Home · IGCSE Biology 0610 · Reproduction · Human reproductive systems and gametes · Practice
IGCSE · Practice questions · Human reproductive systems and gametes

Organs, gametes, embryo.

Six original Cambridge-style questions on the functions of the reproductive organs, the adaptations of sperm and egg cells, gamete comparison and early development up to implantation.

Original questions All questions on this page are original work, written in the Cambridge IGCSE style. They are not from past papers. They test the same concepts and skills the syllabus rewards.
Keep these straight

Name it, give its job.

01
Recall
[4 marks]

State the function of (a) the testes, (b) the scrotum, (c) the oviduct and (d) the cervix.

  • (a) Testes: produce sperm (and testosterone). ✓
  • (b) Scrotum: holds the testes outside the body, at a slightly lower temperature, better for sperm production. ✓
  • (c) Oviduct: carries the egg from the ovary to the uterus; site of fertilisation. ✓
  • (d) Cervix: ring of muscle at the base of the uterus; widens during birth. ✓
02
Recall
[1 marks]

Describe fertilisation in humans.

  • The nucleus of a sperm (male gamete) fuses with the nucleus of an egg cell (female gamete). ✓
03
Explain
[3 marks]

Explain how three features of a sperm cell adapt it for its function.

  • Flagellum: beats so the sperm can swim to the egg. ✓
  • Many mitochondria: release energy by respiration for swimming. ✓
  • Acrosome containing enzymes: digests a way through the jelly coat into the egg. ✓
04
Analysis
[4 marks]

Compare a human sperm with a human egg cell in terms of size, structure, motility and numbers.

  • Size: the sperm is much smaller (head about 5 μm) than the egg (about 0.1 mm). ✓
  • Structure: the sperm has a head with an acrosome, a midpiece with mitochondria and a flagellum; the egg has a large cytoplasm with energy stores and a jelly coat. ✓
  • Motility: the sperm swims; the egg cannot move by itself. ✓
  • Numbers: millions of sperm are released; usually one egg is released a month. ✓
05
Explain
[2 marks]

Explain the importance of the energy stores in the cytoplasm of an egg cell.

  • After fertilisation the zygote divides many times on its way to the uterus. ✓
  • It cannot yet get nutrients from the mother, so the stored food supplies the energy and materials for these divisions until implantation. ✓
06
Explain
[3 marks]

Describe what happens to a zygote between fertilisation and implantation.

  • The zygote divides repeatedly by mitosis to form a ball of cells, the embryo. ✓
  • It is moved along the oviduct to the uterus. ✓
  • It implants into the thick lining of the uterus (about a week after fertilisation). ✓

Mark this once you have attempted all six and checked your working. It records a Practiced badge on the topic and adds a one-time bonus. Revealing the solutions alone does not count.