The genitourinary system includes the urinary and reproductive organs. Because these organs are located in the same area of the body, and share some functions, they often are treated together. The urinary system of both male and female are essentially the same, with the notable exception that the |urethra|, in the male, continues out through the penis, while, in the female, it opens into the |vagina|. The reproductive systems of the male and female are each geared toward fulfilling specific roles. The male's is designed to generate sperm cells containing half of the genetic material necessary for the development of a baby and deliver that material to the female's system. The female's reproductive system is designed to generate an ovum, or egg, which carries the other half of the genetic material, to be fertilized by the sperm cells from the male. The female's reproductive tract is also designed to support the gestating |fetus| until it is born, approximately nine months after fertilization.