Male Reproductive System

Question 1

What is the site of spermatogenesis?

Answer 1

testes

Question 2

What hormone is produced within the testes?

Answer 2

testosterone

Question 3

What is the blood supply to the testes?

Answer 3

testicular artery

Question 4

Which layer of the testicular tunic is a serous sac derived from peritoneum that partially covers the anterior and lateral surfaces?

Answer 4

Tunica Vaginalis

Question 5

What is the thickest testicular tunic layer?

Answer 5

tunica albuginea

Question 6

What is the tunica albuginea made of?

Answer 6

thick, fibrous connective tissue

Question 7

Which layer of the testicular tunic lies deep to the TA and is a highly vascular layer of loose CT?

Answer 7

Tunica Vasculosa

Question 8

What is the mediastinum testis?

Answer 8

A posterior thickening of the TA that forms incomplete connective tissue septa that divide the organ into about 250 compartments called testicular lobules

Question 9

What is the major function of Leydig cells? and where are they found?

Answer 9

Testosterone synthesis

Interstitial areas between seminiferous tubules

Question 10

seminiferous tubules eventually narrow into short, straight segments, called ________ that connect them to the rete testis

Answer 10

tubuli recti

Question 11

What is the name of the layer that forms the wall of a seminiferous tubule?

Answer 11

Tunica propria

Question 12

What are the seminiferous tubules lined by? ie what type of epithelium?

Answer 12

seminiferous/germinal epithelium

Question 13

Other than epithelial cells, what two types of cells can be found within the epithelium of a seminiferous tubule?

Answer 13

spermatogenic cells (germ cells) and Sertoli cells

Question 14

Sertoli cells develop from __________ cells

Answer 14

spermatogenic

Question 15

What type classification of hormones do leydig cells make?

Answer 15

steroid hormones

Question 16

Leydig cells have abundant _______ due to their function of producing steroid hormones

Answer 16

smooth ER

Question 17

How do leydig cells stain?

Answer 17

acidophilic

Question 18

What is the precursor to testosterone that is found in abundance inside leydig cells?

Answer 18

cholesterol esters contained in lipid droplets

Question 19

The cytoplasm of Leydig cells may contain rod-shaped crystals called _______ crystals. These crystals are found in higher numbers in leydig cell tumors

Answer 19

Reinke

Question 20

What stimulates leydig cells to secrete testosterone?

Answer 20

luteinizing hormone

Question 21

Where is luteinizing hormone produced?

Answer 21

pituitary gland

Question 22

What is the overall general shape of a sertoli cell?

Answer 22

Tall Columnar shaped cell

Question 23

What are some traits to look for when identifying a sertoli cell?

Answer 23

Pale, oval, indented nucleus
Large nucleolus
Many mitochondria
Extensive Golgi
Well developed ERs

Question 24

Do sertoli cells replicate?

Answer 24

NO

Question 25

Sertoli cells have receptors for ____________ hormone on their plasma membrane

Answer 25

follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)

Question 26

Sertoli cells form ____________ with adjacent sertoli cells near their base.

Answer 26

zonulae occludens (tight junctions)

Question 27

The tightly joined sertoli cells divide the seminiferous tubule lumen into a _______ and an ____________ compartment

Answer 27

basal | adluminal

Question 28

The tight junctions of the sertoli cells are responsible for the _________ barrier

Answer 28

blood - testis

Question 29

What does the blood - testis barrier do?

Answer 29

protects developing sperm cells from autoimmune reactions

Question 30

What are the 7 main functions of Sertoli cells?

Answer 30

Blood-testis barrier Support, protect, nourish spermatogenic cells Phagocytose excess cytoplasm discarded by maturing spermatids Secrete fructose-rich fluid Secrete Androgen-binding protein (ABP) Secrete inhibin Secrete testicular transferrin

Question 31

What is the function of the fructose-rich fluid sercreted by sertoli cells?

Answer 31

transports spermatozoa through the seminiferous tubules to the genital ducts and provides them with nutrition.

Question 32

What is the function of androgen-binding protein (ABP) secreted by sertoli cells?

Answer 32

Concentrates testosterone in seminiferous tubule lumen

Question 33

Androgen-binding protein (ABP) is under the influence of ______

Answer 33

follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) | ** which sertoli cells have receptors for on their plasma membrane **

Question 34

What is the major function of inhibin, secreted by sertoli cells?

Answer 34

hormone that inhibits synthesis and release of FSH by the anterior pituitary.

Question 35

What is the major function of testicular transferrin?

Answer 35

Accepts Fe from serum transferrin and then transfers the Fe to maturing gametes

Question 36

Before puberty there are only __________ no sperm.

Answer 36

spermatogonia

Question 37

What are the three phases of spermatogenesis?

Answer 37

Spermatogonial (Spermatogenesis) Spermatocyte (meiosis) Spermatid (spermiogenesis)

Question 38

Where are spermatogonia found?

Answer 38

Next to seminiferous epithelium basal lamina

Question 39

What are the three types of spermatogonia?

Answer 39

Pale type A (Ap) *Pale staining nucleus* Dark type A (Ad) *Dark staining nucleus* Type B

Question 40

Which is mitotically active Ap or Ad spermatogonia?

Answer 40

Ap

Question 41

When Ap cells divide via mitosis what types of cells can they give rise to?

Answer 41

Ap or B spermatogonia

Question 42

What phase of the cell cycle are Ad spermatogonia stuck in?

Answer 42

G0

Question 43

What type of spermatogonia is radiation/chemo resistant?

Answer 43

Ad

Question 44

Type B spermatogonia undergo mitosis and give rise to _________

Answer 44

primary spermatocytes

Question 45

What are some identifiers of a type B spermatogonia?

Answer 45

large clumps of chromatin along the nuclear envelope | central nucleolus

Question 46

As soon as primary spermatocytes are formed they have duplicate chromosomes (2x 2n DNA) and migrate to the _________ compartment.

Answer 46

adluminal compartment

Question 47

To maintain the blood-testis barrier, primary spermatocytes form __________ with sertoli cells while migrating.

Answer 47

zonula occludens

Question 48

**** Look over and be able to draw the division of spermatocytes to spermatids ****

Answer 48

You can do it!!