Gonads are sexual reproductive organs present in both men and women. In males, they are the testes, or testicles, which are located behind the penis in a pouch of skin called the scrotum. In women, they are the ovaries, which are located in the lower abdomen. Gonads produce gametes, which are able to combine with another of the opposite sex. These gametes are sperm in men, and ova or eggs in women. The gonads perform a function fundamental to the survival of humans, enabling reproduction and the passing down of genetic material from parent to offspring.