Reproduction (Male and Female Anatomy) Flashcards
How long is the inguinal canal?
5cm
Which nerve passes through the inguinal canal?
Ilioinguinal
What are the borders of the inguinal canal?
Ant = External oblique aponeurosis Post = Transversalis fascia Roof = Inguinal ligament Floor = arched fibres of internal and transversalis muscle
Which artery lies immediately medial to the deep inguinal ring?
inferior epigastric artery
How are direct hernias related to the inferior epigastric artery?
medial to epigastric artery
How are indirect hernias related to the inferior epigastric artery?
lateral to epigastric artery
What happens in a direct inguinal hernia?
peritoneal sac emerges from an area medial to epigastric vessels and bulges in via the posterior wall (X through deep ring)
What happens in an indirect inguinal hernia?
Peritoneal sac emerges from an area lateral to epigastric vessels and passes through deep inguinal ring
Where does the inguinal ligament extend from and to?
ASIS to pubic symphysis
What is the deep inguinal ring created by?
The transversalis fascia
Where is the superficial ring located?
Just superior to pubic tubercle
Where do femoral hernias occur?
Below and lateral to the pubic tubercle in the wall of the inguinal ligament
What marks the end of the inguinal canal?
The superficial inguinal ring
What is the inguinal canal in males?
A pathway that the testes can leave the abdominal cavity and enter scrotum
At the embryological stage the inguinal canal is flanked by an out-ouching of what?
The peritoneum and abdominal musculature
What happens to the processus vaginalis in male embryology?
It usually degenerates
Failure of the processus vaginalis to degenerate in males is called what?
An indirect inguinal hernia
In male embryology where do the testes begin and end?
the testes establish in the posterior abdominal wall and descend into the scrotum
What guides the testes during their descent?
the gubernaculum attaches inferior portion of gonad to future scrotum and guides them
What is the role of the gubernaculum in female embryology?
attaches the ovaries to the uterus and future labia majora
How are the ovaries prevented from descending as far as the testes?
The gubernaculum attaches the ovaries to the uterus
In females what does the gubernaculum become?
ovarian ligament and round ligament of the uterus
What happens in the 8th week of male reproductive embryology?
The Wolffian duct develops into VEES
- vas deferens
- epididymis
- ejaculatory
- Seminal vesicles
What happens to the Mullerian duct in males?
regresses under the influence of AMH (anti-mullerian hormone)
What happens in the 9th week of male reproductive embryology?
leydig cells form which secrete testosterone
What happens to the testes during the last 3 months of gestation?
The testes descend into scrotum from the abdomen under the influence of testosterong
What is the epididymis?
single coiled tube male up of a head, body and tail
What is the function of the epididymis?
- to store sperm
- sperm maturation
How is the epididymis separated from the testes?
The tunica vasculosa and tunica alberginia
What is the pathway of sperm from the testes?
Seminiferous tubules»_space; straight tubules»_space; rate testis»_space; efferent ducts»_space; ductus epididymis»_space; vas deferens
Which testes is normally lower?
left = lower
Which muscles do the scrotum contain?
dartos = wrinkled appearance cremaster = pulls testes up towards body (in cold temperatures)
What is semen made up of?
60%- seminal fluid
10%- sperm
30%- prostate fluid
What is seminal fluid made up of?
A fructose rich, alkaline fluid
What is prostate fluid made up of?
secretes fluid in ejaculationrich in bicarbonate buffers
What do seminal vesicles do?
secrete prostaglandins
What is the prostate gland split up into?
2 x lobes
lateral and median
What is the clinical significance of the lateral and median lobes of the prostate gland?
lateral = malignant tumours median = benign tumours
What glands lie inferior to the prostate gland?
Bulbourethral
What do the bulbourethral glands secrete?
A lubricating fluid prior to ejaculation which helps neutralise the acidity of the urethra to make it a more hospitable environment for sperm
What is the corpus cavernosa?
a spongy tube which fills with blood to become erect?
What is the blood-testes barrier?
a barrier formed between sertoli cells of the seminiferous tubules and the blood vessels
What is the blood-testes barrier formed by?
- tight junctions
- adherent junctions
- gap junctions
What do the junctions of the blood-testes barrier divide the seminiferous tubules into?
