Comparative study of male genital organs

Scrotum and Testis:

location :
Most species between the thighs

Boar and Cat caudal to the thighs and caudal

and ventral to the ischiatic arch
i.e. in sub-anal region.

Scrotum is absent Elephant, Rhinoceros, Poultry bird,

Dolphin and Whale
Shape, plane, Weight, measurement and parenchyma of testis
Horse Bull Ram Boar Dog

Shape Oval(slightly oval oval oval oval

compressed
from side to side)

Plane Horizontal(but vertical vertical Oblique Oblique

nearly vertical (almost
on retracted) vertical)

Weight 200-300 200-500 200-400 200-500 7-15

(gm)

Size 11x6x4 14x7x7 10x6x6 13x7x7 1x1.2to4

(cm) x2.5
Species differences of Shape of testes
Testis of stallion more rounded oval than the more pointed
boar testis
Sheep’s testis shorter and more rounded than that of ox
Testis of ruminants differ from that of stallion in not being so
flattened mediolaterally; also the spermatic cord continues
into their long axis of the testis and suspense vertically
whereas spermatic cord joins the testis at nearly at rt. angle
to the long axis.
Testes and epididymis of the domesticated animals
Epididymis
Bull & Ram: head of epi. is dorsal in position,
body least well developed and difficult to
palpate as it lies medially between the two
testes. Knob-like projects ventral to testis.
caput is dorsal, corpus is caudal and medial,
and cauda is ventral, to testis.
Stallion: whole epi. lies dorsal on testis, the
body is as thick as the head and the tail
project caudally. caput is cranial, corpus is
dorsal, cauda is caudal to testis.
Boar: the head is large and project cranially.
Body is thinner than that of stallion while the
tail is proportionately large and project
caudally. caput is ventral, corpus is cranial,
cauda is dorsal, to testis
Dog: epi. is relatively large being about 1/3rd
the size of testis. Head and tail project
cranially and caudally resply. Body well
developed but smaller in dia. than the head
and tail. caput is cranial, corpus is cranial,
cauda is caudal, to the testis.
Cat: similar to that of dog but does not
project so far cranially and caudally.
Epidydimis cont/-

The head (caput):

The body (corpus):

The tail or cauda:

Functions of the epididymis:
1. Transportations:

testicular fluid
 action of the ciliated epithelium and

 the action of peristaltic waves of the muscle fibers in the

duct.
The average duration of the epididymal transport :
Bull - 7-9 days
Ram - 13-15 days
Boar - 9-12 days
Stallion - 8-11 days.
Functions of the epididymis:cont/-

Length of epididymal tubes in different species:

 Bull - 100 ft. ( 30 meters)
 Boar -155 ft. (50 meters)
 Stallion - 65 ft. (20 meters)
 Ram - 155 ft. (50 meters)
Functions of the epididymis cont/- :
2. Maturation
Head
Not motile - swim in circular motion
Not fertile
Proximal droplet
Low disulfide linkage
Fluid absortion
Body 

First see some forward motility in body

Some fertility
Droplet moving down
More disulfide linkage
Binds oocytes
Tail

Normal motility
Fertile
Distal droplet
High disulfide linkage
Binds oocytes
Examples of changes sperm undergo
(Changes necessary for fertilization to occur)

1. Increase in specific gravity

Sperm lose H2O - become more dense
2. Nucleus more condensed and stable
DNA in nucleus is inactive and held together by disulfide
bonding
3. Increase (-) charge on plasma membrane
Aid in fertilization? Covered with a carbohydrate to bind
to ovum
4. Sperm become less resistant to cold shock
Rapid change in temperature damages sperm.
Membrane is fragile.
5. Migration of cytoplasmic droplet
Functions of the epididymis cont/- :
3. Storage
 cauda epididymis stores nearly 50% of the extragonadal sperms.
 In the goat, 22% of the epididymal sperms are in the caput, 7 % in the corpus and 71 % in the

cauda epididymis.

Factors conducive to storage

Present in Cauda Epididymal Fluid

1. Reduced pH
pH in cauda is approximately 5.8

2. Low O2 High CO2

Slows oxidative metabolism

3. High K:Na ratio

Opposite of extracellular fluid surrounding normal cells
of body

4. Low concentrations of energy substrates

Slow metabolism
4. Absorption:
 in ram, up to 60 ml fluids leaves the testis daily and most of
this is absorbed in the caput epididymis.
The cauda epididymis is also capable of absorbing the
particulate material, including spermatozoa. Thus in the cauda
epididymis the sperm concentration is highly concentrated.

