Histology II: male reproductive organs Flashcards
What parts does the male reproductive system consist of?
the testes,
excurrent genital ducts,
accessory sex glands,
and penis.
Name the accessory male sex glands.
the seminal vesicles,
the prostate, and
the bulbourethral glands.
The testes are covered by (other than scrotum)?
thick dense connective tissue capsules, the tunica albuginea.
How is a testicle divided?
into (a couple hundred) lobules by connective tissue septa that project from the outer capsule.
Each lobule consists of..?
several highly convoluted seminiferous tubules
tubuli seminiferi
The walls of the tubuli seminiferi consist of..?
thin lamina propria and seminiferous epithelium.
The space between the tubules is filled by..?
interstitial tissue.
What type of cells can be found within the interstitial tissue of testicular lobules?
large endocrinocytes called Leydig cells
Function of Leydig cells?
are endocrine cells that produce androgens such as testosterone and estrogen
Name the process by which spermatogonia develop into sperm.
Spermatogenesis
What are spermatogonia?
undifferentiated male germ cell
sperm stem cells essentially
Where does spermatogenesis take place?
in the seminiferous epithelium of the convoluted seminiferous tubules
Spermatogenesis can be divided into what three phases?
- Spermatogonial phase
- Spermatocyte phase
- Spermatid phase
What happens during the spermatogonial phase?
spermatogonia divide by mitosis to replace those of themselves that will eventually differentiate into primary spermatocytes
What happens during the spermatocyte phase?
primary spermatocytes undergo two meiotic divisions to reduce both the chromosome number and amount of DNA to produce haploid cells called spermatids.
