BIOM1071 PASS: Week 7 Worksheet

This week’s KAHOOT link: https://create.kahoot.it/share/week-7-reproductive-system/2370f4e6-

fb3e-449f-9d26-603177f04683

Question 1: Which of the following is true about folliculogenesis?

a) Female follicles are at the preovulatory stage most of the time

b) Estrogen is the hormone that is produced during the antral stages and progesterone is
produced during the luteal stages
c) The primary and secondary follicle stages have FSH and LH receptors
d) Folliculogenesis occurs along the fallopian tube

Question 2: Which of the following describes the correct pathway of sperm?

a) Straight tubule – efferent ductules – rete testes – epididymis – seminiferous tubule – ductus
deferens
b) Seminiferous tubule - rete testes – efferent ductules –epididymis – ductus deferens –
straight tubule
c) Seminiferous tubule – straight tubule – rete testes – efferent ductules –epididymis –
ductus deferens
d) Ductus deferens - straight tubule – rete testes – efferent ductules – seminiferous tubule

Question 3: Which of the following is correct about spermatogenesis?

a) Spermatogenesis is the packaging of chromosomes in sperm which occurs in the epididymis

b) Spermatogenesis stops occurring over the age of 60 years old
c) Spermatogenesis is the production and maturation of sperm which occurs in the
seminiferous tubule
d) Spermiogenesis takes place before spermatogenesis can occur

Question 4: True of false? 90% of the androgens that Leydig cells produce are supplied to the
Sertoli cells to allow spermatogenesis to occur [T/F]

Question 5: True or false? Both androgens and estrogens can both provide positive feedback to the
hypothalamus to promote the production of GnRH [T/F] – because they both produce negative
feedbacks to the Hypothalamus to prevent the production of GnRH

Question 6: True or false? The early stage follicles within the ovaries are independent to
gonadotropin [T/F] - this is because he preantral and early antral stages don’t have FSH/ LH
receptors
Question 7: Compare and contrast the male and female reproductive system in the following
table

Male reproductive system Female reproductive system

Gonads (testes) reside outside of the Gonads (ovaries) reside within abdominal cavity
abdominal cavity, in the scrotum

Gonad is continuous with reproductive tract
Release of gametes from gonads is continuous
Gametic reserve is replenished throughout life
Testosterone exerts negative feedback on
secretion of LH and FSH
Male tract serves only male gamete transport
and maturation and delivery
Testosterone is always the primary gonadal
steroid
The male reproductive system does not
prepare for newborn
Gonad is not continuous with reproductive
tract
Release of gamete from gonads occurs once per
month
Gametic reserve is finite and exhausted by
menopause
Estrogen exerts both negative and positive
feedback on section of LH and FSH
Female tract serves male and female gamete
transport and maturation, fertilisation,
placentation and gestation
Estrogen is primary gonadal steroid in the first
half of the monthly cycle, and progesterone in
the second half
The female reproductive system prepares for
the newborn with breast development and milk
production

Question 8: What is oogenesis? List and briefly describe the stages of oogenesis.

Oogenesis is the process that forms female gamete – it is the growth and maturation of the oocyte.

Stages:

1. Primordial follicle stage: the primordial follicles within the foetal ovary contain a primary
oocyte that is a diploid cell which has been arrested in the first miotic division at prophase 1
- it remains arrested through Folliculogenesis all the way to secondary follicle
- although the oocyte gets larger, it does not mature during these stages because it does
not have gonadotropin receptors
2. Antral follicle stage: now that the follicle is larger and has the gonadotropin receptors, it is at
the point where it is about to ovulate and meiosis one will be completed which will form the
haploid, secondary oocyte and a polar body
- The oocyte goes from one diploid cell to two haploid cells
- But this secondary oocyte arrests again straight away at the next meiotic division at
metaphase 2
- This meiotic division does not continue unless fertilised!
3. If secondary oocyte is fertilised then meiosis 2 will be completed
- Forms final oocyte
4. Zygote is formed
Question 9: Provide a brief overview of the description of the male reproductive system:

 Have the gonad (testes) within the scrotum (outside of the body)
 Series of ducts (ejaculatory duct, duct deferens, urethra and epididymis
 Epididymis – important for the storage and maturation of the sperm
 Accessory glands which are very important for producing the seminal fluid (seminal gland
and bulbo-urethral gland)

Question 10: Describe the testis migration during development?

Initially it has a retroperitoneal, abdominal position but then at 10-15 weeks is moves towards a
more pelvic position due to the lengthening and regression of the suspensory ligament. Then at 25-
28 weeks the testes then migrate over the pubic bone and reaches the scrotum by 35-40 weeks

Question 11: Why would testes be located outside of the body? Provide three mechanisms
involved in keeping the testes at a cooler temperature.

The testes are external to the body because they function at three to four degrees cooler than the
core body temperature.

1. Cremaster muscle which is located in the spermatic cord – contracts to pull testes closer to
body
2. Dartos muscle – skin around scrotum – allows skin to wrinkle around to increase or decrease
surface areas
3. Pampiniform venous plexus – it acts as a heat transfer with the arteries around the
spermatic cord

Question 12: Match the following cells with the hormones that they produce

Leydig cells GnRh

Sertoli cells Lh &Fsh

Hypothalamus
Androgens

Anterior pituitary Estrogen

&
Antrogen-binding protein
Question 13: Give a brief description of the broad ligament of the uterus and list which structures
it support

 The broad ligament of the uterus is a double-layer fold of peritoneum that attaches the lateral
portions of the uterus to the lateral pelvic sidewalls
 Supports the ovaries, uterine (fallopian) tubes and vaginal into the pelvic cavity

Question 14: list and briefly describe the 3 main steps of spermatogenesis.

Mitosis – produces large number of cells

Meiosis – generates genetic diversity and ½ chromosomes

Spermiogenesis – packages the chromosomes for effective delivery to the oocyte

Question 15: Draw a diagram of the basic pattern of interactions along the hypothalamic-pituitary-
gonadal axis

Question 16: List all the stages of ovarian follicles during folliculogenesis