The female reproductive system is made up of several different parts, most notably the vagina, uterus, and ovaries. The ovaries are what produce eggs. Conversely, the male reproductive system consists of the penis, scrotum, and testicles, in addition to various internal organs, like the prostate gland and the seminal vesicles. The seminal vesicles are what produce most of the fluid that makes up the ejaculate.
The reproductive system contains the largest and smallest human cells.
Men produce the smallest human cell: the sperm, which is only 5 micrometers by 3 micrometers in size. This is not including the sperm’s “tail.” (In contrast, the red blood cell is about 8 micrometers in diameter.)
A woman’s ovum, or egg, is the biggest human cell, at about 120 micrometers in diameter. Whoa!
In the U.S., the average member is less than 6 inches long, according to a 2013 survey in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
The smallest erect penis? 1.6 inches long. And the largest? 10.2 inches.
Vaginas and tomatoes are more similar than you think—they’re both acidic! Tomatoes have a pH that varies between 4.0 and 4.7, while the pH of the vagina averages at 4.5.
Why is the hoo-ha so acidic? Well, it’s home to a number of beneficial bacteria that can only survive in an acidic environment. Without these healthy microorganisms helping out down below, disease-causing bacteria could move in and wreak havoc.
According to the Mayo Clinic, some women are born with not one, but two uteruses. Known as uterus didelphys, or double uterus, the condition affects about 1 in 2,000 women worldwide.
Men have way, way more reproductive cells than women, according to WebMD. At birth, women have 1 million to 2 million eggs, but only around 300,000 are left by the time puberty hits. Of this pool, only 300 to 400 eggs will be ovulated before menopause.
In comparison, men produce more than 500 billion sperm cells in their lifetime. During climax, a healthy man can release upward of around 1.2 million swimmers. We repeat—1.2 million.
Contrary to popular belief, contraceptives are not a new invention. In fact, the Ancient Egyptians used forms of birth control thousands of years ago, according to a 2011 piece in the Journal of Family Planning and reproductive Health Care.
Infertility is way more common than you think. A whopping 1 in 6 couples experiences difficulty becoming pregnant.
During the 17th and 18th century, it was common for prepubescent boys in Italy to be castrated in order to preserve a singing voice, according to the BBC. Since the testes produce testosterone, parents put their kids to the knife in hopes that they would excel at being a castrato—a type of classical male singing voice with high-pitched range.
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