Reproductive anatomy Flashcards
The male organ for sexual intercourse.
Penis
The loose pouch-like sac of skin that hangs behind the penis. It holds the testicles
Scrotum
Responsible for making testosterone, the primary male sex hormone, and for producing sperm.
Testicles
A long, coiled tube that rests on the backside of each testicle. It carries and stores sperm cells that are created in the testes.
Epididymis
A long, muscular tube that travels from the epididymis into the pelvic cavity, to just behind the bladder. They transports mature sperm to the urethra in preparation for ejaculation.
Vas deferens
Sac-like pouches that attach to the vas deferens near the base of the bladder. They make a sugar-rich fluid (fructose) that provides sperm with a source of energy
Seminal vesicles
A walnut-sized structure that’s located below the urinary bladder in front of the rectum. It contributes additional fluid to the ejaculate. These fluids also help to nourish the sperm.
Prostate gland
A pea-sized structures located on the sides of the urethra, just below the prostate gland. These produce a clear, slippery fluid that empties directly into the urethra. This fluid serves to lubricate the urethra and helps lower the acidity.
Cowpers gland
The tube that carries urine from the bladder to outside of your body. In males, it has the additional function of expelling (ejaculating) semen when orgasm is reached.
Urethra
A canal that joins the cervix (the lower part of the uterus) to the outside of the body. It is also known as the birth canal.
Vagina
A cylinder-shaped neck of tissue that connects the vagina and uterus. Located at the lowermost portion of the uterus, it is composed primarily of fibromuscular tissue. During birth, it dilates to allow passage of the baby through the vagina.
Cervix
The innermost lining layer of the uterus. During the menstrual cycle, it grows to a thick, blood vessel-rich, glandular tissue layer. This represents an optimal environment for the implantation of a blastocyst upon its arrival in the uterus. During pregnancy, the glands and blood vessels in it further increase in size and number, forming the placenta, which supplies oxygen and nutrition to the embryo and fetus.
Endometrium
Small, oval-shaped glands that are located on either side of the uterus. They produce eggs and hormones.
Ovaries
Small, fingerlike projections at the end of the fallopian tubes, through which eggs move from the ovaries to the uterus. They are connected to the ovary.
fimbriae
These are narrow tubes that are attached to the upper part of the uterus and serve as pathways for the ova (egg cells) to travel from the ovaries to the uterus. Fertilization of an egg by a sperm normally occurs in them.
Fallopian tubes
