Male Reproductive System Flashcards
Name the 3 exocrine glands of the internal genitalia
Seminal vesicles, prostate gland, and bulbourethral (cowpers) gland
Function of testes
Produce testosterone
Function of the seminiferous tubules
Produces sperm
What type of epithelium are the seminiferous tubules
What kind of cells are seminiferous tubules made of
Simple columnar
Sertoli cells
Where does sperm development (spermatogenesis) occur?
Between sertoli cells from the basal surface (inside the body) of seminiferous tubule to the lumen (outside the body)
Leydig (interstitial) cells:
- Location
- Function
- Between adjacent seminiferous tubules
2. Synthesize testosterone
Sertoli cells:
- How are their nuclei/nucleoli?
- Why do they utilize tight junctions?
- 2 functions
- Irregular, euchromatic nuclei with prominent nucleoli
- To maintain a blood-testis barrier
- Transport nutrients to germ cells and secrete inhibin
What is inhibin?
A TGF-b like molecule that inhibits pituitary FSH secretion
Do the following use mitosis or meiosis?
- Spermatogonia
- Spermatocytes
- Mitosis
2. Meiosis
Which cells are inside the seminiferous tubule?
Outside?
Spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids
Leydig (interstitial cells)
2 functions of the blood testes barrier
Prevents entry of harmful substances from blood that could affect developing sperm; prevent sperm and related proteins from entering circulation
Seminiferous tubules
- What kind of epithelium
- Rete testis connects to?
- Seminiferous epithelium has 2 categories of cells
- Stratified epithelium (germinal or seminiferous epithelium)
- The head of the epididymis
- Supporting (sertoli) cells and cells of spermatogenic lineage
- Outer wall of tubules consists of ?
2. Where are myoid cells located? What are they like?
- Basal lamina and connective tissue containing fibroblasts
2. Adhering to the outside of the basal lamina - smooth muscle
What gets converted into mature spermatozoa?
Haploid spermatids
Function of the mitochondria in the midpiece of the spermatozoa
Produces ATP for sperm motility
Function of the acrosome in the head of the spermatozoa?
Has enzymes used to dissolve a path to penetrate the egg
Mature sperm nucleus contains?
Highly condensed DNA
Sertoli cells:
- What type of cells (shape)
- Extend from where to where typically
- Do they divide?
- Resistant to?
- Pyramidal
- Basal lamina to lumen
- No
- Infection, malnutrition and x-ray
Explain the following functions of sertoli cells
- Support/protection of developing sperm
- Phagocytosis
- Secretion of?
- Inhibin
- Blood testis barrier
- Mediates exchange of nutrients (since sperm are isolated from rest of body), protect against immunological attack
- Digest spermatid cytoplasm that has been shed
- Fluid that transports sperm
- Suppresses release of FSH
- Isolates spermatogenesis from the blood
Sertoli cells also secrete androgen binding protein (ABP); ABP is:
- Under control of
- Function?
- Sertoli cells can convert __ to __
- FSH and testosterone
- Concentrates testosterone in the seminiferous tubule
- Testosterone to estradiol
Why does ABP concentrate testosterone in the seminiferous tubule?
That is where testosterone is needed for spermatogenesis