Reproductive Flashcards
What are the primary sex organs (gonads) and accessory reproductive organs?
- primary = testes & ovaries
- accessory = ducts, glands, external genetalia
What do the gonads do? (2)
-produce gametes (sex cells)
-Secrete steroid sex hormones
Androgens (males)
Estrogens and progesterone (females)
What do sex hormones play a role in? (3)
Development and function of reproductive organs
Sexual behavior and drives
Growth and development of many other organs and tissues
What are the male accessory sex glands? What do they do?
Seminal glands
Prostate
Bulbo-urethral glands
Empty secretions into ducts during ejaculation
True or false
the scrotum has lower temperature than rest of body. why? Which 2 muscles are involved?
true - for sperm production
-dartos & cremaster muscles
the ____ surrounding each testicular artery Keep testes cool
pampiniform venous plexus
What 2 structures are part of the external genitalia of the male?
scrotum & penis
circumcision is the cutting off of ___
prepuce
what is erection
erectile tissue fills with blood, causing penis to enlarge and become rigid
what does the stereocilia of the epididymis do?
Microvilli (stereocilia) absorb testicular fluid and pass nutrients to stored sperm
ejaculation is contraction of ___
epididymis
sperm is stored in the ___
epididymis
the ___ muscle of the ductus deferens propels sperm from epididymis to urethra
smooth muscle
___ and ___ join to form ejaculatory duct
Duct of seminal gland joins ductus deferens to form ejaculatory duct
the semen is acidic/alkaline therefore neutralizes female vagina
alkaline, neutralizes acidity of male urethra and female vagina
if time
What are the functions of the semen (7)?
- Prostaglandins decrease viscosity of mucus in cervix;
- stimulate reverse peristalsis in uterus
- sperm motility
- ATP for energy
- Suppresses female immune response
- Antibacterial action
- Clotting factors, then liquefied
___ cells surround each seminiferous tubule. what do they do?
Myoid cells surround each tubule
May squeeze sperm, testicular fluids out of testes
the ___ keeps urethra open during erection
corpus spongiosum
Most body cells are ___ and contain ___ chromosomes. It has one ___ and one ___. They are ___.
Gametes are ___ and have ___ chromosomes
diploids, 46 - one paternal and one maternal (homologous chromosomes)
gametes = haploids, 23 - only 1 of the homologous pair
what are the 2 functions of meiosis?
Number of chromosomes halved (from 2n to n)
Introduces genetic diversity
what contributes to the genetic diversity of gametes? (2)
Random alignment of homologous pairs in meiosis I
Crossover
What is the difference between mitosis and meiosis? (5)
- meiosis has 2 divisions
- Synapsis of homologous chromosomes
- 4 instead of 2 daughter cells produced
- daughter cells are genetically different from mother cells
- mitosis ensures genetic makeup of all body cell constant, meiosis introduces genetic diversity
What does the Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis regulate? What are the 3 parts?
-Regulates production of gametes and sex hormones
- GnRH indirectly stimulates testes via FSH & LH
- FSH & LH directly stimulate testes
- Testosterone & inhibin – negative feedback on hypothalamus and anterior pituitary
What is the sequence of events of the HPG axis?
What are the 3 functions of testosterone?
sex organ maturation, development/maintenance secondary sex characteristics, libido
Without GnRH and gonadotropins (LH/FSH) testes ___ and sperm/testosterone production cease
atrophy
What are secondary sex characteristics?
Features induced in nonreproductive organs by sex hormones
testosterone ___ the embryonic brain
masculanizes
What are the female sex hormones?
estrogen and progesterone
What is the female gonad? What is its function? What are its accessory ducts?
Ovaries - Produce female gametes (ova)
Secrete female sex hormones, estrogen/progesterone
Accessory ducts include
Uterine tubes
Uterus
Vagina
The female internal genitalia includes (4)
Ovaries
Uterine tubes
Uterus
Vagina
ovaries are held in place by which ligaments? (3)
Ovarian ligament
Suspensory ligament
Mesovarium
ovaries are surrounded fibrous ___
tunica albuginea
a fully mature follicle is a ___ follicle. they have fluid filled ___
vesicular, antrums
what is ovulation? what does it form?
Ejection of oocyte from ripening follicle
Corpus luteum develops from ruptured follicle after ovulation
where is the site of fertilization
uterine/fallopian tube
mesentery that supports uterine tubes
Mesosalpinx
oocytes are carried along the uterine tube with these 2 actions
peristalsis and ciliary action
what does cervical gland secretions do
secrete mucus that blocks sperm entry except during midcycle
this part of the broad ligament supports the uterus
Mesometrium
these 4 ligaments support the uterus
mesometrium, cardinal, uterosacral, round
endometrium is built of these 2 layers. which sheds during mestruation? what is the bottom layer responsible for?
Stratum functionalis (functional layer) -Shed during menstruation
Stratum basalis
-Forms new functionalis after menstruation
which arteries of the uterus Degenerate and regenerate; spasms > shedding of functionalis layer during menstruation
spiral arteries
The ___ of the female is Homologous to bulbo-urethral glands. Its function is to ___.
Greater vestibular glands
Release mucus into vestibule for lubrication
the ___ is the Counterpart of penis
clitoris
the functional gamete of a male is ___ and of a female is ___
sperm, ovum
true or false
error in oogenesis is higher than spermatogenesis because they take so long to develop
true
true or false
Polar bodies degenerate and die
true
What are the start and end product of each ovarian phase?
follicular phase: primordial > vesicular follicle
ovulation
luteal phase: corpus luteum
during the follicular phase of the ovarian cycle, ___ tissue and ___ cells produce estrogen
theca folliculi & granulosa cells
If time
What are the stages of the 28 day ovarian cycle?
- GnRH → release of FSH and LH
- FSH and LH → growth of several follicles, and hormone release
- ↑plasma estrogen levels & inhibin from gradulosa cells inhibit release of FSH and LH
- When estrogen levels high → brief positive feedback on brain and anterior pituitary
- Stored LH, and some FSH, suddenly released by anterior pituitary at midcycle → surge triggers ovulation (meiosis 1 and 2 completed)
- After ovulation Estrogen levels decline
LH transforms ruptured follicle 🡪 corpus luteum
LH stimulates corpus luteum 🡪 progesterone and some estrogen almost immediately - Negative feedback (from rising plasma progesterone and estrogen levels) inhibits LH and FSH release
- If no fertilization corpus luteum degenerates when LH levels fall 🡪 sharp decrease in estrogen and progesterone 🡪 ends blockage of FSH and LH secretion
Describe the stages of the uterine cycle
Menstrual phase (Days 1 - 5)
- Ovarian hormones at lowest levels
- Stratum functionalis shed
- By day 5 growing ovarian follicles produce more estrogen
Proliferative phase (Days 6 - 14)
- Rising estrogen levels prompt generation of new stratum functionalis layer
- cervical mucus thins in response to rising estrogen (allows sperm passage)
Secretory phase (Days 15 – 28) -Endometrium prepares for embryo
If fertilization does not occur
-Spiral arteries kink and spasm
what are the functions of estrogen (3)
- maturation of female reproductive organs
- Induce secondary sex characteristics
- Facilitate calcium uptake
which hormones are produced before female puberty, at puberty
before puberty = ovaries secrete estrogens that inhibit release of GnRH
puberty = GnRH > FSH/LH > progesterone/estrogen released
what are the functions of progesterone (3)
Progesterone works with estrogen to establish and regulate uterine cycle & breast development
Promotes changes in cervical mucus
