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BIOLOGY CLASS NOTES
TOPIC: Human Reproduction Lecture No.: 05

THE MALE ACCESSORY GLANDS

• The male accessory glands include
• Paired SEMINAL VESICLES,
• A PROSTATE and
• Paired BULBOURETHRAL GLANDS.

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• Secretions of these glands constitute the SEMINAL PLASMA which is rich in
fructose, calcium and certain enzymes.

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• The secretions of BULBOURETHRAL GLANDS also helps in the lubrication
of the penis.

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SEMINAL VESICLES
• Situated behind the urinary bladder: at the junction of vas deferens & prostate
gland
• It’s like narrow long pouch; having a muscular wall
• Two in number
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• Produces an alkaline secretion (pH – 7.4)

• Contribute 60% volume to semen
• Secretion contains fructose which serves as energy source for the spermatozoa
• Secretion also contains prostaglandins (hormone like fatty acids; helps in
contraction)
• Fructose produces by seminal vesicles provide a forensic test for rape.

PROSTATE GLAND
• One in number ; situated at first part of urethra
• Contains prostatic utricle and acini ; covered by a capsule
• Contribute 15 -30% of volume of semen
• Secretion à slightly acidic to alkaline (6.5 to 7.31) ; acidic is due to CITRIC ACID
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• Prostate secretion contains :
• Citric acid
• Acid phosphatase
• Peosinogen
• Fibrinolysin & Fibrinogenase
• Albumin
• Prostaglandins
• Prostate secretion contains substances important for
sperm mobility
• Inflammation of prostate à Prostatitis ; Prostate
enlarged so urination becomes
difficult

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• The pH of expressed prostatic
secretion was acid with a mean of
6.7 in men without

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inflammatory prostatic disease, it
reached a mean of 8.1 in those

•
HYPERTROPHY ; Common
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with chronic bacterial prostatitis.
BPH à BENIGN PROSTATE

condition in elderly male

BULBOURETHRAL GLANDS
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• Also called COWPER’S GLAND
• One pair ; situated beneath bladder
& behind urethra
• Present only in male mammals
• Slightly alkaline secretion ; acts as
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lubricant for penis ; it neutralises

any urine in urethra

SEMINAL PLASMA
• Secretion of seminal gland +
Secretion of prostate + Secretion of
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bulbourethral gland

URETHRA

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• Thick walled muscular duct ; longer in
male than in female
• Also called “urinogenital duct” because
it’s a common passage for both urine
and semen
• Opens at the tip of penis through
Urethral meatus

PENIS
• External genitelia
• Male organ of copulation
• Vascular, spongy and erectile structure;

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pendulous organ which is suspended
from pubic region to in front of scrotum
• Ordinarily is remains flaccid (small and

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limp) but on sexual arousal it becomes
long, hard and erect ; size of erect penis

•
is around 14 – 15 cm

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Penis mostly formed of three cylindrical
chord of spongy erectile tissue
Two of these are thick and situated in
parallel position on right and left side à
forming thick part of penis : these chord
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known as CORPOUS CAVERNOSUM
• Third smaller chord known as CORPUS SPONGIOSUM
• Corpus spongiosum form a bulged and conical structure at the tip of penis à
GLANS PENIS
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• Skin over glans penis is loose and
retractable à Prepuce / fore skin
• At the tip of glans penis a slit like urethral
meatus is present
• Prepucial glands are present at the base of
glans penis (neck of penis); these glands
secretes white sebaceous substance à
Smegma
• Erection of penis is a purely vascular
phenomenon
• Stimulus carried by PARASYMPATHETIC
NERVES (S2, S3 and S4)

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• During intercourse the sensory cells
present in the skin of glans penis establish
reflexes to induce EJACULATION

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• The PENIS is the male external genitalia.
• It is made up of special tissue that helps in

•
insemination.

called foreskin.
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erection of the penis to facilitate

The enlarged end of penis called the GLANS PENIS is covered by a loose fold of skin

2 to 5 ml in one ejaculation
SEMEN
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• Alkaline viscous fluid (pH – 7.5)
• Have 200 to 300 million sperm in one ejaculation
• Semen = Seminal plasma + Sperm
• For normal fertility
• at least 60% normal sperm required
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• at least 40% must have vigorous motility

• Contains 60% seminal vesicle secretion + 30% prostate secretion + 10% sperm, vas
deferens secretion, bulbourethral secretion
• Milky appearance of semen is due to prostatic secretion
• Viscosity is due to seminal vesicle secretion
• “Seminal plasmin” antibiotic discovered from semen ; it destroys vaginal bacteria
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• Male with less than 35 million sperm / ml à Sterile

• Semen replaced in 24 hours
• semen coagulated immediately after ejaculation
IMPORTANT NOTE
• Seminal vesicles also known as “Uterus musculinus”
• Circumcision is the removal of prepuce or fore-skin of penis.
• Emission refers to the movement of semen into the urethra
• Ejaculation refers to the forcible expulsion of semen from urethra out of the penis.
• Oligospermia à Low sperm count in semen (Less than 20 million/ml)
• Level of Enzyme acid phosphatase is used in diagnosis of prostrate cancer.
• Impotence à inability to achieve an erection in penis to complete sexual
intercourse
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