Ch. 28: Reproductive System Flashcards
What is a physical exam?
Checking a patient’s weight & blood pressure, as well as heart rate, temperature
What is a pelvic exam?
Exam of the pelvic organs: vagina, cervix, uterus, ovaries, to make sure they’re healthy
What is a pap test?
Collecting cells from the cervix to check for cancer
What is included in a hormone test?
FSH, Estrogen, Progesterone, Thyroid
What is the function of the testes?
To produce sperm and testosterone
What is the function of the ducts in the male reproductive system?
Transport, store, assist in maturation of sperm
The penis contains the urethra which is?
It contains, the urethra, a passageway for ejaculation of semen and excretion of urine
What is cryptorchidism? What are the percentages of infants affected? When do you need treatment before?
- A condition in which one or both testicles fail to move from the abdomen, where they develop before birth, into the scrotum
- 3% of full term & 30% of premature infants
- Surgical treatment necessary before 18 months
What is the dartos muscle?
Smooth muscle, causes wrinkling
What is the role of the cremaster muscle?
- Moves the testis, promoting healthy and mobile sperm
- Lowers and raises the testis in order to control its temperature
Why are the testes outside the abdominal cavity? What are the scrotal temperatures?
The arteries that supply blood to the scrotum function as an additional cooling/ heating exchange mechanism.
-As a consequence of these adaptations average scrotal temperatures in humans are typically 2.50 to 30 C lower than body temperature (370 C), and spermatogenesis is most efficient at 340-350 C.
What is a hernia?
A rupture or separation of a portion of the abdominal wall resulting in the protrusion of a part of an organ
What does prenatal testosterone secretion do?
Assists testicular descent and development of male external gential
What are some examples of puberty changes for males?
Stimulation of anabolism (musculoskeletal growth), enlargement of genetalia, voice changes, sebaceous gland serections thicken/increase which lead to acne
Secretion of testoterone at puberty leads to what?
leads to development of male secondary sexual characterisitics
How long does spermatogenesis take
65-75 days
What is puberty? When ages does it begin?
- Burst of hormones activate maturation of the gonads.
- Around 9-14 years of age
What is it called when puberty is too early vs too late?
- Abnormally early: precocious puberty
- Abnormally late: eunuchoidism
What is the role of the pituitary in leydig cells and sertoli cells? What are the functions of the Interstitial cells (Leydig cells) and Sertoli Cells (sustentacular cells)?
- At puberty, the anterior pituitary increases secretion of LH and FSH by gonadotrophs
LH stimulates Leydig cells: secretes testosterone (synthesized from cholesterol) -
FSH stimulates sertoli cells: increases the rate of spermatogenesis
-Sertoli cells release inhibin, a hormone that inhibits FSH
Sperms are ____ that contain ____ chromosomes. What are the percentages of autosomes and chromosomes that sperm contain?
- haploids, 23
- 50% containing 22 autosomes and X chromosomes, 50% containing 22 autosomes and Y chromosomes
Once ejaculated, how long can sperm survive in the female reproducrive tract?
5 days
Describe the structure of a sperm
Describe what a sperm is, and the 3 parts and what they contain
- The sperm is the male gamete produced in the testes of the male reproductive system. It consists of three parts - head, middle piece and the tail.
- The topmost part of the sperm has an oval shaped head which contains the male genetic material, i.e. all the genetic information necessary to make a young one. It also contains the acrosome which enables the sperm to penetrate the egg and protects the sperm
- Just below the head is the middle piece and it contains mitochondria which provides the energy to the sperm for movement.
- Just beneath the middle piece, there is a long structure called the tail of the sperm which helps in movement.
What are some components that mature spermatozoon lacks?
- Endoplasmic reticulum
- Golgi apparatus
- Lysosomes/peroxisomes
- Other intracellular structures that reduces sperm size/mass
What are the function of the epididymis? (3)
- It monitors and adjusts fluid produced by seminiferous tubules
- Recycles damaged spermatozoa
- Stores and protects spermatozoa
-Faciliates functional maturation, and motility increases over 2 weeks
What is the pathway of sperm?
From seminiferous tubules to ductus deferens
Seminiferous tubules
Straight tubules
Rete Testis
Efferent Ducts
Ductus Epididymis
Ductus (vas) deferens
What does a vasectomy do?
A vasectomy works by stopping sperm getting into a man’s semen, the fluid that he ejaculates.
Sperm leaves the testicles through two tubes called the vas deferens, and mixes with other fluids to make semen
A vasectomy blocks or cuts each vas deferens tube, keeping sperm out of your semen. Sperm cells stay in your testicles and are absorbed by your body.
What are the 7 steps of sperm fertilization?
- The sperm approaches the egg
- The sperm’s acrosomal enzymes digest the egg’s jelly coat
- Proteins on the sperm head bind to egg receptors
- The Plasma membrane of sperm and egg fuse
- The sperm nucleus enters the egg cytoplasm
- A fertilization membrane forms
- The nuclei of sperm turns into the zygote nucleus
What are seminal vesicles/ their location? What is their function?
- Pair of pouch like organs found posterior to the base of the urinary bladder
- Contributes to 60% of semen volume (thick, clear, alkaline fluid)
- Sperm cells become highly motile when mixed with this fluid
What structure procduces fructose, prostaglandin, and fibrinogen? What is the function of fructose, prostaglandin, and fibrinogen?
They are produced by the seminal vesicles
* Fructose: its role is to provide energy for spermatozoa motility.
* Prostaglandin: stimulate smooth muscle contractions of female and male reproductive tracts
* Fibrinogen: facilitates in seminal clotting after ejaculation. This clotting of the semen helps to keep the ejaculated sperms in the female reproductive tract
Where is the prostate gland located?
Chesnut size located inferior to bladder
Describe the 3 functions of the prostate gland
Also describe seminal liquefaction
- Secretes 25%-30% of ejaculate
- Milky, slightly acidic (6.5ph)
- Enzymes for seminal liquefaction (pepsinogen, lysozyme, amylase)
*Seminal liquefaction: After ejaculation, the semen forms a gel which provides protection for the sperm from the acidic environment of the vagina. The gel is liquefied within 20-30 minutes by enzymes from the prostate gland. This liquefaction is important to free the sperm so transportation may occur)
What is prostatitis? What are some symptoms?
Swelling of the prostate gland that produces seminal fluid
* Difficult urination, urinary frequency, pain ->could be asymptomatic
Prostate Cancer
Describe what number in leading cause of cancer, average age at diagnosis, what type of tests can detect it, and what treatments?
- Prostate cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer & cancer deaths in men
- Avg age at diagnosis: 72
- Detected by blood test or digital rectal exam
- Treated surgically or with drugs to reduce prostate size or activity
What are the 4 functions of the bulbourethral or Cowper’s Glands?
- Connects to spongy urethra
- Clear, viscous secretion (alkaline pre-ejaculate)
- Lubricate the urethra for spermatozoa to pass through
- Neutralizes the traces of acidic urine in urethra
What is not good news when doing semen fertility analysis?
Lack of forward motility
Low count or abnormal shapes