11 Male Reproductive Hormones Flashcards
What are the two main functions of the testis?
Spermatogenesis and testosterone synthesis
how much does the temperature of the testis differ from core body temperature?
2 degrees celsius below core temperature
what acts as a countercurrent heat exchanger to cool blood entering the testes?
pampiniform plexus
what raises and lowers testes in response to temperature changes?
cremasteric muscle
what is cryptorchidism?
failure of fetal testis to descend
what hormone regulates the descent of the testis?
testosterone
what are the coiled loops called in which germinal epithelial cells differentiate into mature sperm?
seminiferous tubules
which cells are joined together by tight junctions to form the blood-testis barrier?
Sertoli cells
which cells provide the signals that initiate spermatogenesis and sustain spermatid development?
sertoli cells
what cells are responsible for phagocytizing damaged sperm cells?
Sertoli cells
what do sertoli cells secrete prior to puberty that is essential for spermatogenesis, and what enzyme do they use to make it?
estradiol, via aromatase
what cells synthesize estradiol after puberty into adulthood?
Leydig cells, as well as immature germ cells and spermatozoa
T/F: testicular estrogens inhibit androgen production.
T
What stimulates secretion of androgen binding protein from sertoli cells?
FSH
what is the function of androgen-binding protein?
binds testosterone and estradiol and carries these steroids to maturing sperm in the lumen of seminiferous tubules
how do sertoli cells maintain immune privilege in the seminiferous tubules?
they produce the FAS ligand that binds to the FAS receptor on T lymphocytes and triggers apoptosis
what major proteins do sertoli cells secrete?
androgen binding proteins, transferrin, plasminogen activator
what is a proteolytic enzyme important in spermiation?
plasminogen activator, which converts plasminogen to plasmin
what two hormones secreted by the fetal testes regulate phenotypic gender expression?
testosterone and mullerian-inhibiting substance
Outline the pathway of the mature sperm.
testis -> epididymus -> vas deferens -> prostate gland -> penile urethra
where does maturation of sperm reach completion?
epididymus