Chapter 26: Reproduction and Development Flashcards
What three sets of structures make up the male and female reproductive system
Gonads, internal genitalia, external genitalia
What is a Barr body
The inactivated X chromosome in females is inactivated after the development of ovaries.
What are the two bipotential gonads
Wolffian ducts and the Mullerian ducts
What directs zygotes to be male or female
The SRY gene. If it is absent, then the zygotes are females.
What 3 hormones influence the development of male internal and external genitalia
Seritoli cells secrete the glycoprotein AMH, and Interstitial (Leydig) cells secrete androgens: testosterone and DHT
What does testosterone do? What does AHM do in males
AHM dissolves the Mullerian duct and testosterone converts the Wolffian ducts into the internal male reproductive structures such as the epididymis, vas deferens, and seminal vesicles
What enzyme converts testosterone to DHT
5A-reductase
Why do the Mullerian ducts develop in females
Because there is no AHM being produced. It is not being produced because SRY gene is absent. This means that the testes and the hormones it secretes do not develop.
Where are the receptors for androgens in a cell and why are they there?
The receptors are located in the cytoplasm or nucleus of the targeted cell. This is because androgens are considered steroid hormones. Steroid hormones are made of lipids that easily penetrate the cell membrane.
What enzyme do both the testes and ovaries contain
aromatase
