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Sex organ

The sex organs of the green algae Chara are the male antheridia (red) and female archegonia (brown).

A sex organ, also known as a reproductive organ, is a part of an organism that is involved in sexual reproduction. Sex organs constitute the primary sex characteristics of an organism. Sex organs are responsible for producing and transporting gametes, as well as facilitating fertilization and supporting the development and birth of offspring. Sex organs are found in many species of animals and plants, with their features varying depending on the species.

Sex organs are typically differentiated into male and female types.

In animals (including humans), the male sex organs include the testicles, epididymides, and penis; the female sex organs include the clitoris, ovaries, oviducts, and vagina. The testicle in the male and the ovary in the female are called the primary sex organs.[1] All other sex-related organs are called secondary sex organs. The outer organs are known as the genitals or external genitalia, visible at birth in both sexes,[1][pages needed] while the inner organs are referred to as internal genitalia, which in both sexes are always hidden.[2]

In plants, male reproductive structures include stamens in flowering plants, which produce pollen.[3] Female reproductive structures, such as pistils in flowering plants, produce ovules and receive pollen for fertilization.[4] Mosses, ferns, and some similar plants have gametangia for reproductive organs, which are part of the gametophyte.[5] The flowers of flowering plants produce pollen and egg cells, but the sex organs themselves are inside the gametophytes within the pollen and the ovule.[6] Coniferous plants likewise produce their sexually reproductive structures within the gametophytes contained within the cones and pollen. The cones and pollen are not themselves sexual organs.

Together, the sex organs constitute an organism's reproductive system.[7]

  1. ^ a b Clark, Robert K. (2005). Anatomy and Physiology: Understanding the Human Body. Jones & Bartlett Learning. p. 25. ISBN 9780763748166.
  2. ^ Deol, Pooja Soni (2023). ANATOMY PHYSIOLOGY OF FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM. Blue Rose Publishers. p. 14.
  3. ^ "Parts of a Flower". American Museum of Natural History. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  4. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Pollination" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 22 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 2–5.
  5. ^ "Mosses and Ferns". Biology.clc.uc.edu. 16 March 2001. Archived from the original on 28 July 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  6. ^ "Flowering Plant Reproduction". Emc.maricopa.edu. 18 May 2010. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  7. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Reproductive System" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 23 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.