All living things, including humans, reproduce; it's one of the things that set us apart from nonliving matter. And because all living things eventually die, new creatures of the same kind must constantly be born to perpetuate a particular species. Interestingly, although the reproductive system is essential to keeping a species alive, unlike other body systems, it is not essential to keeping an individual being alive.

In the reproductive process, two kinds of sex cells, or gametes, are involved. The male gamete, or sperm, and the female gamete, the egg or ovum, meet in the female's reproductive system to create a new individual.

How Is the Male Reproductive System Important for Living?
The male reproductive system is essential to the perpetuation of life: the female is dependent on the male for fertilization of her egg, even though it is she who carries the offspring through pregnancy and childbirth.

Testosterone, the hormone that allows boys to become mature men, is produced by the male reproductive system. Without it, men wouldn't be able to make sperm, and reproduction would be impossible.

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