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Male Repro Flashcards

1
Q

How are steroid hormones typically transported in the blood?

A

Via binding proteins

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2
Q

What are primary and secondary messengers in the context of hormone signalling?

A

Primary - hormone that binds extracellular receptor
Secondary - intermediary molecule (e.g. Ca2+, cAMP, cGMP)

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3
Q

What are the roles of secondary messengers in hormone signalling?

A

Amplification - 1 hormone binding can release thousands of secondary messengers
Enzyme activator, inhibitor, cofactor, etc.

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4
Q

After how many half-life cycles is a hormone typically defined as being “cleared”

A

7

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5
Q

What temporal qualities differ between neural and endocrine signalling?

A

Endocrine is slower to initiate, but is longer lasting and can occur in many tissues at once

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6
Q

Give an example of a peptide hormone?

A

GnRH

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7
Q

Give an example of a glycoprotein hormone?

A

FSH, LH, TSH, hCG

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8
Q

Give an example of a steroid hormone?

A

Estradiol (E2)
Progesterone (P4)

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9
Q

Give an example of a modified fatty acid derived hormone?

A

Prostaglandin F2alpha
Prostaglandin E2

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10
Q

How are peptide hormones synthesized, stored, and secreted?

A

Synthesis by RER and Golgi, stored in secretory granules, secreted via exocytosis

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11
Q

Characteristics of peptide hormones in the bloodstream?

A

Mostly free hormones with short half lives (somewhat dependent on peptide length)

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12
Q

What kind of receptors do peptide hormones bind to?

A

Extracellular receptors

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13
Q

How could one differentiate between synthetic and naturally occurring peptide hormones in the blood?

A

Measuring copeptide levels

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14
Q

How are steroid hormones synthesized, stored, and secreted?

A

Synthesized via stepwise modification of cholesterol
Not stored
Secreted via diffusion

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15
Q

Characteristics of steroid hormones in the bloodstream?

A

Protein-bound with long half lives

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16
Q

Receptor binding of steroid hormones?

A

Receptors inside target cells usually act directly on genes to produce new proteins

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17
Q

What are examples of hormones secreted in a pulsatile pattern?

A

Most hormones; LH, testosterone

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18
Q

What is an example of sustained hormone surge?

A

Preovulatory GnRH/LH surge

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19
Q

How does negative feedback of estradiol work?

A

Estradiol released from the follicle acts on the surge centre of the hypothalamus to downregulate GnRH, and directly counteracts FSH

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20
Q

Describe GPCRs

A

7-pass transmembrane domain
“On” when bound GTP, “off” when bound GDP
Act as a link between hormones and second messengers

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21
Q

What are the two subunits of glycoprotein hormones?

A

Alpha - common to all glycoprotein hormones
Beta - hormone-specific subunit

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22
Q

How to sex steroid hormones differ from other steroid hormones?

A

Act on nuclear receptors (most others act on cytoplasmic receptors)

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23
Q

What happens to the reproductive tract in the fetal period?

A

Sex determination, differentiation, tract development, growth

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24
Q

What are the five main periods associated with the reproductive system?

