Reproductive System Flashcards
Name the structures in the male reproductive system
Penis
Scrotum
Testes (2 testicles)
Epididymis
Vas deferens
Prostate gland
Urethra
Seminal vesicles
Name the external parts of the male reproductive system
Penis
Scrotum
Testes (which are contained inside the scrotum)
Name the internal parts of the male reproductive system
Prostate gland
Seminal vesicles
Vas deferens
Urethra
What arteries supply the testes ?
The testicular arteries which arise from the abdominal aorta.
Each testicular artery is separate from each other.
Where is venous drainage in the testes ?
Venous drainage on the :
Right - to the vena cava
Left - to the renal vein
What is the function of the scrotum ?
This is a loose bag of skin that suspends the testes outside the body.
Describe the surrounding material of the scrotum ?
The skin is wrinkled and contains smooth muscle.
It has a midline raphe and is divided by a septum.
What is the function of the penis ?
The organ used for urination and sexual intercourse.
Describe the internal structure of the penis
It has spongy tissue which can fill with blood to cause an erection. It contains the urethra, which carries both urine and semen.
What is the function of the testes ?
These are a pair of glands that sit in the scrotum, on the outside of the body.
They produce sperm and testosterone, which is the male sex hormone.
What are the testes covered by ?
Tunica albuginea which is a fibrous layer.
Describe the external structure of the testis
The testis is surrounded by the ‘TUNICA ALBUGINEA’, which sends fibrous projections called septa towards the center of the testis.
Function of septa
Partition each testis into around 20 lobules, each containing between 1-4 seminiferous tubules.
Describe the internal structure of the testis
The testis contains seminiferous tubules which is where sperm is synthesised.
The seminiferous tubules come together to form a series of straight tubules which enter a small network of tubules called the rete testis.
Once the sperm make it through the rete testes, they go through the efferent ducts to the epididymis.
What is the function of the epididymus ?
This is a highly coiled tube that lies at the back of the testes.
All sperm from the testes must pass through the epididymis, where they mature and start to ‘swim’.
What are gonads ?
The reproductive organs
What do the male gonads produce ?
Sperm - which is produced by spermatogenesis
What is outside the seminiferous tubules ?
Outside the tubule, there’s connective tissue with capillaries, as well as Leydig cells.
What are Leydig cells ?
Leydig cells produce testosterone
What are Sertoli cells ?
Large cells that extend from the margin all the way to the lumen of the tubule.
What is the function of Sertoli cells ?
Sertoli cells provide nutrients to developing sperm cells, and contribute to the blood-testis barrier by only allowing certain molecules, like testosterone, in the seminiferous tubule.
What is sperm production under the command of ?
The hypothalamus.
What is the function of the hypothalamus in male reproductive system ?
The hypothalamus is a part of the brain that secretes gonadotropin-releasing hormone, or GnRH.
Function of GnRH in Male reproductive system
That GnRH travels to the nearby pituitary, which secretes LH and FSH, which reaches the gonads.