Miracle Of Life Analysis

The most-watched NOVA documentary ever made and a revolution in the understanding of human development, The Miracle of Life (abbreviated Life) employs the most current developments in endoscopic and microscopic technology to capture the intricacies of human development. Narrated by Anita Sangiolo and vividly illustrating the most minute and hard-to-reach parts and processes of living systems, this film truly flexes the muscles of the newest photographic technology of its time, with esteemed photographer Lennart Nilsson behind the camera. Aired in 1983, Life was the first documentary of its kind, clearly explaining, in under an hour, biological systems that many people had never seen before. The film was written and produced by Bebe Nixon and…show more content…
A diagram showing the male reproductive system is used to explain the process by which sperm and seminal fluid combine and exit the man’s body through the urethra during ejaculation. The film shows and explains each major component of the male reproductive system. At this point, a journey similar to the one taken through the fallopian tubes is taken inside the penis, entering through the urethra. The flesh inside the penis is rich with blood vessels and lined by a mucous substance. The prostate, through which the urethra passes, is a spongy pink tissue that secretes fluid through orifices in its walls; this fluid is a component of the semen. Next, the testicles are shown as they would appear were the scrotum removed. They are composed of millions of tiny, tightly meandering seminiferous tubules and are riddled with minute blood vessels. These tubules are the site of immense sperm generation, and protect and nourish the sperm as they mature in preparation for ejaculation. Since sperm perform best when they develop at a temperature a few degrees below that of the body, the testicles are held outside the body in the scrotum. A thermal view shows that the lower part of the scrotum, where the testicles are nestled, is considerably cooler than the part closer to the body. An extreme close-up taken inside the testis reveals millions of tangled sperm in the process of formation. They are…show more content…
At seven weeks into development, the embryo is observed making slight hand motions; at ten weeks, with its features more clearly defined, it is called a fetus. Once it has become a fetus, it starts growing at an accelerated pace while still continuing the development of various body parts. Film shot inside the uterus shows an actively moving eighteen-week-old fetus, its facial features and appendages clearly defined. The sound of fetal respiration, a kind of cyclic sucking, is heard as the fetus takes in amniotic fluid through its mouth and then releases it.

Life states that the triggers for the commencement of birth are still a mystery, but when birth is triggered, the uterus begins to contract powerfully, pushing the mature fetus toward the birth canal. The process of birth itself is shown externally, as a woman gives birth to her child in a clinic. After pushing repeatedly, the baby’s head comes out of the vaginal opening. The baby is then pulled out of the vagina by a nurse and its airways are cleared so that it may begin breathing air. The film and the odyssey toward birth conclude with the mother and father holding their newborn