Male Reproductive System Flashcards
semen is formed in ___
prostatic urethra
follow sperm from testis → out of body
testis, epididymis, vas deferens, ampulla of vas deferens, ejaculatory duct at end of vas deferens, prostatic urethra, membranous urethra, spongy urethra, out of body
what is semen
mixture of prostatic gland’s secretion, bulbo-urethral gland, seminal vesicle’s secretion, and sperm from epididymis
what is superficial to the tunica albuginea of the testes?
tunica vaginalis (a couple layers)
contraction of cremaster muscle occurs when?
when it is cold, to draw testes closer to body and increase temp
past which structure does the membranous urethra travel?
the urogenital diaphragm (pelvic floor muscles)
where does the bulbourethral gland’s secretion enter? What is the purpose of its secretion?
spongy urethra at root of penis
alkaline to neutralize acidity of urethra & lubricate glans penis during copulation
purpose of corpus spongiosum
keep urethra from collapsing
tissue type of cremaster muscle and dartos muscle
cremaster - skeletal (but not super voluntary, mostly reflexive)
dartos - smooth
why is the testicular artery surrounded by venous plexus
the pampiniform venous plexus absorbs heat from blood from artery so that it cools for the testes
what is the rete testis?
series of ducts that are going to take the sperm from testes to epididymis
mitosis vs. meiosis during spermatogenesis
mitosis does not change the number of chromosomes, it makes an exact copy (cloning) of the diploid (2n) cell
meiosis I divides the 46 chromosomes into two to make haploid (n) cells (cut cell in half)
meiosis II: 2 haploid (n) cells each make 2 more non-identical haploid cells
result is 4 daughter cells (spermatids) that are not identical to one another or parent cells (genetic variation)
where in the body does the spermatid finish its maturation?
inferior part of epididymis
how long does spermatogenesis take
64-72 days
physiology of myoid cells
contractile to squeeze sperm out of testes
results of meiosis in males
4 round early spermatid cells near lumen of tubule, which will enter into spermeogenesis and become late spermatids
sertoli cells
- in testes
- extremely large, extend long arm projections between and around cells, envelop all the other cells
- help form wall of seminiferous tubules,
- produce testicular fluid as transport medium
- blood testis barrier
- connected to one another via tight junctions to make mostly impermeable barrier
- protects sperm from male immune system
- help testosterone get from IS fluid to lumen by producing androgen binding protein
- production of ABP enhanced by FSH
- produce inhibin when lumen is full of sperm and more when there is more frequent ejac.
what is significant about the cells that are between the seminiferous tubules? what are they called?
interstitial cells; produce testosterone for spermatogenesis
During spermatogenesis, which cells remains at the basal lamina to continue the pool of dividing cells?
type A daughter cells
how long for sperm to move through epididymis?
non-motile, so about 20 days
function of stereocilia of epididymis
non-motile, specialized for reabsorption of testicular fluid surrounding spermatozoa when they came out of seminiferous tubules, secrete nutrients for spermatozoa
what two structures form the ejactulatory duct?
duct of seminal vesicle + vas deferens
semen recipe
seminal fluid, sperm, fluid from prostate gland
name the four structures with the following functions
seminal vesicles and fluid
70% of semen volume
alkaline, contains fructose for sperm fuel
prostate gland
how much of the volume of semen, what does it produce, and where is it?
⅓ of semen volume,
secretes slightly acidic fluid with enzymes to activate sperm and PSA (prostate-specific antigens)
bulbourethral glands
inferior to prostate
produce thick clear mucus to lubricate glans of penis and neutralize urethra (from urine)
correct pathway for sperm cells as they are formed and exit the body.
Which duct empties into the spongy urethra? Which duct empties into the prostatic urethra?
bulbourethral gland → spongy urethra
ejaculatory gland → prostatic urethra
dartos muscle function
wrinkle scrotum
use anat. terms to describe seminal glands’ locations
bilateral, posterior and inferior to bladder, superior to prostate (empty into prostatic urethra)
order of development (with correct vocab term) for sperm cells
spermatogonia, primary spermatocyte, secondary spermatocyte, early spermatid, late spermatid, spermatozoa (sperm cells)