- basal compartment = outer side of tubule IN CONTACT with the blood and lymph
- adluminal compartment = inner side of tubule ISOLATED from blood and lymph
What is the function of the blood-testes barrier?
To prevent an autoimmune reaction as sperm are anti genetically different from self tissue
What can enlargement of the scrotum be caused by?
- inguinal hernia
- hydrocoele
- haematocoele
- varicocoele
- epididymitis
What is a hydrocoele?
collection of serous fluid int he tunica vaginalis
What is a varicocoele?
dilation of veins draining the testes
Which vein is more likely to be affect by a varicocoele?
The left gonadal vein as it drains into smaller vessels at a perpendicular angle
What is epididymitis?
Inflammation due to bacteria or a viral infection
What is the venous drainage of the testes?
right gonadal»_space; IVC
left gonadal»_space; left renal vein»_space; IVC
(left = longer)
Which type of spermatogonia do not mature?
Type A spermatogonia
What is the innervation of the testes?
testicular plexus
What is the lymph drainage of the testes?
para-aortic lymph nodes and the lumbar nodes
How many efferent ducts are there and what do they do?
8-10 and transport the sperm from the rate testis into the ductus epididymis
What capsule surrounds the testes?
The tunica alberginea
What is the tunica vaginalis?
a pouch of serous membrane that covers the testes
What is the origin of the vas deferens?
tail of the epididymis
What 4 muscles are in the root of the penis?
2x bulbospongiosus
2x ischiocavernosus
What is the blood supply to the penis?
- dorsal artery
- deep cavernous artery
- bulbourethral artery
What is the nerve supply to the penis?
deep nerve (a branch of the pudendal)
What is the nerve supply to the scrotum?
posterior scrotal nerve (a branch of the pudendal)
What is the nerve supply to the anus?
Inferior anal nerve
What are the three layers of fascia surrounding the spermatic cord?
- external
- cremasteric
- internal
What structures are contained within the spermatic cord?
3x arteries (TAC) = testicular, artery of vas, cremasteric 3x veins = testicular, vein of vas, cremasteric 3x nerves (SIG) = sympathetic, ilioinguinal, genito-femoral 3x other structures = vas deferens, tunica vaginalis, lymphatics
What ligaments support the root of the penis?
suspensory ligament- connects erectile bodies > pubic symphysis
fundiform ligament- runs from line alba, surround penis like a sling and attaches to pubic symphysis
How would you assess testicular cancer lymph node spread?
check the upper abdominal aorta in the epigastrium
Where may testicular referred pain be felt?
in the loin (groin to loin)
What may impede the progress of a catheter?
The navicular fossa
What is different about the skin of the penis?
more heavily pigmented that the rest of the body
What is the prepuce, how is it formed and where is it located?
foreskin = double layer of fascia (@ neck of glans)
how is the prepuce connected to the skin of the glans?
By the frenulum (fold of skin on the ventral surface of the penis)
What is the preputial sac?
A potential space between the glans and prepuce
What is the HPG axis?
a negative feedback loop system regulating levels of LH and FSH
What do hypothalamic hormones travel down to reach the anterior pituitary?
hypophyseal portal vessels
In males what does LH act on and what does it cause?
Leydig cells in the interstitial space»_space; secrete testosterone
In males what does FSH act on and what does it cause?
Sertoli cells in the seminiferous tubules »_space; stimulates release of ABH (androgen binding hormone)»_space; promotes synthesis of sperm
What are LH and FSH inhibited by?
Prolactin
What are the 5 actions of testosterone?
- sertoli cells > spermatogenesis
- induces differentiation of male 2nd sex characteristics
- stimulates bone growth and sex drive
- stimulates EPO by kidney
- responsible for internal male genitalia
High testosterone leads to what?
A reduction in the secretion of LH
What hormone produces the external male genetalia?
Dihydrotestosterone
In females what does FSH promote?
enters ovariers and stimulates primary maturation of the follicles
In females what does LH do?
triggers ovulation
What are 5 actions of oestrogen?
- stimulates bone/muscle and endometrial growth
- at low concentrations inhibits LH release
- at high concentrations it stimulates LH secretion (LH surge)
- at low concentrations triggers release of FSH
- increases the number of oestrogen and progesterone receptors in the uterus