5. Secretion: The secretions are- Glycerylphosphorylcholine,
Sialic acid, and Carnitine. The sialic acid forms a part of
glycoprotein. Carnitine helps as a cofactor in fatty acid
metabolism.
Different layer of tissues present in between the scrotal
skin and the testis proper
1. Tunica dartos layer:
2. Loose connective tissue layer:
3. Vaginal process layer:
a) Superficial layer called Tunica
vaginalis communis, which
corresponds to the parietal peritoneum
of the abdominal cavity.
b) deeper layer called Tunica vaginalis
propria, which corresponds the visceral
layer of peritoneum of the abdominal
cavity.
4. Tunica albuginea layer: except in the
horse, septa radiate to the mediastinum
testis to form the lobules of the testis.
Front Section of testis
About 75% of the
testicular mass is
composed of
seminiferous tubules.

Seminiferous tubules
estimated in different
species is as follows:

Boar - 6,000 meters

Bull - 5,000 meters

Ram - 4,000 meters
 Dog - 150 meters
Cat - 25 meters.
Passage of spermatozoa from seminiferous tubules

Seminiferous tubules

Tubuli recti

Rete testes

Efferen tubules

Epididymis

Vas deferens

Ampulla

Urethra
Section of testis
Thermoregulation of testis
1. Cremaster muscle &
Tunica dartos – sensitive to
Spermatic
temp. Contract in Cold and
Cremaste cord
relax in hot r
mechanisms are :
2. Scrotal skin : rich in
sebaceous and sweat glands.
And are more active during
hot weather. Evaporation of
secretion cools scrotum and dartos
testes 2-5 0C lower the inside
temp. stretching provide more
surface area for evaporation.

3. Heat exchange in circulatory

system(in pampiniform
plexus):
Spermatic cord is composed of the follwing

1. Spermatic artery tortuously coiled just dorsal to the testes.

2. Spermatic veins, which form a plexus of veins, the
pampiniform plexus, around the spermatic artery.
3. Internal cremaster muscle.
4. Lymphatic vessels
5. Autonomic nerves from renal and posterior mesenteric
plexuses which form spermatic plexus around the vessels in
the cord.
6. Vas deferens
7. Tunica vaginalis propria.
Function of testis
Endocrine function: Production of testosterone from the
interstitial cells (Leydig’s cells) lying between the
seminiferous tubules

Exocrine function: The spermatogonia situated

peripherally in the seminiferous tubules undergo cell
division and produce spermatozoa.
In bulls about 12-17 million spermatozoa are produced per
gram of testicular tissue daily.
 Accessory sex glands
  Bull Stallion Boar Dog Cat

Ampullae + + _ +? _

Seminal + + + _ _
vesicle

Prostate + + + + +

Bulbouret + + ++ _ +
hral gland
Accessory sex glands
Accessory gland cont./-
Ampulla 
- thickened glandular portion of ductus deferens as it
connects with urethra  
Large in stallion, bull
  Present in dog but not always grossly visible  
Absent in boar, tom  
Accessory gland cont./-
Vesicular glands (seminal vesicles)
- sac like organs with lobulated surface  
Provide volume, protein, sugars, salts  
Generally fill before copulation and empty during
ejaculation
  Boar - store large volume of fluid
  Bull - more a solid mass of tissue, produces only small
volume of fluid  
Absent in tom, dog
  Stallion - fills during sexual stimulation  
Accessory gland cont./-
Prostate
- solid tissue mass which secretes during copulation  

Animals with extended copulation times (boar and dog)

have high volume contribution from prostate  

Secretion mainly ionic compounds (NaCl, Na citrate, and

variety of enzymes)  

Present in all domestic species

Bull and boar - anterior mass is body of prostate,

disseminated portion is pars disseminata  
Accessory gland cont./-
Bulbourethral (Cowper's)
- small, except in boar; muscular gland associated with
caudal pelvic urethra  

Boar - large gland containing large volume of stored gel

(sialic acid) which is emitted during ejaculation  

Can differentiate castrated from cryptorchid pig on basis of

rectal palpation. In ruminant and boar, ducts open into
urethral recess, situated dorsally, which may prevent passage
of catheter  
S- shaped curve, sigmoid flexure :
post-scrotal in bull, ram,
pre-scrotal in boar
Sigmoid flexure is absent in stallion
Penis of different species
 Retractor penis muscles - control length of penis in
ruminants and swine by action on sigmoid flexure.
Ischiocavernosus m. - important in causing erection, pumps
blood into corpus cavernosum penis by compressing dorsal vein
against ischial arch
Feline projects posteriorly small os penis spines on surface of
penis  
Dog os penis (baculum) - extends from tip to bulbus glandis
 Erection : The physiologic mechanism of erection of the penis
involves release of nitric oxide (NO) in the corpus cavernosum
during sexual stimulation.  NO then activates the enzyme
guanylate cyclase, which results in increased levels of cyclic
guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) producing smooth muscle
relaxation in the corpus cavernosum and allowing inflow of
blood. 
Arteriole expansion  
Venule contraction
Relaxation of retractor
Contraction of ischiovavernous muscle
Filling of coprpus cavernosum 
Parasympahthetic  
Emission  - Sympathetic Movement of sperm to
pelvic urethra