child occurs.
- A single cell also makes up an egg, much like the sperm.
The egg could be very little, like in humans, or a lot bigger, like in hens. The biggest egg is an ostrich egg.
NCERT Notes for Class 8 Science Chapter 6: Reproduction in Animals
NCERT Notes for Class 8 Science Chapter – 6: Reproduction in Animals: Reproduction is essential for species to survive; it ensures their continued existence for many generations by passing on traits from one generation to the next. Without it, individuals of similar genetic makeup would not continue beyond a single generation. Through these notes, the students will be able to revise essential topics like different modes of reproduction, sexual reproduction, Male reproductive organ, female reproductive organ, fertilization, test tube babies, external fertilization, development of an embryo, internal; fertilization, asexual reproduction, budding, binary fission and an introduction to the cloning process and the story of Dolly the sheep.