Sex determination and reproductive systems - Reproduction 1 Flashcards
Learning objectives:
* Understand the key processes in regulating sex determination
* Understand the anatomy and function of the male reproductive system
* Describe the roles of the sertoli and leydig cells and their hormonal control
* Have an understanding of the hormonal regulation of the male reproductive system
* Spermatogenesis vs Oogenesis
What are the 3 levels of biological differences between males and females?
- Genetic
- Gonadal
- Phenotypic
What is the genetic level of biological difference between males and females?
What does it drive?
Depends on combination of sex chromosomes at the time of conception: XX-Female and XY-Male
Genetic drives gonadal
What is the gonadal level of biological difference between males and females?
What does it drive?
Gonadal is whether the testes or varies develop
Presence/absence of Y chromosome determines gonadal differentiation
Gonadal then leaves to phenotypic difference
What is the genetic level of biological difference between males and females?
Phenotypic refers to the apparent anatomic sex of individual
Determined by gonadal sex
See slide 5
If an ovum with X sex chromosome is fertilised by sperm with Y sex chromosome what happens?
- X ovum fertilised with Y sperm causes an embryo with XY sex chromosome to form.
- Leads to male genetic sex and then sex-determining regions of the Y chromosome (SRY) codes for the production of testis-determining factor (TDF)
- TDF directs differentiation of gonads into testes and testes are the gonadal sex of the male
See slide 5
What happens when an ovum with X sex chromosome is fertilised by sperm with X sex chromosome?
- An embryo is then formed with XX sex chromosome.
- The genetic sex is then female.
- Since there is no Y chromosome there is no SRY and therefore no TDF
- With no TDF, the undifferentiated gonads develop into ovaries
- Ovaries are the gonadal sex of the female
Slide 6 see
1. Wolffian duct differentiate into?
2. Mullerian ducts differentiate into?
- Male reproductive tract
- Female reproductive tract
Slide 7 see diagram
Testes secrete what?
Testosterone and Mullerian inhibiting factor
Mullerian inhibiting factor causes what?
Degeneration of Mullerian ducts
Testosterone is converted to?
Dihydrotestosterone
Dihydrotestosterone promotes the development of what?
Promotes development of undifferentiated external genitalia along the male lines such as the penis and scrotum
Leading to phenotypic sex of the male
What does testosterone transform Wolffian ducts into?
Into male reproductive tract for example ductus, deferenes, ejaculatory duct, seminal vesicles and epidiymis, etc
The phenotypic sex of the male
What is released or not released in the case of the ovaries?
No testosterone or Mullerian-inhibiting factor is secreted
The absence of testosterone leads to what?
Degeneration of the Wolffian ducts and the development of undifferentiated external genitalia along female lines such as the labia and clitoris
Leading to the phenotypic sex of the female
Absence of Mullerian inhibiting factor causes the development fo what?
Development of Mullerian ducts into female reproductive tract such as the uterus, oviducts, etc
Leading to the phenotypic sex of the female
What is the anatomy of the reproductive systems?
Gonads, reproductive tract and accessory sex glands
What are the gonads?
Primary reproductive organs: testes and ovaries
What is the functions of the mature gonads?
- Gametogenesis: spermatozoa; ova
- Secreting sex hormones
– Testosterone in males
– Oestrogen and progesterone in females
Although males have more androgens and females have more oestrogens
and progesterone, are all these hormones found in both sexes?
Yes
Hypothalamic-pituitary Goanadal axis
See slide 9
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRh) is
1. Released from where?
2. Acts on what?
3. To do what?
- GnRH released from the hypothalamus
- Acts on the anterior pituitary gonadotrophs 3. To release follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) & Luteinising hormone (LH)
FSH and LH act on what?
They stimulate the release of?
FSH & LH act on the gonads stimulating testosterone and oestrogen release
Feedback regulation can be +/-?
Either or
Feedback regulation by gonadal products such as steroids and peptides takes place at what level?
Level of both hypothalamus and pituitary
See slide 10 on Anterior pituitary gland
(endocrine lectures as well)
See slide 11 HPG axis has both positive+feedback mechanisms
1. A day after menstruation what secretion begins?
2. During the first 11-12 days of follicle growth, what happens to the rate of secretion of FSH and LH?
3. Why does this happen?
- FSH+LH which causes growth of the follicle
- They decrease slightly
- Due to the negative feedback effect of estrogen on the ATP
See slide 11 HPG axis has both positive+feedback mechanisms
1. What happens about day 12 of the monthly cycle?
2. High levels of estrogens causes what feedback?
3. This leads to?
- The high secretion of FSH & LH start to increase
- Due to high level of estrogens causing positive feedback
- Leads to pre-ovulatory LH surge & FSH
surge
See slide 11 HPG axis has both positive+feedback mechanisms
1. Between ovulation and the beginning of menstruation what does the corpus luteum do?
2. What is effect of estrogen is increased when progesterone is available?
3. What effect foes this have on AP and hypothalamus and to do what?
4. Hormone inhibin is secreted by?
5. What does it inhibit the secretion of?
- Corpus luteum secretes large quantities of progesterone & estrogen & inhibin.
- The inhibitory effect of estrogen is
increased when progesterone is available. - This inhibitory effects more on the AP directly & to lesser extent on the hypothalamus to inhibit the secretion of GnRH. 4. The hormone inhibin secreted by the granulosa cells of the ovarian corpus luteum
- It inhibits the secretion of FSH & to lesser extent LH
See slide 12
Positive and negative feedback loops of the HPG axis
Demonstrate highly precise temporal control over the concentration of gonadal and steroid hormone that occurs across the menstrual cycle in women
What are the testes?
Sperm producing organs
The male gonads
Where are testes suspended from?
Outside abdominal tract (temp)
Accessory male reproductive sex organs?
Seminal vesicles, prostate gland, bulbourethral
glands
Secretions conducive to sperm viability
Slide 14 see diagram
Explain the hypothalamic-pituitary gonadal axis pathway involving FSH and LSH
Hypothalamus releases GnRh into anterior pituitary which stimulates FSH to be released which acts on Sertoli cells and releases Androgen binding protein to cause spermatogenesis
Hypothalamus releases GnRh into anterior pituitary which releases LH causing Leydig (Interstitial cells) releasing testosterone which work in conjunction with sertoli cells to cause spermatogenesis
Slide 15 see
FSH is necessary for initiation of?
Spermatogenesis
Testosterone acts as autocrine/paracrine?
It works with FSH to stimulate?
Paracrine
Spermatogenesis
How many compartments of the testes?
250-200
What part of testes produces sperm?
Seminiferous tubules
Leydig cells are interstitial cells which make and secrete?
Testosterone
Sertoli cells are epithelial cells that are contained within? and support the development of?
Contained within seminiferous tubules and support sperm development
What other androgens other than testosterone do Leydig cells make and secrete?
Androstenedione and Dehydroepiandrosterone