Male reproductive system Flashcards
What are the male reproductive organs?
Paired testes
Paired epididymides
Paired ductus deferens
Penis
Accessory sex glands
What does the testes produce?
Sperm and testosterone
Epididymus function
Sperm maturation and storage
Ductus deferens function
Sperm transport @ time of ejaculation
What are the accessory sex organs?
Prostate
Seminal vesicles
Bulbourethral glands
Ampulla
When and where do the tests develop and migrate?
Develop in the abdominal cavity, then migrate to the scrotum:
Before birth- ruminants and pigs
After birth- dogs and horses
Cryptorchidism
Retention of the testes in the abdominal cavity
Infertile because they lack sperm but have libido because they produce testosterone
Counter-current exchange
Between testicular artery and vein (pampiniform plexuses)
Main reason for testicular temp being 3-4 degrees lower than body temp
What factors help in lowering testicular temp?
Sweat glands in the scrotum
Smooth muscle cells of the tunica dartos
Cremaster muscle
What is each testis covered by?
A capsule of tunica vaginalis (peritoneum) and tunica albuginea (dense CT)
What does each testicular lobe have?
2-4 seminiferous tubules
Interstitial tissue that contains BVs and Leydig cells
Seminiferous tubules
30-70 cm long
Long convoluted part
Short straight part @ both ends that open into the rete testis
What is each ST surrounded by?
Peritubular myoid cells, sertoli (somatic), and germ cells
Most numerous to least numerous # of Leydig cells
Pig –> horse –> dog –> bull –> sheep and goat
Stratified seminiferous epithelium cells
Somatic and germ cells containing spermatogonia, primary spermatocytes, secondary spermatocytes, round spermatids and elongated spermatids
When germ cells are released into the lumen, they’re referred to as _________
Spermatozoa
Rete testis
Network of tubules that empty into efferent ductules
Efferent ductules
15-20 in #
Located @ proximal end of tests and empties to the epididymus
Epididymus
Highly convoluted, long tube (80 m in horse)
Caput (head), corpus (body), cauda (tail)
Cauda is continuous with the ductus deferens
Ducutus deferens
Long muscular tube that dilates to form ampulla
Narrows to form ejaculatory duct that empties into the urethra at the colliculus seminalis
What are the 3 stages of spermatogenesis?
- Proliferation
- Maturation
- Metamorphosis
Proliferation
Increase in # of stem cells
Spermatogonia (2n) proliferate and divide mitotically
Maturation
Reduction in # of chromos from diploid (2n) to haploid (n)
What happens to the spermatocytes during the maturation stage?
Primary spermatocytes undergo meiosis 1
Secondary spermatocytes undergoes meiosis 2
Metamorphosis
Change in shape from round cell to elongated cell
Spermatids don’t divide but undergo metamorphosis (acrosome and tail formation)
When does spermatogenesis start?
With puberty and continues until death
Spermatogenesis cycle in the bull?
52 days
Proliferation= 13 day
Maturation= 19 days
Metamorphosis= 20 days
Spermatogenesis for the boar and ram?
Boar: 34 days
Ram 48 days
What are the morphological changes during metamorphosis called?
Spermiogenesis