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reproductive biology > Male Reproductive Tract > Flashcards

Male Reproductive Tract Flashcards

1
Q

What are the testis?

A

oval, paired gonad outside the body

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2
Q

How are the testis held to the body?

A

suspended by spermatic cord (vas deferens)

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3
Q

What are the membranes of the testis?

A

tunica albuginea, tunica vaginalis

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4
Q

When do the testes move into the scrotum? Why?

A

before puberty
because they need to be at a cooler temp for sperm production

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5
Q

What is cryptochidism?

A

failure of the testicles to descend

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6
Q

What do the muscles and scrotal skin do?

A

respond to changes in temp, shifting the testis to regulate heat
wrinkling, sweating

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7
Q

How does the scrotum keep cool?

A

meshwork of vessels on surface of skin
pampiniform plexus

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8
Q

How does the pampiniform plexus work?

A

venules carrying blood from testis cools arterial blood entering the testis to help regulate temp

veins of pampiniform plexus wrap around testicualr artery to increase surface area and maximize heat transfer

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9
Q

What are interstitial testis tissues?

A

tissues in between the testis
small arteries, capillaries, veins, leydig cells

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10
Q

What to leydig cells do?

A

sex determination during embryogenesis
onset and completion of puberty
maintenance and function of testis (spermatogenesis)

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11
Q

What temperature is the testis kept at?

A

33 C

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12
Q

What happens in the semineferous tubule?

A

sertoli epithelial cells with differentiating germ cells lying between them

germ cells go through meiotic and meiotic divisions while differentiating. move towards the lumen until they are released as mature sperm

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13
Q

What is the basal compartment?

A

section of the seminiferous tubule
bottom, where immature sperm are

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14
Q

What is the adluminal compartment?

A

inner 2/3 of tubule
spermatocytes and spermatids

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15
Q

What separates the basal and adluminal compartments?

A

blood-testis barrier, tight junction

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16
Q

What is the point of the blood-testis barrier?

A

protecting sperm from antibodies

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17
Q

What are myoid cells? What do they do?

A

contraticle cells surrounding seminiferous tubule, semi-permeable layer
regulates permeability of substances and secretions

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18
Q

What is spermatocytogenesis?

A

process of the progression of gonia through spermatocyte and spermatid stages

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19
Q

What is spermiogenesis?

A

structural and morphological changes that result in the transformation of the spermatids into mature sperm

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20
Q

What is the point of spermatogenesis?

A

generate reserve pool of germ line

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21
Q

What are the types of sperm (process)

A

Type A - Type Intermediate - Type B

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22
Q

Why does type A spermtogonia not go through complete cytokinesis?

A

they have cytoplasmic bridges that remain to connect them (pearls)

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23
Q

What defines a primary spermatocyte?

A

undergo first meiotic division to produce 2 dipliod cells (meiosis has 2 divisions so they are 2n)

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24
Q

Why are primary spermatocytes long lived?

A

they are in meiosis 1 which takes a long time to complete (faster than meiosis 2)

