Male Reproductive System Flashcards
What does the male reproductive system include?
- testes
- series of ducts (epididymis, ductus deferens/vas deferens, and ejaculatory duct)
- accessory glands (seminal vesicles, prostate, bulbourethral glands)
- associated structures (penis and scrotum)
What do testes do?
produce sperms and secrete testosterone (male sex hormone)
What do the series of ducts (epididymis, ductus deferens/vas deferens, and ejaculatory duct) do?
produce fluid part of semen that nourishes, supports, and protects sperms
What does the penis do?
transfers sperms into female reproductive tract
What is the scrotum?
What does it do?
pouch of skin suspended inferior to perineum that supports and protects testes
What are the testes?
2 flattened egg-shaped organs contained in scrotum
Testes
How many surfaces, borders, and poles are there?
What are they?
- 2 surfaces (lateral and medial)
- 2 borders (anterior and posterior)
- 2 poles (superior and inferior)
Testes
What does the posterior border carry?
hilum, through which testicular blood vessels, lymphatics, and nerves enter or leave testis
Testes
What is the tunica albuginea?
fibrous capsule that covers testis and invaginates into its posterior border to form mediastinum of testis
Testes
What is the tunica albuginea divided into?
divided into 250 lobules by septa arising from tunica albuginea
Testes
What does each lobule of the albuginea divided do?
contains 1-3 tortuous seminiferous tubules that produces sperms and eventually deliver them to epididymis
Testes
Where do they develop?
in abdominal cavity behind peritoneum near kidneys
Testes
Where do the testes pass?
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
Testes
What forms the spermatic cord?
anterior abdominal wall layers that surround the testes + ductus deferens (vas deferens), testicular vessels, nerves, and lymphatics
Testes
Where is the spermatic cord?
attaches to superior pole of testis
Epididymis
What is the epididymis?
convoluted muscular tube composed of head, body, and tail
Epididymis
Where is the head?
attached to superior pole of testis
Epididymis
What does the head receive?
indirectly receives sperm from seminiferous tubules