Male Reproductive System Flashcards
What is the main function of the reproductive system?
To perpetuate the species
What is the main function of the male reproductive system?
Production of sperm and their delivery to the female
What is the main function of the female reproductive system?
Production of eggs, provide a location for fertilization, and providing a location to house and support embryonic development
What do the testes produce?
Germ cells
What are the passageways of the male reproductive system?
Straight tubules, rete testes, efferent ductules, ductus epididymes, ductus deferens (vas deferens), ejaculatory duct, urethra
What are the three accessory glands of the male reproductive system?
Seminal vesicles, prostate glands, bulbourethral gland
What are the endocrine product of the testes?
Androgens, primarily testosterone and steroidogenesis
What is the exocrine product of the testes?
Sperm
What are the three steps of spermatogenesis?
- spermatogonial phase
- spermatocyte phase
- spermatid phase
What happens in the spermatogonial phase?
Speratogonia undergo mitosis, spermatogonia to spermatocytes
What happens in the spermatocyte phase?
Spermatocytes undergo meiosis 1 and 2, spermatocytes to spermatid
What happens in the spermatid phase?
Spermeiogenesis, maturation process, spermatids to spermatozoa
Seminiferous tubules are lined with what?
Complex stratified epithelium
What are the two cells found in the seminiferous tubules?
Sertoli cells (aka supporting or sustantacular cells) and spermatogenic cells
What are the 4 kind of spermatogenic cells?
A.spermatogonia
B.primary spermatocytes
C.secondary spermatocytes
D.spermatids
What are the three kinds of spermatogonia?
A.type A dark (Ad) spermatogonia
B.type A pale (Ap) spermatogonia
C.type B spermatogonia
Spermataozoa move from the seminiferous tubules to where?
Seminiferous tubules to straight tubules (tubuli recti) to rete testes to efferent ductules
What are the two intratesticular ducts?
Straight tubules and rete testes
What are the straight tubules lined with?
Only with sertoli cells until the very end when they switch to cuboidal epithelium with underlying dense connective tissue
What are the rete testes lined with?
Cuboidal epithelium or low columnar epithelium (or even simple squamous epithelium) with underlying dense connective tissue, epithelial cells have a single apical cilium and a few short apical microvili
Efferent ductules are a connection between what two things?
Testes and the head of the epididymes
What are the efferent ductules lined with?
Pseudostratified columnar epithelium with groups of nonciliated cuboidal cells with microvili alternating with groups of taller ciliated cells. Some circularly oriented smooth muscle can be found around these ducts
Ductus epididymes is lined with what?
Pseudostratified columnar epithelium composed of round basal cells and columnar cells with stereocilia (known as principal cells); surrounded by smooth muscle cells
How long is the ductus epididymes?
4-5 meters
What happens to sperm in the ductus epididymes?
Storage and completion of maturation process occurs here
What is the ductus deferens (vas deferens) lined with?
Pseudostratified columnar epithelium with sparse stereocilia, muscularis has three layers of smooth muscle; mucosa lies in longitudinal folds; narrow lumen and with thick, muscular wall
What are the two parts of the ductus deferens?
Ampulla and ejaculatory duct
Describe the ampulla features?
Dilated area where epithelium is thicker and more folded
Describe the ejaculatory duct features?
Portion of the ductus deferens in the prostate gland; after the seminal vesicles join, no muscular layer
What are the three parts of the urethra?
A.prostatic urethra
B.membranous urethra
C.spongy urethra or penile urethra
The prostatic urethra is lined with what?
Transitional epithelium
The membranous urethra is lined with what?
Stratified columnar epithelium or pseudostratified columnar epithelium
The spongy epithelium is lined with what?
LIned by psueodostratified columnar epithelium
Describe the seminal vesicles.
2 highly tortuous tubular glands lined with simple columnar epithelium, or pseudostratified columnar epithelium rich in secretory granules; smooth muscle in inner circular and outer longitudinal arrangement; thin folds seen in lumen to increase surface area; joins with ampulla of ductus derferens to form ejaculatory duct
Describe the prostate gland.
Collection of 30-50 tubuloalveolar glands embedded in a dense fibromuscular stroma; covered by a fibroelastic capsule; contains corpora amylacea or prostatic concretions; empties into prostatic urethra
Describe the bulbourethral glands.
AKA cowper’s glands; compound tubuloalveolar glands, lined with mucous secreting simple columnar epithelium; located in urogenital diaphragm and empty into proximal part of the penile urethra
The three male accessory glands produce what?
Seminal fluid
What is the porous of seminal fluid?
The medium through which sperm leaves the male body
What are the dorsal paired cylinders of the penis called?
Corpus cavernosum
What is the ventral cylinder of the penis called?
Corpus spongiosum
The three erectile cylinders of the penis are surrounded by what layer of dense connective tissue?
Tunica albuginea
