Reproductive Systems: Worms
Figure 1: the worms reproductive system containing both male and female parts.
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Worms do not only have the females reproductive system, but the males too! (see figure 1) The reproductive system of the male part of the worm is much larger than the females. It has three pairs of seminal vesicles, which prepare and hold the liquid that makes up semen, and three pairs of sperm ducts. The system also has two pairs of testes that create hold sperm until sexual reproduction and seminal receptacles for receiving and delivering sperm during sexual reproduction. (see figure 1) In the females reproductive system, there are two ovaries that contain ova, a funnel for receiving unfertilised eggs, an egg sac for storing and releasing the eggs through an oviduct and an opening a the end of all of this so that eggs can be released here to meet with the sperm and be fertilised. The male system works like this... Sperm are produced in the testes, then, before sexual reproduction, the seminal receptacle temporarily stores the cells before they are released through the sperm ducts and into another worm to fertilise with the egg that has been released. Worms are cool after all. |