WT1 Final Flashcards
What is sex
Sex is what you have
Sexuality
Who I am - who you are attracted to
What is gender
Who I am - who you identify as
What is morphological sex
- external genitalia
- male reproductive = scrotum, penis
- female reproductive = vagina, clitoris
What are primary sex characteristics
- include the male and female reproductive systems
- penis, vagina, scrotum, ability to give birth, menstruation (external genitalia)
What are secondary sex characteristics
- body hair, facial hair, breast development, voice changes, sexual response
What is gonadal sex
The anatomy of gonads and which gametes are produced
- testes = sperm
- ovaries = ova
- all gonads start as bipotential and eventually develop into either the testes or ovaries based on the presence of the SRY gene and TDF (SOX9)
What is chromosomal sex
- The XX or XY combination of chromosomes that you have in your non-germline cells
- There is an SRY gene on such chromosomes that drive the development of male characteristics
What are the sex hormones
Testicular or ovarian hormones
- testosterone
- estrogen
What are the three types of cells in gonads
- Steroid-secreting cells
- Germ cells
- Support/nurse cells
Describe the indifferent stage of the male/female gonads and how it differentiates into one or the other
- bipotential gonad
- presence or absence of SRY drives male characteristics development
- TDF or SOX9 drives testes development
- if not present, female development occurs
What are the three types of gonadal cells in testes
- Steroid-secreting cells: Leydig cells
- Germ cells: Spermatogonia
- Nurse/support cells: Sertoli cells
What are the three types of gonadal cells in ovaries
- Steroid-secreting cells: thecal cells/follicular cells
- Germ cells: oogonia
- Nurse/support cells: granulosa cells
Describe the degradation of the ducts in a bipotential gonad
- Wolffian duct
- Mullerian duct
- anti-Mullerian hormone in Sertoli cells
- AMH+ means wolffian becomes vas deferens
- AMH- means mullerian becomes oviduct
- other duct will degrade
What is the role of FSH and LH during puberty
- gonadal hormone levels rise in both sexes
- FSH initiates gamete production
- LH initiates sex hormone release which starts secondary sex characteristic development & behaviour
Where is sperm formed
- formed within seminiferous tubules of the testes
- sperm comes from germ cells (spermatogonia)
Describe the order in which you would find the gonadal cells in testes from inside to outside
Inside = spermatogonia
Middle = Sertoli cells
Outside = Leydig cells
What is gametogenesis for males
- mitosis of spermatogonium
- meiosis I of primary spermatocyte = 2 secondary spermatocytes
- meiosis II converts secondary spermatocytes into 4 spermatids
- spermatogenesis (physical maturation) produces 4 sperm cells
Trace the path of sperm development
testes > seminiferous tubules > lumen > retes testis > epididymis > vas deferens/ampulla > ejaculatory duct > urethra > penis
What are the stages of a sperm cell
spermatogonium/spermatogonia > spermatocyte > spermatid > sperm
What are the five structural components of a sperm and their functions
- Acrosome - contains enzymes that help with breaking through/penetrating the corona radiata of the ova
- Head - contains the DNA/haploid chromosomes
- Neck - connects the head to the middle piece
- Middle piece - contains the mitochondria needed to produce ATP to make the sperm motile
- Tail - contains flagellum to help with swimming and propulsion
Where are sperm stored
in the vas deferens/ampulla
What is capacitation and where does it first occur
- process by which sperm becomes motile
- occurs in the ejaculatory duct where sperm mixes with seminal fluid from the seminal glands
What are the components of sperm
- 5-10% sperm from testes
- 60-65% fluid/fructose from seminal glands
- 20-30% seminal plasmis from prostate gland (protects urethra)
- ~1% muscous from bulbourethral glands (protects sperm and lubricates penis)
How is penile tissue influenced by the ANS and somatic NS
Autonomic
- parasympathetic fibers innervate erectile tissue (relaxation of smooth muscle increases blood pooling and causes erection)
- sympathetic fibers innervate the epididymis, vas deferens, and seminal vesicles (stimulates final maturation stages)
Somatic
- somatic motor neurons innervate skeletal muscles at the base of the penis to help push semen out of the urethra
