Male Reproductive System Flashcards
What are all the structures that make up the male reproductive system? (5)
Penis Testes/Testicles Epididymis Vas Deferens Male Glands
What are the two functions of the penis?
Excretion and reproduction
How long is the male urethra?
20cm long
What kind of muscle makes up the urethra?
Smooth muscle
Draw out the penis!
Done
What are the parts of the penis? (6)
Corpus cavernosum Urethra Corpus spongiosum Arteries Veins Nerves
What is the corpus cavernosum?
Erectile tissue (contains most of the blood during erection)
What does the corpus spongiosum accomplish during an erection?
Keeps the urethral open
Where are the arteries, veins and nerves located on the penis?
Underneath
During an erection how many times more blood enters the penis than leaves?
7x
What do the capillary bed sphincters do during an erection?
Relax and allow blood to flow in
What does it mean to have a glans penis?
The end of the penis is bulbous.
What is the purpose of a glans penis?
Used to remove other male penis from the woman’s body.
What do guard sperm do?
Tangle up other men’s sperm
What is a teste?
The male gonad
Define scrotum
A fleshy sac that holds the the testicles
What is the main function of the testicles
To produce sperm
Why are the testicles located outside of the body?
Sperm is produced best at 2 degrees cooler than body temperature
If the testicles are cold how do they bring themselves closer to the body?
The scrotum has ligaments attached to the inner wall that is able to pull in the testicles
What is a negative result of having the testicles at the wrong temperature?
Misshapen sperm
Where are the seminiferous tubules found?
In the testicles
Describe the seminiferous tubules
Very small
Delicate
250 m long
What is the outside layer of cells in the seminiferous tubules?
Spermatogonia (primary spomatocytes)
When Spermatogonia divide, what are its daughter cells called?
Secondary spomatocytes
When secondary spomatocytes divide what are their daughter cells called?
Spermatids
What does each spermatid become?
A sperm
Are primary spermatocytes haploid or diploid?
Diploid
Are spermatids haploid or diploid?
Haploid
Define diploid
Normal chromosome count of a cell
Define haploid
Half the number of chromosomes in a normal cell
What are the nurse cells in the seminiferous tubules called?
Sertoli cells
What do the interstitial cells of leydig do on the side of the seminiferous tubules?
Produce testosterone
Draw the sperm
Done
Is sperm haploid or diploid?
Haploid
What is on the tip of the head of the sperm?
Acrosome
What is an acrosome?
An enzyme that eats away at the outer wall of the egg cell
What is all around the head of the sperm?
Binding sites
What are in the mid piece of the sperm?
Mitochondria
What is the tail of the sperm called?
A flagella
How many sperm are produced by a man daily?
300 million
How long does it take sperm to grow?
9 weeks
How long does it take for sperm to mature?
7 weeks
Where do sperm mature?
Epididymus
Where is the epididymus located?
On the side of the testicle (one per testicle)
What does the inside of the epididymus look like?
Full of tubules
What happens to malformed sperm in the epididymus?
Immune system kills them off
Where do the sperm start to move their “tails”?
The epididymus
Describe the vas deferens
Very slender tubule a tad greater in diameter than a human hair
How can damage to the vas deferens effect sperm?
Limit the amount of sperm that passes through
What does the vas deferens connect to?
The epididymus and the urethra
What is the connection between the vas deferens and the urethra called?
Ejaculatory duct
Where is the prostate gland located?
Wrapped around the urethra close to the bladder
What is a vasectomy?
Cutting the vas deferens stopping sperm from moving into the urethra
What supports the testicles
Hangs from blood vessels and the vas deferens
What is it called when the testicles twist?
Etortion
What are the three men glands?
Cowper’s gland
Seminal vesicles
Prostate
What do the male sex glands do when the male is sexually aroused?
Produce fluid
What gland produces the most fluid?
Prostate gland
What does the fluid from the Cowper’s gland do?
Lubricates and cleans out anything in the urethra as well as neutralizing any acid
What is found in the fluid from the seminal vesicles and what are their purposes? (3)
- fructose (sugar for energy for sperm)
- sodium bicarbonate (baking soda to neutralize acidity in the vagina)
- mucus (for the sperm to move around in)
Describe the prostate gland
Muscular outer wall
Spongy inside
How does the fluid move from the prostate to the urethra?
Spongy cells hold the fluid and the muscular wall contracts moving everything into the urethra
What are all the fluids from the glands together called?
Semen
