Male repro 2 Flashcards
What is the pathway of sperm out of the testes?
Seminiferous ducts-> Straight ducts-> Rete testes-> Efferent ducts-> Epididymis-> Ductus deferens-> ejaculatory ducts->Urethra
What is the epididymis?
Highly coiled tube that connects the testes to the vas deferens
What are the zones of the epidiymis?
Caput, corpus, cauda
What is the function of the epididymis?
- Store sperm
- Transport sperm
- Protect sperm
- Maturation of sperm
What are the hormones i the epididymis?
- Androgens
- Estrogens
- Activins/follistatin
What happens as sperm moves down the epididymis?
Fluid absorption in order to concentrate the sperm levels. This is under the control of estradiol
How is sperm moved through the epididymis?
Peristaltic movement moves immotile sperm from the head to the tail where it stays until sexual stimulation
What are epididymosomes?
Secreted as move to the tail and absorbs into the sperm and lose their cytoplasmic droplet, become mobile and have mature acrosome
What is the purpose of luminal acidification?
Serves as an antimicrobial and a signal to sperm to not swim until there is a large amount of bicarb
What is the purpose of antioxidant secretion in the epididymis?
Prevent DNA damage
Why does the epididymis have high levels of 5alpha reductase?
To convert the very numerous amount of testosterone to DHT
What happens if there is a loss of androgens?
Changes in luminal environment and hypertrophy
What is the purpose of estradiol in the epididymis?
Regulate expression of genes for solute and water transport (AQP 9)
What is the purpose of activins in the epididymis?
Initiating and maintaining epididymal function
Where is concentrations of follistatin the highest?
The tail need to inactivate activin here for some reason
What is the role of the vas deferens?
- Alkalization of seminal fluid
- Secretion of massive amounts of PGD and PGE (prostaglandin)
- Muscular tube to push sperm out
What type of nervous innervation is the vas deferens under?
Sympathetic innervation through vassal nerves
What is the bulk of semen made up of ?
Seminal plasma
What makes up the bulk of the seminal plasma?
- Vesicular gland
- Prostate
- Bulbourethral gland
What does the vesicular gland do?
Produce milky white fluid for transport and nourishment for sperm. Secrete: Bicarb, Citrate, Monosacharide, and prostaglandin
Where is the vesicular gland?
Paired at the junction of the pelvic urethra and head of vas deferens
Where is the prostate gland?
Between bladder and pelvic urethra
Where are the bulbourethral gland?
Paired on either side of pelvic urethra
What does the prostate do?
Make thin milky fluid. Secretes: Citric acid, zinc, acid phosphatase and serine proteases
