Embryos - Male Reproductive System Flashcards
Lateral view of male reproductive system
What does the dartos muscle constitute
The subcutaneous muscle layer of the scrotum - continues internally to make up the scrotal septum (the wall dividing the scrotum into 2 compartments for the testes)
Where do the 2 cremaster muscles descend from
What do the dartos and cremaster muscles do together
descend from internal oblique muscle
2 cremaster muscles cover each testis like a muscular net
By contracting simultaneously, the dartos and cremaster muscles can elevate the testes in cold weather (or water), moving the testes closer to the body and decreasing the surface area of the scrotum to retain heat
What are the raphae
Raised medial thickening on the surface
Describe the outer tunica vaginalis of the scrotum
A serous membrane that has both a parietal and a thin visceral layer
What lies deep to the tunica vaginalis
Tunica albuginea - a tough, white dense CT layer covering the testis itself
Name the 2nd function of the tunica albuginea (other than covering the outside of the testis)
It also invaginates to form septa that divide the testis into 300-400 structures called lobules, and sperm develop in SEMINIFEROUS TUBULES within the lobules
When does the testes descend into the scrotal cavity
During the 7th month of the development period of a male foetus
What is cryptorchidism
When 1 or both of the testes fail to descend into the scrotum prior to birth
Sagittal view of the testis
Where does sperm travel to, after it has been produced at the seminiferous tubules
Transferred to epididymis to mature
Leave the epididymis during an ejaculation via the ductus deferens
What are seminiferous tubules composed of
Developing sperm cells surrounding a lumen, the hollow centre of the tubule, where formed sperm are released into the duct system of the testis
Where does sperm go once it leaves the lumen of the STs
From the lumen of the STs, sperm move into the straight tubules (tubuli recti) and from there into a fine meshwork of tubules - rete testes
Sperm leaves the rete testes and the testis itself through the 15-20 efferent ductules that cross the tunica albuginea
What do sustentacular cells do
Support the testis
Name the group of developing germ cells
Germ cells
How does the development of germ cells progress within the tubule
From the basement membrane (at the perimeter of the tubule) towards the lumen
Name the group of developing cells in the STs
Germ cells
What do sertoli cells do
Where are they found
These elongate, branching cells are sustentacular cells that secrete signaling molecules that promote sperm production and can control whether germ cells live or die
They are found in epithelial tissue, and extend physically around the germ cells from the peripheral basement membrane of the seminiferous tubules to the lumen
How is the blood-testis barrier created
What is its function
- Tight junctions between these sustentacular cells create the blood–testis barrier
- this keeps bloodborne substances from reaching the germ cells and, at the same time, keeps surface antigens on developing germ cells from escaping into the bloodstream and prompting an autoimmune response
What are the least mature cells called
Spermatogonia
Where are spermatogonia found
Can they differentiate
They line the basement membrane inside the tubule
Spermatogonia are the stem cells of the testis, which means that they are still able to differentiate into a variety of different cell types throughout adulthood
What is spermatogenesis
The process that begins with spermatogonia, which then divide to produce primary and secondary spermatocytes, then spermatids and concludes with sperm produced
(Occurs in STs)
How long does it take for a cycle of spermatogenesis to take place
64 days
How often does a new cycle of spermatogenesis start
Every 16 days but it can vary - not synchronous across the STs
Cross section of a ST
Overview of spermatogenesis