25
How can you "stage" stermatocytes?
viewing morphological stages of divisions you can tell how far along it is in development
26
What happens to secondary spermatocytes? What do they form?
undergo 2nd meiotic division to produce 4 haploid cells results in round spermatids
27
What is the sperm head?
nucleus with condensed chromatin
28
What is the acrosome?
thin membraneous sac, hydrolytic enzymes
29
What is the tail neck?
plate that hooks into posterior of nucleus and extends through tail mitochonrdria layer
30
What is the tail middle?
outer layer of spirally arranged mitochondria, energy for mobility 9+2 arrangement
31
What is the 9+2 arrangement?
structure of the microtubules in the sperm tail
32
What are the stages of spermiogenesis? (4)
golgi, cap, acrosomal, maturation
33
What happens during the golgi phase of spermiogenesis?
formation of acrosomal granule from golgi membrane adhesion of nucleus to membrane start of tail development
34
What happens during the cap phase of spermiogenesis? (3)
spreading of acrosomal membrane over nucleus slight tail elongation can start to see 9+2 arrangement
35
What happens during the acrosomal phase of spermiogenesis? (4)
molding of acrosome, orients toward tubule wall cytoplasm pushed towards tail association of microtubles with axoneme (flagella) sertolic cells begin to shape spermatid
36
What happens during the maturation phase of spermiogenesis? (3)
further condensation of nucleus refinement of acrosome and tail sertoli cell helps in formation and removal of residual body
37
How does FSH control spermatogenesis? (general 3)
ncreased conversion of T to DHT/estradiol increased androgen binding protein (ABP) production in sertoli secretion of inhibin in sertoli maintenance of spermatocytogenesis
38
How do Sertoli cells (and ABP in them) respond to FSH in spermatogenesis? (3)
ABP is secreted into lumen and binds T and DHT helps sequester androgens to maintain high concentrations near developing sperm ABP and androgens travel into epididymis to keep T around to maintain sperm health
39
How do Sertoli cells (and inhibins and activins in them) respond to FSH in spermatogenesis?
inhibin inhibits FSH secretion from gonadotropins, activin activates secretion
40
How does LH control spermatogenesis (general 2)?
higher frequency of GnRH pulses may favor LH secretion LH receptors on Leydig cells stimulate synthesis and testosterone secretion
41
How does desensitization and self regulation work in Leydig cells?
desensitization due to initial LH secretion and then a drop prevents overstimulation
42
How do Leydig cells respond to LH in spermatogenesis? (4 steps)
testosterone synthesized and secreted T mediates negative feedback response to HP T can indirectly regulate CNS neurons to regulate repro function sertoli and germ cells conversions into DHT/estradiol
43
What is testotoxicosis?
mutation of Gs protein to early onset puberty don't need LH to activate pathway (elevated T, secondary sex characteristics)
44
What is orchitis?
testis inflammation
45
What is priaprism?
persistant painful erection
46
Why is seminal fluid (semen) important? (why isn't it just sperm?)
nutrition and fertilization protection in vagina
47
What happens in spermiation? (3)
release of sperm from sertoli epithelium when mature LH acts on sertoli to stimulate release of sperm heads sperm swept away by secretion of sertoli (androgen binding protein bound to T)
48
What happens in the epididymis?
secretion of proteins to regulate metabolism and maturation of tail, sperm enter epididymis inmotile and exit mobile immobilon sperm forward-mobility protein
49
What does immobilion do?
prolongs sperm survival by keeping sperm immobile to give them time to develop (can't move into vas deferens until ready)
50
What does sperm-forward-mobility protein do?
flexibility and movement of flagella
51
How do sperm move from epidydimis to vas deferens?
beating cilia and smooth muscle contractions
52
What happens in the vas deferens?
seminal fluid is formed, important to protect sperm and maintain ability to fertilize
53
What happens in the seminal vesicles?
paired glands at widening of vas deferens (ampulla) secrete alkaline (basic) fluids with fructose
54
What is the prostate gland? What happens in the prostate gland?
donut-shaped gland that surrounds urethra alkaline secretions
55
What happens in the bulbourethral (Cowper's) gland?
paired glands that secrete mucus to lubricate urethra
56
What does the muscular sphinctor between the bladder and urethra do?
contracts to prevent urine from entering urethra and from semen entering the bladder
57
What happens during an erection? (5)
vasocongestion (engorgement) stimuli from genetalia transmitted to spinal cords via sensory neurons, erection reflex activates erection center efferent neurons supply blood cells in penis (corpus cavernosum) relaxation of the smooth muscle vessels causing vasodilation increased cGMP
58
What happens during ejaculation? (4)
stimuli travels to ejaculation center in spinal cord efferents activation contractions of muscles in testes, accessory ducts, glands closure of bladder sphincter penis muscle contractions semen expulsion

reproductive biology (8 decks)

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