PBL 2 Flashcards
what is the scrotum?
a sac-like organ made of skin and muscles that houses the testis. its located inferior to the penis in the pubic region.
what is the importance of the smooth muscle that makes up the scrotum?
it allows regulation of the distance between the testes and rest of the body- stops testes getting too warm to support spermatogenesis
what are the testes
the make gonads responsible for the production of sperm and testosterone
how are each testes connected to the abdomen?
by the spermatic cord and cremaster muscle
what is the function of the cremaster muscle?
to contract and relax to regulate the temperature of the testes
describe the structure of the inside of each testes?
its divided into lobules and each lobule contains seminiferous tubules lined with epithelial cells. the epithelial cells contain many stem cells that divide and help spermatogenesis.
what is the epididymis?
the sperm storage area that wraps around the superior and posterior edge of the testes. the length of it delays the release of sperm and allows them time to mature
what does the spermatic cord contain?
the ductus deferens, nerves, veins, arteries and lymphatic vessels to support the function of the testes
what is the ductus vas deferens?
a muscular tube that carries sperm superiorly from the epididymis into the abdominal cavity to the ejaculatory duct
how does sperm move through the ductus deferens?
the smooth muscle of the walls of the ductus deferens are used to move sperm via peristalsis
what are seminal vesicles?
exocrine glands that store and produce some of the liquid portion of semen
what is in the liquid produced by the seminal vesicles?
contains proteins and mucus and has an alkaline pH to help the sperm survive the acidic environment of the vagina. it also contains fructose to feed sperm cells so they can survive long enough to fertilise the oocyte
what is the ejaculatory duct?
where the ductus deferens joins the urethra. it opens during ejaculation and expels sperm and the secretions from the seminal vesicles into the urethra
where is the urethra?
from the ejaculatory duct through the prostate to the tip of the penis
what are the 3 functional areas of the urethra?
prostatic (base of bladder and through prostate)
membranous (in the perineal membrane region) and spongy (part of urethra surrounded by erectile tissue)
what are the 3 regions of different histology in the urethra?
transitional epithelium in prostatic urethra
psuedostratified epithelium from membranous urethra to glans penis
stratified squamous epithelium in glans penis
what is the prostate?
an exocrine glands that borders the inferior end of the urinary bladder.
it has smooth muscle tissue that can constrict to prevent the flow of urine or semen
what does the prostate produce?
a large portion of the fluid that makes up semen.
what are Cowpers glands?
aka bulbourethral glands
exocrine glands located inferior to the prostate.
what do cowpers glands secrete?
a thin alkaline fluid into the urethra that lubricates it and neurtralises acid from urine remaining in the urethra after urination- prepares urethra for flow of semen
what is the penis?
the male external sexual organ.
how does the penis become erect?
it contains large pockets of erectile tissue which allow it to fill with blood and become erect
what is the perineal membrane?
a membrane covering the urogenital triangle
what is the deep perineal pouch?
a gap between the perineal membrane