A

Fetal
Prepubertal
Pubertal
Reproductive
Senescent

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25
Why does the GnRH surge centre not develop in males?
a-Fetoprotein (a-FP) binds estradiol and prevents entry into the brain. Testosterone can cross BBB, is converted to estradiol, and "defeminizes" the hypothalamus by preventing surge centre development
26
How does LH secretion differ between males and females?
Females: Cyclic high-amplitude surges (associated with preovulatory GnRH) with pulsatile release in between Males: Pulses every 2-6hrs followed by testosterone pulse
27
What are key features of development in the prepubertal period?
Latter half: reproductive tract growth rate exceeds that of the rest of the body Somatic and behavioural secondary sex characteristics appear
28
How is puberty typically defined in animals?
Age at which reproduction and parentage first becomes possible
29
What are three ways to potentially define puberty in a female animal?
Age at first estrus Age at first ovulation Age at first attainment of ability to support pregnancy
30
What are four ways to potentially define puberty in a male animal?
Age when behavioural traits are expressed Age at first sperm produced Age at first ejaculation Age when ejaculate contains a threshold number of spermatozoa
31
What are some major factors that affect the age of onset of puberty?
GENETICS Nutrition Male exposure (in females) Group size Season of birth (in seasonal breeders)
32
How does glucose affect GnRH?
Lack of glucose reduces amplitude and frequency of GnRH pulses
33
Why might an obese animal reach puberty earlier?
Leptin stimulates GnRH
34
What is the gonadostat theory of endocrine regulation of puberty?
Prior to puberty the hypothalamus is highly sensitive to estradiol-dependent GnRH suppression due to high levels of estrogen receptors
35
What are the four anatomical features that contribute to testicular cooling?
Cremaster muscle Scrotal skin Tunica dartos Vascular countercurrent
36
What is the name for the vascular network wrapped around the testicular artery?
Pampiniform plexus
37
What do Leydig cells do?
Produce testicular androgens
38
What are histological features of Leydig cells?
Acidophilic, some peripheral paleness due to lipophilicity (steroid production)
39
During which period of life is Leydig cell function the lowest?
Between birth and puberty
40
What are the three components of the seminiferous cords/tubules?
Lamina propria (basal lamina and peritubular cells) Sertoli cells Spermatogenic cells
41
What is the difference between seminiferous cords and seminiferous tubules?
Cords - Immature, lack a lumen, contain only Sertoli cells and gonocytes Tubules - developed, have a lumen, contain Sertoli cells and many generations of germ cells
42
What are peritubular myoid cells and what do they do?
Contractile cells surrounding basal lamina, assist in the propulsion of sperm and fluid through the seminiferous tubules
43
What are the roles of Sertoli cells?
Provide nutrients and signals to developing germ cells Secrete testicular fluid Phagocytize faulty germ cells Maintain blood-testis barrier
44
Histological characteristics of Sertoli cells?
Oval nucleus with prominent nucleolus near cell base Large, elongated, irregularly shaped
45
What is the role of the blood-testis barrier?
Allows germ cells to enter prior to meiosis to protect them from the immune system
46
What are the two compartments of seminiferous tubules?
Adluminal Basal
47
What are gonocytes?
Male germline stem cells (after primordial germ cells, before spermatogonial stem cells)
48
What is another name for a gonocyte?
Prospermatogonia
49
What are the three stages of gonocytes?
M - mitotic fetal T1 - quiescent T2 - mitotic postnatal
50
Characteristics of M1 (mitotic fetal) gonocytes?
Rapid proliferation relatively early in gestation; appear immediately after PGCs
51
Characteristics of T1 (quiescent) gonocytes?
Large round cells with 1 or 2 nucleoli in a prominent nucleus. Seen prior to/shortly after birth, reside in the center of cords but develop pseudopods to migrate to basement membrane
52
Characteristics of T2 (mitotic postnatal) gonocytes?
Reside at the basement membrane
53
How might testicular cancer develop in young males?
Failure of T1 gonocytes to develop pseudopods and migrate to the basement membrane prior to proliferation
54
What are the names of the two phases of spermatogenesis?
Proliferation = spermacytogenesis Differentiation = spermiogenesis
55
What are the three types of (male) germline stem cells?
Primordial germ cells (PGCs) Gonocytes Spermatogonial stem cells
56
Describe asymmetric division of spermatogonial stem cells?
Upon dividing, one daughter cell becomes an SSC, the other becomes a transient amplifying progenitor spermatogonia which then becomes two committed progenitor spermatogonia
57
What is meant by A(s), A(pr), and A(al)
A(s) - true SSCs (rare) A(pr) and A(al) - transient amplifying progenitor cell that has replicated without undergoing cytokinesis
58
What chemical causes A(al) (long chains of transient amplifying progenitor cells) to start differentiating?
Retinoic acid
59
What are the six stages of differentiating spermatogonia between A(al) and before they must cross the blood-testis barrier?
A1, A2, A3, A4, ln, B
60
What are the 5 stages undergone by primary spermatocytes in the adluminal compartment?
Preleptotene Leptotene Zygotene Pachytene Diplotene
61
What drives spermatids to differentiate into elongated spermatids?
Testosterone (morphological differentiation; no cell division)
62
What chemical causes the release of elongated spermatids into the lumen of the seminiferous tubule during spermiation?
Retinoic acid
63
What is the name for the cellular structure at the "head" of the sperm?
Acrosome
64
What are the four stages of spermiogenesis?
Golgi phase Cap phase Acrosomal phase Maturation phase
65
Describe the Golgi phase of spermiogenesis
Golgi vesicles fuse to form the acrosomic secretory granule
66
Describe the cap phase of spermiogenesis
Golgi migrates to caudal pole and acrosomic granule flattens and forms a "cap" on the nucleus with inner and outer acrosomal membranes
67
Describe the acrosomal phase of spermiogenesis
Elongation of the nucleus and acrosome covers most of its anterior surface
68
Describe the maturation phase of spermiogenesis
Mitochondria form a spiral pattern around the flagellum, postnuclear cap and annulus form
69
What are the four anatomical components of a spermatozoon tail?
Capitulum that fits into the head Middle piece with microtubules covered in a mitochondrial sheath Principal piece (majority of tail) Terminal piece with only microtubules
70
What is the physical pattern of sperm differentiation in a seminiferous tubule?
A singular, different stage of sperm differentiation can be seen at any given cross-section
71
What is a spermatogenic wave?
A complete sequence of spermatogenic stages in order along a seminiferous tubule
72
How is LH involved in spermatogenesis?
LH surge induces a surge of testosterone by Leydig cells
73
What does FSH do in males?
Act on Sertoli cells to promote their function and facilitate spermatogenesis
74
Histological differences between efferent ductules and epididymis?
ED: Simple columnar with ciliated and non-ciliated cells E: Pseudostratified columnar with stereocilia and smooth muscle (more SM and shorter cells towards tail)
75
What are ampullae?
Terminal part of the ductus deferens with numerous pockets and form an accessory sex gland
76
What species have ampullae?
Stallion + ruminants
77
What is produced by vesicular glands?
White to yellow-white gelatinous secretion rich in fructose
78
In what species does the vesicular gland contribute significantly to ejaculate volume?
Bull, boar (30%)
79
What are the two important functions of prostatic secretions?
Neutralization of seminal plasma and initiates active movement of sperm
80
What are the main functions of bulbourethral gland secretion?
Neutralization of urethral environment and vaginal lubrication. Possibly involved in occlusion of the cervix
81

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