Sexual organs – the minor differences
Did you know that the penis and glans start out the same as the labia and clitoris? A look at how our sexual organs develop and how they influence our bodies.
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00:00 Most of our organs are constantly focused on keeping our bodies alive.
00:05 But our sexual organs play only a peripheral role in these everyday processes.
00:11 Instead, they're busy forging their own plans in secret.
00:15 Even though male and female sexual organs look quite different, they have a surprising number of similarities.
00:25 It's only in the sixth week of pregnancy that the reproductive organs begin to develop differently.
00:31 The penis and glands start out the same way as the labia and clitoris.
00:36 The gonads develop into either ovaries or testicles.
00:39 Sometimes no clear sexual characteristics develop.
00:42 Our reproductive organs have an important ally in the brain, namely the hypothalamus.
00:50 It regulates bodily functions like hunger, thirst, sleeping patterns and also sexual and reproductive behavior.
00:58 When we enter puberty, the hypothalamus and the sexual organs begin to implement their secret plans.
01:06 The hypothalamus sends out messenger compounds that stimulate the release of the most important sex hormones.
01:15 The ovaries increase the production of oestrogen and progesterone.
01:20 And the testicles start secreting more testosterone.
01:24 During puberty, the amount can increase 30-fold.
01:27 All of a sudden, our bodies begin to change.
01:31 Men's shoulders grow broader.
01:33 Women's hips and breasts expand.
01:36 Hair begins to grow in all kinds of places.
01:39 And the voice changes.
01:41 All this is accompanied by mood swings.
01:44 But it's the sexual organs that benefit most from their plan.
01:48 The erectile tissue in the penis and clitoris grow and develop a superpower.
01:53 They can swell when aroused, making them appear larger.
01:57 And as they swell, their many nerve endings become even more sensitive due to the increased blood circulation.
02:03 Sperm cells develop in the testicles.
02:06 And the first egg cell makes its way from the ovaries to the uterus.
02:11 The sexual organs' secret plan has become a reality.
02:15 They've turned their owners into sexually mature humans.
02:18 It's time to snuggle up.
02:21 And as they pursue their passion, it's not just the sex organs that have to work flat out.
02:28 [MUSIC]