Male reproductive organ

Male and female reproductive systems develop from similar embryonic tissue.

Scrotum
Each testes is enclosed by the tunica vaginalis - thick connective tissue which is a
continuation of the peritoneum.

1. Skin continuation/cutis - dark, wrinkled, hairy pigments

2. Tunica albuginea - white tissue covering external layer of testes. - dense irregular tissue -
gives rise to lobules containing seminiferous tubules of testes.
3. Tunica Dartos: Dartos muscle (forms wrinkles) and Dartos fascia
4. Spermatic fascia external
5. Cremasteric muscle
6. Cremasteric fascia
7. Internal spermatic fascia
8. Tunica vaginalis: it has two layers - parietal and visceral layer.
- The cavity between layers contains serosal fluid and thus serosal glands.

The seminiferous tubules converge to become rete testis which transport sperm to
epididymis.
- Epididymis enriches the sperm with nutrients and makes it more fluid.

Hormones controlling reproductions

FSH and LH

FSH - produced and released by the anterior pituitary gland and stimulates meiosis of the
primary spermatocytes.
LH - released and reaches the Leydig cells of the testis where it stimulates testosterone.
Testosterone stimulates the final meiotic division and differentiation of the spermatids to
form mature spermatozoa.

FSH AND LH levels increase after puberty.

Spermatogenesis
- Process in which spermatozoa produced from spermatogonia stem cells.
- Starts at puberty
- Duration = 74 days
- Takes places in seminiferous tubules and storage takes place in epididymis.

Primary spermatogonia
Begins with mitotic divisions to increase the number
Primary spermatocyte that is large with diploid number - 46 chromosomes and 92
chromatids
First meiotic division > receive two daughter cells with 23 chromosomes chromatin 46 from
92
Second meiotic divisions > 46 chromatin into 23 chromatin and 23 chromosomes

Spermiogenesis events...
- Flagella tail is a 9 + 2 structure and it grows from centriole.
- Mitochondria provides ATP for flagella
- The excess cytoplasm so it can be lighter and faster for motility
- Head, midpiece
- tail

Seminiferous Tubules

Sertoli cells - epithelial cells and function for structural function to support spermatogonia.
Nutrients and oxygen from blood penetrate the basal membrane and pass through Sertoli
cells then they reach spermatogonia.
- Thus this forms a blood testicular barrier.

Leydig cells - produce testosterone

1. Primary sex organ: testes

2. Reproductive tract: epididymis (stores sperm), vas deferens, spermatic cord
3. Accessory sex glands: prostate glands, seminal vesicles, bulbourethral gland

Prostate: 20% ejaculate

Seminal vesicles: 60% ejaculate
Bulbourethral gland: 10% ejaculate
All together 90%

Prostate glands:
- Surrounds ejaculatory ducts at the base of urethra just below the bladder
- Responisible for making the production of semen (liquid mixture of sperm cells),
prostate fluid and seminal fluid
- Secretions are more fluid and makes sperm more fluid
- Secretions make sperm more fluid and include immunoglobin A
- Consists of parenchyma (compound tubule-alveolar glands) and fibromuscular
stroma
- Glandular parenchyma: formed by irregular prostatic alveoli with wide lumen
- Secrete lining of alveoli (acinus) varies from cuboidal to columnar depending on
activity
- Between acinus there is fibrous stroma of connective tissue

Seminal vesicles:

- Produce 60% of ejaculate volume

- Attached to ducts near base of bladder
- Secrete more alkaline fluid of semen
- Secrete fructose, prostaglandins and proseminogelin
 - Begins the capacitation of sperm (activation)
- Contents empty into ejaculatory duct
- Columnar to pseudostratified epithelium lines secretory portions

Bulbourethral glands:

- 2 small glands located on sides of urethra below prostate glands

- Produce clear, slippery fluid that empties directly in urethra
- Compound tubular glands
- Lined by simple columnar eptihelium