Histo - Male Flashcards
What are the 4 major parts of the Male Genital System?
-
Testes
- produces spermatozoa
- synthesizes & secretes androgens
-
Duct system
- carries sperm to the exterior
- epididymis, vas deferens, ejaculatory duct, urethra
-
Secretory glands
- provide fluid & nutrients to support & nourish sperm
- seminal vesicles, prostate gland, bulbourethral glands of Cowper
- provide fluid & nutrients to support & nourish sperm
-
Penis
- capable of erection
- urination
- sperm/semen ejaculation
What is this?
Testes
Basics:
- In scrotum
- develop retroperitoneally
- descend into scrotal sac at ends of the spermatic cords
- surrounded by tunica vaginalis
- serous sac from peritoneum
- 2-3 degrees below body temp
Structure:
- Epididymis attached POSTERIORLY
- Enclosed by CT = tunica albuginea
- thickens posteriorly –> mediastinum testis
- CT from here delineates testicular lobes
What is this?
Rete Testis
Mediastinum of testes:
- contains rete testes
- has septa that divide the testes into lobules
- each lobule = 1-4 seminiferous tubules
- bound by BL
- surrounded by loose CT w/ blood vessels, lymph vessels, nerves, Leydig cells
- each lobule = 1-4 seminiferous tubules
- continuous w/ tunica albuginea
Structure:
- Terminal part of testes = consists of straight tubules
- enter the rete testes
- Both straight tubules & rete testes lined w/ simple cuboidal –> low columnar w/ microvilli
- Cels have flagellum
Note:
- Rete testes fuse to form multiple efferent ductules
What is this?
Seminiferous Tubules
Basics:
- Coiled, nonbranching loop
- w/ both ends opening into rete testes
Composed of:
- Central lumen (open space)
- Germinal or spermatogenic epithelium
- Sertoli cells (sustentacular cells)
- support & create blood.testes barrier
- BL
- outside of germ layer
- Fibrous CT
- Fibroblasts
- Myoid cells
- Leydig cells
- Blood vessels, nerves, lymphatics
Cells of the Testis (Seminiferous Tubules)
W/in the Seminiferous Tubules - Germinal Epithelium
- Spermatogonia
- up against BL
- Primary spermatocytes
- meiosis I
- have condensed chromosomes
- Secondary spermatocyte
- meiosis II
-
Spermatids
- after mitosis is complete
- spermiogenesis - closer to lumen
- Immature sperm
- tails toward lumen; head embedded
-
Sertoli cells
- supporting cells
Outside the BL of Seminiferous Tubules:
- Myoid cells
- contractile cells around tubules
- Fibroblasts
- Make ECM
- Cells of blood vessels
-
Leydig cells
- Make testosterone
What is the Blood‐testis Barrier? What are the 2 compartments?
-
Basal Compartment
- Mitosis
- Spermatogonia
- Type A
- stem cells
- progenitor cells
- heterochromatic (condensed)
- Type B
- euchromatic (less condensed)
- Type A
-
Adluminal Compartment
- Meiosis
- Spermatocytes
- Primary (1st meiotic division)
- Secondary (2nd meiotic division)
- Spermatids
- Spermatozoa
Note:
- Compartments = formed by tight junctions of Sertoli Cells
What is the importance of Sertoli Cells?
Basics:
- Large, oval & euchromatic nucleus
- Prominent mucleolus
- Tight & gap junctions btw cells
- Form basal lumen vs. adluminal compartments
- DONT DIVIDE
- Survive adverse conditions
- infection, malnutrition, irradiation
Functions:
- Formation of blood-testis barrier
- Support
- Nutrition, transport of waste, protection from immune system
- Phagocytosis
- cytoplasm by spermatids
- Spermiation
- faciliates release of sperm
- Secretory
What are the Secretions of Sertoli Cells?
During weeks 8-9 of fetal development:
- Mullerian inhibitory hormone (MIH)
- causes Mullerian ducts to regress
- leads to MALE development
- No MIH = FEMALES
Mature Testes:
- Androgen binding protein (ABP)
- allows testosterone to concentrate in tubule
- Inhibin
- negative feedback to hypothalamus & pituitary to inhibit FSH
What is this?
Cryotorchidism
-
No Spermatogenesis!
- happens when testes dont decend into the scrotum
- NO SPERM BEING MADE due to high temp
What is this?
Leydig Cell Tumor
Basics of Leydig cells:
- in CT btw seminiferous tubules
- steroid secreting cell
- appears foamy
Function:
- Synthesizes & secretes testosterone
- LH
- stimulate testosterone
- Prolactin
- stimulates expression of LH receptor
Crystals of Reinke
- pink (eiosinophilic)
- tumor in Leydig cells
What are the 2 cell types?
Interstitial (Leydig) Cells & Sertoli cells
- Green image = antibody to a glycoprotein in sertoli cells
How does the Formation of Sperm occur?
Basics:
- Germinal epithelium produces male gametes
- Takes ~64 days
- Asynchronous
Sequence:
-
Spermatogenesis (dev of spermatid)
- Mitosis & Meiosis
- spermatogonia –>
- primary –>
- secondary –>
- spermatocytes –>
- spermatids
- Mitosis & Meiosis
-
Spermiogenesis (spermatid –> sperm)
- formation of acrosome
- flagellum
- nuclear flattening
- cytoplasmic shedding
What is Spermatogenesis?
Spermatogonia
- Type A dark stem cells
- Type A pale (mature into type B)
- Type B
- mitose & differentiate –> primary spermatocytes
Primary spermatocytes (4N)
- Meiosis I
- produce secondary spermatocytes
Secondary spermatocytes (2N)
- Meiosis II
- produce spermatids (1N)
Spermatids
- undergo spermiogenesis
What are the 4 phases of Spermiogenesis?
-
Golgi phase
- begin to form acrosome (hydrolytic enzymes)
- centrioles/microtubules –> flagellum
-
Cap phase
- acrosomal cap THICKENS & FLATTENS
- nucleus condenses
-
Acrosome phase
- nuclei elongate; protamines replace histones
- head still embedded in Sertoli cells
-
Maturation phase
- cytoplasm = lost (forms residual body)
- released to lumen
What is the basic Anatomy of Sperm?
-
Head
- Acrosome
- Nucleus
-
Tail
- Midpiece
- helically arranged mitochondrial sheath
- Prinicpal piece
- End piece
- Midpiece