Reproductive System Flashcards
What are the gonads?
Organs where gametes (sex cells) are produced.
Describe the Pelvis.
Bony basin between the trunk and the lower limbs, includes the hip bones, sacrum and coccyx.
What are the two regions of the pelvis?
Pelvic Inlet and Pelvis Outlet.
What are the two pelvic subdivisions?
False/greater pelvis and the True/lesser pelvis.
In what pelvic subdivision do you find the reproductive organs?
True/lesser pelvis.
What are the differences in the male and female pelvis?
Females have a broader subpubic angle, an oval inlet and a straighter coccyx. Males have a narrower subpubic angle, a heart-shaped inlet and a curved coccyx.
What two muscles make up the pelvic floor?
Levator ani and Coccygeus
What is the purpose of the pelvic floor (diaphragm)?
Together the muscles form a sling that helps support the internal reproductive organs.
What are the names of the two triangles?
Blue - Urogenital triangle.
Green - Anal triangle.
Where is the male perineum located?
The region inferior to the pelvic floor and between the upper region of the thighs.
Fill in the gap.
- Lesser/true.
- Urogenital
- Anus
- Anus
- Vagina
What is the function of the male reproductive system?
To produce spermatozoa and transport into the female reproductive tract.
Fill in the gaps.
Scrotum
Testes
Epididymis
Ductus deferens
What are the body parts that make-up the the Scrotum?
Two testes, two epididymides and two spermatic cords.
What do the testes produce?
Sperm, testosterone and inhibin.
What is the dense fibrous capsule that surround the testes called?
Tunica Albuginea
The testes have lobules containing what?
Seminiferous tubules.
The tubules join to form what?
Rete testis.
What cells produce testosterone?
Interstitial endocrine (Leydig) cells.
What cells produces inhibin?
Nurse (Sertoli) cells.
What are the three regions of an epididymis?
Head, body and tail.
Where does the sperm enter and exit the epididymis?
Enter from seminiferous tubules and exit via ductus deferens.
Where is the site of sperm maturation?
Epididymis.
How long does it take for sperm to travel the length of the tubule?
2 weeks.
Explain the Ductus deferens.
Continues from the epididymis and starts in the spermatic cord. Covered by smooth muscle, runs behind the urinary bladder and dilates to form the ampulla.
What are the two functions of the male urethra?
Urination and ejaculation.
What are the three sections of the male urethra?
Prostatic, membranous and penile/spongy urethra.
What is retrograde ejaculation?
The internal sphincter doesn’t close up, therefore sperm ends up in the bladder.
Fill in the gaps.
- Seminiferous tubules.
- Epididymis.
- Ductus deferens.
- Urethra.
- Membranous.
Where would you find a spermatogonia?
Found in the wall of a seminiferous tubule.
What are the two muscles involved with the scrotum?
Dartos muscle and Cremaster muscle.
Why are the testes housed outside of the body?
To maintain temperature at 34 degrees.
What is the purpose of the Dartos muscle?
Contract and wrinkle the skin of the scrotum to reduce surface area and hold warmth.
What is the purpose of the Cremaster muscle?
Contracts and shortens to bring the testes upwards towards the body when cold, this is to use body temperature for warmth.
What does the spermatic cord contain?
The ductus deferens, blood vessels, nerves and lymphatics.
Where is the spermatic cord located?
Runs between abdomen and testes.
What are the two functions of the penis?
Urination and Copulation.
What are the regions of the penis?
Root (bulb), Body and Glans covered prepuce aka the foreskin.
What is the most dominant tissue of the penis?
Erectile tissue.
What are the three cylindrical erectile tissues of the penis?
Two corpora cavernosa and one corpus spongiosum.
What is the blue and green label?
Blue = Corpus Spongiosum
Green = Corpus Cavernosum
What erectile tissue is least erectile and why?
The corpus spongiosum is not as erectile as the cavernosum, this is to prevent it from blocking off the urethra.
Seminal fluid is mostly produced by what three accessory glands?
Seminal vesicles, Prostate gland and the Bulbourethral glands.
What is the purpose of seminal fluid?
To provide the optimum environment for spermatozoa, maintain pH and contain nutrients for mortality and survival.
What are the components of semen? (percentages)
~ 60% from seminal vesicles
~ 30% from prostate
~ 5% from bulbourethral glands
and therefore 5% spermatozoa
What is a Vasectomy?
Surgical method of sterilisation in males where the ductus deferens is cut and the ends are tied or cauterised.
What is Gametogenesis?
Formation of the gametes (sex cells).
What is Gametogenesis called respectively in males and females?
Spermatogenesis in males and Oogenesis in females.
What is Spermatogenesis?
The process by which spermatogonia are transformed to mature spermatozoa.
When does spermatogenesis occur in male lifetime?
Continuously from puberty onwards.
Where does Spermatogenesis occur?
In the seminiferous tubules.
What takes place during Spermatogenesis 1?
The process of mitosis divides spermatogonia into 2 daughter cells (spermatogonium). One spermatogonium (type A) stays at the basement membrane of the seminiferous tubule.
What takes place during Spermatogenesis 2?
The second spermatogonia (type B) differentiates into a primary spermatocyte which then undergoes meiosis 1. This then forms 2 secondary spermatocytes.
What takes place during Spermatogenesis 3?
The 2 secondary spermatocytes undergo meiosis 2 to form spermatids (haploid). The spermatids mature into spermatozoa (via spermIOGENESIS) which are then released into the lumen of the seminiferous tubule.
What is the difference between spermatogenesis and spermiogenesis?
Spermatogenesis is the formation of spermatozoa from spermatogonia. Spermiogenesis is the maturation of spermatids into spermatozoa which occurs in the process of spermatogenesis.
What reproductive hormones are produced in the anterior pituitary?
LH and FSH.
What reproductive hormone is produced by the hypothalamus?
GnRH
Inhibin is secreted by what type of cells?
Nurse (sertoli) cells.