Male reproductive system Flashcards
1
Q
Testes
A
- produce sperms, testosterone (male sex hormone)
- development and maintenance of secondary sexual characteristics
2
Q
Epididymis
A
- narrow, highly coiled tube
- stores inactive sperms before entering sperm duct
3
Q
Spermatic cord
A
- each testis receives blood from blood vessels in spermatic cord
- blood contains nutrients, O2, glucose
4
Q
Scrotum
A
- pouch-like sac
- outside body cavity to maintain lower temp than body
- for development of sperms
5
Q
Sperm duct
A
- opens into urethra
- pathway is which sperms travel aft being released
6
Q
Seminal vesicle
A
- stores sperms temporarily
- before they are released thru urethra
7
Q
Prostate gland
A
- base of urinary bladder
- where 2 sperm ducts join the urethra
8
Q
Cowper’s gland
A
- beneath prostate gland
9
Q
What the seminal vesicle, prostate and Cowper’s gland does
A
- activate sperms
- secrete slippery fluid
- contains nutrients and enzymes (nourish sperms)
- stimulate them to swim actively
- mixture of fluid and sperms is semen
10
Q
Urethra
A
- tube that extend frm urinary bladder, thru penis and out of body
- urine and semen pass thru, not at same time
- sphincter muscles (at base of urinary bladder) prevent urine frm coming out during ejaculation
11
Q
Penis
A
- erectile organ
- during sexual intercourse, becomes hard and erect to enter vagina, deposit semen (containing sperms)
- erection occurs when spongy tissue in penis filled with blood
12
Q
Sperm
A
- produced throughout lifetime aft physical maturity
- abt 60μm (micrometres) long
- head, middle piece, tail
13
Q
Sperm (Head)
A
- nucleus, carries haploid set of chromosomes
- small amt of cytoplasm
- acrosome (contains enzyme that breaks down part of egg membrane to allow sperm to penetrate during fertilisation)
14
Q
Sperm (Middle Piece)
A
- contains numerous mitochondria
- provide energy (aerobic respiration)
- allow sperms to swim towards egg
15
Q
Sperm (Tail)
A
- beating movement of flagellum
- allow sperms to be motile, movement
