Male Reproductive System

Question 1

What does the male reproductive system include?

Answer 1

• testes
• series of ducts (epididymis, ductus deferens/vas deferens, and ejaculatory duct)
• accessory glands (seminal vesicles, prostate, bulbourethral glands)
• associated structures (penis and scrotum)

Question 2

What do testes do?

Answer 2

produce sperms and secrete testosterone (male sex hormone)

Question 3

What do the series of ducts (epididymis, ductus deferens/vas deferens, and ejaculatory duct) do?

Answer 3

produce fluid part of semen that nourishes, supports, and protects sperms

Question 4

What does the penis do?

Answer 4

transfers sperms into female reproductive tract

Question 5

What is the scrotum?

What does it do?

Answer 5

pouch of skin suspended inferior to perineum that supports and protects testes

Question 6

What are the testes?

Answer 6

2 flattened egg-shaped organs contained in scrotum

Question 7

Testes

How many surfaces, borders, and poles are there?

What are they?

Answer 7

• 2 surfaces (lateral and medial)
• 2 borders (anterior and posterior)
• 2 poles (superior and inferior)

Question 8

Testes

What does the posterior border carry?

Answer 8

hilum, through which testicular blood vessels, lymphatics, and nerves enter or leave testis

Question 9

Testes

What is the tunica albuginea?

Answer 9

fibrous capsule that covers testis and invaginates into its posterior border to form mediastinum of testis

Question 10

Testes

What is the tunica albuginea divided into?

Answer 10

divided into 250 lobules by septa arising from tunica albuginea

Question 11

Testes

What does each lobule of the albuginea divided do?

Answer 11

contains 1-3 tortuous seminiferous tubules that produces sperms and eventually deliver them to epididymis

Question 12

Testes

Where do they develop?

Answer 12

in abdominal cavity behind peritoneum near kidneys

Question 13

Testes

Where do the testes pass?

Answer 13

descend via inguinal canal, and enter scrotum before birth

as they pass through inguinal canal, they carry parts of anterior abdominal wall layers with them, thus are surrounded by several layers within scrotum

Question 14

Testes

What forms the spermatic cord?

Answer 14

anterior abdominal wall layers that surround the testes + ductus deferens (vas deferens), testicular vessels, nerves, and lymphatics

Question 15

Testes

Where is the spermatic cord?

Answer 15

attaches to superior pole of testis

Question 16

Epididymis

What is the epididymis?

Answer 16

convoluted muscular tube composed of head, body, and tail

Question 17

Epididymis

Where is the head?

Answer 17

attached to superior pole of testis

Question 18

Epididymis

What does the head receive?

Answer 18

indirectly receives sperm from seminiferous tubules

Question 19

Epididymis

Where is the body?

Answer 19

attached to posterior border of testis

Question 20

Epididymis

Where is the tail?

Answer 20

attached to inferior pole of testis

continuous with ductus deferens (vas deferens)

Question 21

Epididymis

What does it do?

Answer 21

• stores sperm (up to several months)

- space for sperm maturation (sperms become fully motile and able to fertilize ovum)

Question 22

Ductus Deferens (Vas Deferens)

What is ductus deferens?

Where does it start, pass, and end?

Answer 22

muscular tube that starts from tail of epididymis, ascends through spermatic cord, and ends at posterior surface (base) of urinary bladder

Question 23

Ductus Deferens (Vas Deferens)

How does it enter the pelvic cavity?

Answer 23

ascends through spermatic cord and inguinal canal to enter pelvic cavity

Question 24

Ductus Deferens (Vas Deferens)

Where does it pass inside the pelvic cavity?

Answer 24

passes over ureter towards base or posterior surface of urinary bladder

Question 25

Ductus Deferens (Vas Deferens) What is the ampulla of vas deferens?

Answer 25

formed when the ductus deferens (that lies medial to seminal vesicle inside pelvic cavity) dilates

Question 26

Ductus Deferens (Vas Deferens) What is the ejaculatory duct?

Answer 26

formed by vas deferens narrowing and joining to the duct of the seminal vesicle

Question 27

Seminal Vesicles What are seminal vesicles? Where are they?

Answer 27

2 coiled tubular glands on either side of midline, lateral to ampulla of ductus deferens (vas deferens), and are sandwiched between anterior wall of rectum and base of urinary bladder

Question 28

Seminal Vesicles What do they do?

Answer 28

produce 60% of the volume of semen

Question 29

Seminal Vesicles What does the duct of each seminal vesicle join to? What does this form?

Answer 29

joins to ductus deferens (vas deferens) to form ejaculatory duct that pierces posterior surface of prostate and opens into prostatic urethra

Question 30

Prostate What is the prostate?

Answer 30

conical gland located behind pubic symphysis, and in front of rectal ampulla

Question 31

Prostate What is the base of the prostate gland related to?

Answer 31

neck of urinary bladder

Question 32

Prostate Where is the apex of the prostate gland?

Answer 32

lies on external urethral sphincter

Question 33

Prostate What does it do?

Answer 33

surrounds prostatic urethra, and releases its secretions into it via several short ducts

Question 34

Bulbourethral Glands What are these glands?

Answer 34

2 small pea-sized glands on either side of membranous urethra

Question 35

Bulbourethral Glands What do they do?

Answer 35

secretions of these glands (during sexual arousal) empty into spongy urethra to lubricate its lumen

Question 36

Penis What is the penis?

Answer 36

cylindrical organ that consists of attached root and free body

Question 37

Penis What is the root?

Answer 37

fixed part formed by 3 masses of erectile tissue, bulb in middle, and one crus on each side (2 crura total)

Question 38

Penis What is each crus of the root attached to? What is it covered by?

Answer 38

each crus attaches to ischiopubic ramus covered by ischiocavernosus muscles

Question 39

Penis Where is the bulb? What does it do?

Answer 39

anchors to membrane covering inferior surface of external urethral sphincter carries spongy urethra

Question 40

Penis What is the bulb covered by?

Answer 40

bulbospongiosus muscles

Question 41

Penis What forms the body of the penis?

Answer 41

- crura of the root continue anteriorly as corpora cavernosa to form body of penis - body continues anteriorly as corpus spongiosum to form body of penis

Question 42

Penis What are the corpora cavernosa and corpus spongiosum?

Answer 42

columns of erectile tissue completely invested by tunica albuginea (thick layer of dense connective tissue)

Question 43

Penis How many corpora cavernosa are they? Where are they?

Answer 43

2 corpora cavernosa positioned on dorsal aspect

Question 44

Penis Where is the corpus spongiosum?

Answer 44

on ventral aspect of penis

Question 45

Penis What is the glans of penis?

Answer 45

enlarged anterior end of corpus spongiosum that reflects on anterior ends of corpora cavernosa

Question 46

Penis What passes through corpus spongiosum?

Answer 46

spongy urethra passes through, and opens to exterior at glans

Question 47

Penis What is prepuce?

Answer 47

loosely fitting fold of skin that covers glans