Male Genitalia Flashcards
What is the connective tissue capsule that surrounds and encloses the testies?
Tunia albuginea
What type of CT comprises the tunica albuginea?
Dense irregular collagenous
What is the thickened portion of the tunia albuginea, where the epididymis attaches, and blood/nerve/lymph enters?
Mediastimum testis
What gives rise to the connective tissue septa in the testes?
Mediastinum testis
What are the lobuli testis?
the subunits of the testes
What are the endocrine cells in the testes that produce testosterone?
Cells of Leydig
What is the loose CT layer deep to the tunica albuginea?
Tunica vasculosa
How many days does it take for spermatogonia to differentiate into spermatozoa?
74 days
Each lobuli testis contains how many seminiferous tubules?
1-4
What are the three components of the lobuli testis?
- Seminiferous tubules
- cells of Leydig
- loose CT stroma
What infiltrates the testes and forms the structural component around the seminiferous tubules?
vascular LCT from the tunica vasculosa
What is the major artery and veins in the testes?
- Testicular artery
2. Pampiniform plexus of veins
What are the three layers of the seminiferous tubules?
- Tunia (lamina propria)
- BL
- Seminiferous epithelium
What are the two components of the tunica propria of the seminiferous tubules?
- Type I collagen
2. Myoid cells
What is the function of the myoid cells in the tunica propria of the seminiferous tubules?
Rhytmic contraction to move sperm
What is the layer in the seminiferous tubules that is just deep to the basal lamina?
Seminiferous epithelium
What type of epithelium comprises the seminiferous epithelium?
Stratified, made up of spermatogenic cells and sertoli cells
What are sertoli cells?
Support cells for the spermatogenic cells
What happens to the spermatogenic cells as they move from the periphery toward the lumen of the seminiferous tubules?
differentiate to speramatozoa
What are the accessory glands, and what do they produce?
The seminal vesicles,
prostate, and bulbourethral glands that release semen
Do sertoil cells replicate?
No
What is the shape of sertoli cells?
columnar
What is the specialization that Sertoli cells have on their apical membrane?
Folds
What type of junction exists between Sertoli adjacent cells?
Tight
What are the two compartments that are formed by the tight junctions of the Sertoli cells?
Basal epithelium compartment
Luminal compartment
What does the occludens (tight) junctions between the Sertoli cells form?
Blool-testies-barrier
What is the earliest stage of sperm?
Spermatogonia
What is the shape of the nucleus in Sertoli cells?
Ovoid to triangular
What does the luminal compartment of the seminiferous tubules contain?
Sperm in various LATER stages of development
What does the basal epithelium compartment of the seminiferous tubules contain?
Spermatogonia
What is the order of maturation of spermatogenic cells? (4)
a. Spermatids (most mature)
b. Secondary Spermatocytes
c. Primary Spermatocytes
d. Spermatogonia (most immature)
What embryological structure do spermatogenic cells come from?
The yolk sac
What happens to the cytoplasmic remnants left behind by spermatids?
Phagocytosed by Sertoli cells
What is the hormone that begins spermatogenesis?
Gonadotropin (FSH and LH)
What are the three phases of spermatogenesis in order?
- Spermatogonial phase
- Meiosis
- Spermiogenesis
Where does the spermatogonial phase of spermatogenesis begin?
In the basal compartment