Male Reprodutive System Flashcards
Functions of male reproductive tract
Production of spermatozoa, delivery of semen and production of androgens
What do the testes take with them from the peritoneum
Parietal and viscera tunica vaginalis
What covers the testis
A tough fibrous capsule known as the tunica albugina
What send septa into the testis
Tunica vasculosa
How many seminifierous tubules are in each lobule
1-3
What connects the seminiferous tubule loops
Straight tubules called tubuli recti
What is the network that the seminiferous tubule connect into called
Rete testis
Function of rete testis
Carry sperm out of the testis to the epididymis
What occurs in the epididymis
Sperm mature and are temporarily stored
What is the epididymis continuous with
Ductus deferenes
What is the function of the ductus deferenes
Convey sperm away from the scrotum along the spermatic cord
What lines the seminiferous tubules
Seminiferous epithlium
What makes up seminiferous lining
Various germ cells and support cells called sertoli cells
What is the seminiferous lining bound by
Basal lamina, a lamina propria of connective tissue and myofibroblasts
What is found in the interstices between the tubules
Connective tissue with clusters of Leydig cells
What do lLeydig cells secrete
Testosterone
what is spermatogenesis
The process of proliferation and maturation tat transforms diploid spermatogonia into haploid spermatozoa
how long does spermatogenesis take
70 days
Whta do Type A dark spermatogonia form
A pool of self-renewing stem cells or type A pale spermatogonia
what forms type B spermatogonia
Type A pale spermatogonia after undergoing mitotic division
From type B spermatogonia to spermatozoa
Type B under go mitosis = primary spermatocytes
PS then undergo meiosis I = secondary spermatocytes
SS rapidly undergo meiosis II = spermatids
Spermatids undergo maturation to give spermatozoa
What is the name of the maturation process that spermatids undergo
spermiogenesis
what is incompletre is all cell divisions after type B spermatogonia onwards
Cytokinesis
what does the incomple cytokinesis cause
a clonal syncitium to form
how long does meiosis I take
around 3 weeks
how long does meiosis II take
less that one day
what are the support cells within the seminiferous tubules
Sertoli cells
function of sertoli cells
support the newly developed spermatozoa and controlling how the process proceeds
where does sertoli cells extend from/to
The basal lamina to the lumen of the tubule
What do the sertoli cells do
regulate spermatogenesis and spermiogenesis, control Leydig cells, produce tubular fluid, phagocytose discarded spermatid cytoplasm and via tight junctions, divide the tubule epithelium into two components
what are the two compartments created by the sertoli cell tight junctions
adluminal and basal compartments
what is within the adluminal compartment
all other developing cells
what does the basal memebrane contain
spermatogonia and early spermatocytes
what is within the acrosomal cap
enzymes that allow access through the corona radiata and zona pellucida
what occurs to the nucleus of the smeratid during maturation
it elongates
how is the flagellum of the sperm formed
one centriole elongates
what is a residual body
the released cytoplasm from the spermatid
what happens to the residual body
it is phagocytosed by the sertoli cells
what is spermination
the release of the spermatozoa by the sertoli cells into the lumen
once released from the sertoli cells where do the spermatozoa go
into the rete testis and epididymis by fluid flow and peristalsis
when are the spermatozoa capable of swimming and fertilisation
during their passage through the epididymis
What is between the seminiferous tubules
connective tissue, blood vessels, nerves and lymphatics
what is abundant in Leydig cells
smooth endoplasmic reticulum
what do leydig cells respond to
lutenising hormone
what secretes lutenising hormone
pituitary
where does testosterone act upon
the seminiferous tubules and it also enters the circulation
what do the seminiferous tubules end as
straight tubules known as tubuli recti
what lines seminiferous tubules
sertoli cells
where is the rete testis found
in the mediastinum of the testis
what are the rete testis channels lined by
cilliated simple cuboidal epithelium
where does the spermatozoa travel to from the rete testis
efferent ducts
what lines the efferent ducts
ciliated epithelium that varies form cuboidal to pseudostratified columnar
what does smooth muscle surrounding the efferent ducts form
thin circular sheath
what is the epididymis
a highly coiled tubule
what lines the epididymis
pseudostratified columar epithelium with sterocilia
what does the fluted profile of the lumen of the vas deferens allow
expansion during ejaculation
what surrounds the epithelium of the epididymis
smooth muscle cells
what happens within the epididymis
sperm are stored and mature
what lines the vas deferens
pseudostratified columnar epithelium with sterocilia
what are sterocilia
giant microvili
what is the epithlieum of the vas deferens surrounded by
lamina propria and 3 coats of smooth muscle
smooth muscle of the vas deferens
inner and outer longitudinal layers and a central circular layer
what innervated the smooth muscle of the vas deferens
sympathetic nervous system
what is within the spermatic cord
the pampiniform plexus
