How Human Reproduction Works
Ever wondered how babies are actually made? Reproduction happens when a sperm cell combines with an egg cell to create a fertilised egg. This can only occur after a woman ovulates, which means releasing an egg from her ovaries.
Ovulation typically occurs around day 14 of the menstrual cycle. The egg gets released from an ovary and travels down the fallopian tube, helped along by tiny hair-like structures called cilia. A jelly coating stops it from getting stuck to the tube walls.
When fertilisation takes place, sperm travels from the vagina through the cervix and uterus to meet the egg in the fallopian tubes. One sperm penetrates the egg, loses its tail, and they become a single cell. Over the next 4-5 days, this grows into about 16 cells forming a ball called a blastocyst.
Implantation is the final step where the fertilised egg attaches to the uterus lining after about 7 days. Once it's firmly attached, conception has occurred and the egg becomes an embryo. The outer cells connect with mum's blood supply, eventually forming the placenta and umbilical cord.
Key Difference: Reproduction provides the genetic information needed for a baby, whilst conception is when the sperm and egg actually join together.