What is the name of the waxy, protective substance secreted by sebaceous glands that coats the fetal skin and may provide lubrication during childbirth?
Explanation
During fetal development, several temporary structures appear. The vernix caseosa is a waxy coating on the fetal skin that protects it from the amniotic fluid and is thought to aid in passage through the birth canal.
Other questions
What is the primary function of the dartos and cremaster muscles in the male reproductive system?
The process that transforms early spermatids into spermatozoa, which involves reducing the cytoplasm and forming a tail, is called what?
Which male accessory gland contributes approximately 60 percent of the semen volume and contains large amounts of fructose to fuel sperm motility?
In the hormonal regulation of the male reproductive system, which hormone binds predominantly to the Sertoli cells to promote spermatogenesis?
The external female reproductive structures, including the mons pubis, labia majora, labia minora, and clitoris, are referred to collectively as the:
In oogenesis, primary oocytes are formed during fetal development and are arrested in which stage of meiosis until puberty?
What is the term for the death of ovarian follicles, a process that can occur at any stage of follicular development and affects roughly 99 percent of all follicles in the ovary?
Which phase of the menstrual cycle is characterized by the shedding of the stratum functionalis layer of the endometrium?
An extremely high concentration of systemic plasma estrogen triggers a regulatory switch in the anterior pituitary, leading to what critical event in the ovarian cycle?
What is the name of the gene on the Y chromosome that initiates a cascade of factors for an embryo to develop as a male?
According to the text, what is the approximate number of sperm produced each day by a male?
What is the approximate number of primary oocytes present in a female's ovaries at the time of puberty?
What structure covers the head of a sperm cell like a cap and is filled with lysosomal enzymes important for fertilization?
Which layer of the uterine wall is the innermost layer that grows and thickens in response to hormones and is shed during menstruation?
What is the name of the rudimentary male duct system in an embryo that develops into the epididymis and ductus deferens under the influence of testosterone?
According to the text, what is typically the first physical sign of the beginning of puberty in boys?
What is the clinical term used when one or both of the testes fail to descend into the scrotum prior to birth?
The tough, white, dense connective tissue layer that covers the testis itself and also invaginates to form septa is called the:
Where in the male reproductive system do newly formed sperm continue to mature and acquire the ability to move under their own power, a process that takes an average of 12 days?
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) causes lower urinary tract symptoms due to:
What is the narrow inferior portion of the uterus that projects into the vagina and produces mucus to facilitate sperm movement?
Meiosis of a secondary oocyte is completed only if what event occurs?
What is the name for the finger-like projections on the distal end of the uterine tube that help sweep the oocyte into the tube after ovulation?
During the follicular phase of the ovarian cycle, the granulosa and theca cells of growing tertiary follicles produce which sex steroid hormone?
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a major cause of cervical cancer. The high-risk HPV types neutralize which important host cell protein that normally halts the cell cycle to allow for DNA repair or initiates apoptosis?
What is the name of the first menstruation in a pubertal female?
How do hormonal birth control pills typically prevent pregnancy?
What are the milk-secreting cells in the breast called?
The average length of a woman's menstrual cycle is considered to be 28 days, but the text notes that the typical range is:
What is the function of the blood-testis barrier created by tight junctions between Sertoli cells?
During which phase of the menstrual cycle does the endometrium proliferate and rebuild under the influence of rising estrogen levels?
Which hormone, secreted by the corpus luteum and later the placenta, is critical for the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy by maintaining a thick stratum functionalis?
Where does fertilization of the oocyte by the sperm typically occur?
What is the function of the prostate gland's secretion during ejaculation?
What is the term for the phase of the ovarian cycle that occurs after ovulation and is characterized by progesterone secretion from the corpus luteum?
In a female embryo, which rudimentary duct system develops into the uterine tubes and uterus?
What is the nonfunctional 'whitish body' that the corpus luteum degrades into if pregnancy does not occur?
What is the average length of an erect penis, as stated in the text?
The increase in which two hormones leads to the development of secondary sex characteristics during puberty?
Gametes are haploid cells, which means they contain how many chromosomes?
Which hormone is primarily responsible for maintaining the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle, during which the endometrial lining is prepared for implantation?
What is the function of the fluid from the bulbourethral (Cowper's) glands?
The decline in which hormone is the primary trigger for the shedding of the stratum functionalis, which marks the beginning of the menses phase?
What is the average age range for menopause to normally occur, as stated in the text?
Which structure in the penis is a smaller chamber that surrounds the spongy, or penile, urethra?
The growth and development of ovarian follicles, from primordial to tertiary stages, is a process called:
What is the name of the two ligaments that are actually remnants of the umbilical vein and separate the right and left lobes of the liver anteriorly?
A negative feedback loop primarily controls the synthesis of FSH and LH. Low blood concentrations of which hormone stimulate the hypothalamic release of GnRH?
What is the name for the final addition to semen, released from two glands shortly after a male becomes sexually aroused, which lubricates and cleanses the urethra?