Male Reproductive System Flashcards
Outline the general route of the sperm in a male
- Made of tightly coiled seminiferous tubules - where spermatogenesis occurs
- Sperm then enters hilum of testes - rete testis
- Then exit through efferent ductules where sperm become concentrated
- Enter epididymis where sperm start to mature and learn how to swim
- Epididymis continuous with ductus deferens - muscular tube that moves sperm away
Where are sertoli cells found
Walls of seminiferous tubule
State the action of sertoli cells
- Sertoli cells important in maturation of sperm
- Removes excess cytoplasm and look after sperm before it leaves to epididymis
State the action of leydig cells
- Sit outside of tubules and involved in synthesis of testosterone
- Full of lipid cells and lipid modification
Describe the blood supply to and from testes
- As testes descend from abdomen, they take blood supply with them
- Left and right testicular artery directly from abdominal aorta
- Venous drainage runs parallel to artery
- Right testicular vein drains into vena cava and left testicular vein drains into left renal vein
Describe the lymph drainage of the testes and scrotum
- Lymphatic drainage - drain into abdominal aortic region
- Lymph nodes of scrotum skin in the inguinal ligaments in the groin
- Large lymph nodes in groin most likely signals scrotum problem rather than testes problem
Describe the structure of the spermatic cord
- 3 fascia layers - internal, cremasteric, external
- 3 arteries - testicular artery, artery to vas, cremasteric artery
- 3 veins - testicular vein, vein to vas, cremasteric vein
- 3 nerves - ilioinguinal nerve, nerve to cremaster, sympathetic system
- Sympathetic system causes ejaculation
- Parasympathetic system causes erection (point and shoot)
- Sympathetic system causes ejaculation
State the arrangement of ureter and vas deferens
- Ureter passes underneath vas deferens
- Water passes under bridge
Where is a vasectomy done
- Vasectomy - clamp and cut vas deferens
- Done through scrotum and pull out spermatic cord
- Takes months for all sperm to be cleared below the vasectomy point
- Have to wait before unprotected sex
Explain testicular torsion
- Twisting of testes from spermatic cord
- Risk losing testes and becoming infertile if missed early on
- Twists on its blood supply
- Veins first get occluded as lower pressure which increases pressure in testes
- This increase pressure in twisted area leading to compartment syndrome in testes
- Fixed by opening scrotum and twisting testes back and suture testes to scrotum wall
Can testes switch sides
Scrotal septum prevents testes from switching sides
What is benign prostatic hypertrophy
- Transitional zone enlarges leading to compression of urethra
- Prostate grows bigger in response to androgens - prostate grows bigger over time
Where does prostatic cancer normally occur
- Cancer normally occurs in peripheral zone (rather than transitional zone in BPH)
- Doesnt normally cause urinary problems
- Can be examined from back as peripheral zone next to rectum
What is the most difficult to get past in catheterisation
- Urogenital diaphragm is a layer of pelvis on the pelvic floor
- Narrowest part of urethra
- In catheterisation, urogenital diaphragm most difficult spot to get past into the bladder
Briefly state the structure of the erectile tissue
- Urethra travels through corpus spongiosum (bottom round tissue)
- Corpus cavernosum are paired and main erectile tissue
- Mainly connected to pelvic
- White coating surrounding called tunica albuginea
- Tunica albuginea has longitudinal and circumferential fibres to create erection
