Biochemistry

FIRST YEAR - FINAL TERM MR. Jan Jarrel Gillego 11/2021 - 01/2022
Male Reproductive System

 Most organ systems function almost continuously to

maintain the well-being of the individual.
 The reproductive system, however, appears to “slumber”
until puberty.
 The primary sex organs or gonad, are the testes in
males and the ovaries in females.
 The gonads produce sex cells, or gametes, and secrete a
variety of steroid hormones commonly called sex
hormones.
 The remaining reproductive structures-ducts, glands, and
external genitalia are accessory reproductive organs.
 Although the male and females’ reproductive organs are
quite different, it serves 1 function to produce offspring.
 The male’s reproductive role is to manufacture male
gametes called sperm and deliver them to the female
reproductive tract, where fertilization can occur.
 The complementary role of the female is to produce
female gametes, called ova or eggs.
 As a result of APPROPRIATELY timed intercourse, a
sperm and an egg may fuse to form a fertilized egg, or
zygote.
 The Zygote is the first cell of a new individual, from
which all body cells will arise.
 The male and female reproductive systems are equal
partners in events leading up to fertilization, but once
fertilization has occurred, the female partner’s uterus
provides the protective environment where the embryo
develops until birth.
 This seems a rather vulnerable location for a man’s
testes, which contain his entire ability to father
offspring.
 However, because viable sperm cannot be produced in
abundance at core body temperature (37c), the
superficial location of the scrotum, which provides a
temp of about 3c lower, is an essential adaptation.
 Furthermore, the scrotum is affected by temperature
changes.
 When it is cold, the testes are pulled closer to the
pelvic floor and the warmth of the body wall, and the
scrotum becomes shorter and heavily wrinkled,
decreasing its surface area and increasing its thickness
to reduce heat loss.
 When it is warm, the scrotal skin is flaccid and loose to
increase the surface area for cooling (sweating) and the
testes hang lower, away from the body trunk.
TESTES
 The testes are the two
oval shaped male
organs that produce
sperm and hormone
testosterone.
 Testosterone – the
primary male sex
hormones.

Male Reproductive organs

External Genital 1. Penis
Organs 2. Scrotum
Internal Genital 1. Testis
Organs 2. Epididymis
3. Vas deferens
4. Accessory Gland
a) Seminal Vesicles  The sperm producing
b) Prostate Gland testes or male
c) Bulbourethral Glands gonads. Lie within
the scrotum. From the
Testes, the sperm are
delivered to the body
The Scrotum exterior through a
 The scrotum is a sac of skin and superficial fascia that system of ducts
hangs outside the abdominopelvic cavity at the root of including (in order)
the penis. the epididymis, the
 It is covered with sparse hairs and contains paired oval ductus deferens (vas
testes. deferens), the
 A midline septum divides the scrotum, providing a ejaculatory duct, and
compartment for each testis. finally the urethra,

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 Biochemistry
FIRST YEAR - FINAL TERM MR. Jan Jarrel Gillego 11/2021 - 01/2022
Male Reproductive System

which opens to the  Testicular arteries, which branch from the abdominal
outside at the tip of aorta superior to the pelvis supply the testes.
the penis.  The testicular veins draining the testes arise from a
network called the pampiniform venous plexus that
surrounds the portion of each testicular artery within the
scrotum like a climbing vine.

 Each testis is
made of tightly
coiled structures
called  The cooler venous blood in each pampiniform plexus
seminiferous absorbs heat from the arterial blood, cooling it before it
tubules. enters the testes.
 Among the  In this way, these plexuses help to keep the testes at
tubules are cells their cool homeostatic temperature.
that produce the
testosterone.

 Both divisions of the ANS serve the testes, and when

the testes are hit forcefully, associated sensory nerve
transmit impulses that result in agonizing pain and
nausea.

Seminiferous Tubules
 Lying in the soft connective tissue surrounding the
seminiferous tubules are the interstitial endocrine cells,
also called Leydig cells. These cells produce androgens
(most importantly testosterone) which they secrete into
the surrounding interstitial fluid
Penis
 The penis is a copulatory organ, designed to deliver
sperm into the female reproductive tract.
 The penis and scrotum, which hang suspended from
the perineum, make up the external reproductive
structures, or external genitalia, of the male.
 The penis consists of an attached root and a free
body or shaft that ends in an enlarged tip, the glans
penis.
 The skin covering the penis is loose, and when it
slides distally it forms a cuff called the prepuce, or
foreskin, around the glans
 Frequently the foreskin is removed surgically
shortly after birth, a procedure called
Circumcision.
 The penis is the organ by which the sperm is
introduced into the female.
 It contains spongy tissue that becomes turgid and
erect when filled with blood
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 Biochemistry
FIRST YEAR - FINAL TERM MR. Jan Jarrel Gillego 11/2021 - 01/2022
Male Reproductive System

C. tail of the epididymis, and

D. vas deferens

Erectile Tissues
Corpus is the mass of spongy tissue which
spongiosum surrounds urethra and involves in erection Vas Deferens (Ductus deferens)
by allowing rushing of blood into it  The vas deferens is a thin tube that starts from the
Corpus is one of a pair of sponge-like regions of epididymis to the urethra in the penis.
cavernosa erectile tissue which contains most of the  They transport sperm from the epididymis in
blood in the penis during penile erection. anticipation of ejaculation.
Urethra a tube within the penis that conveys
semen out of the body during ejaculation.
Glans the rounded, highly sensitive head of the
penis.
Prepuce fold of skin, covering the head of the
penis.

 The midventral erectile body, the corpus

spongiosum, surrounds the urethra. It expands
distally to form the glans and proximally to form
the part of the root called the bulb of the penis.
 The paired dorsal erectile bodies, called the
corpora cavernosa make up most of the penis and
are bound by the fibrous tunica albuginea.

Vasectomy

Male perineum
Suspends the scrotum and contains the root of the penis,
and the anus. More specifically, it is the diamond-shaped
region located between the pubic symphysis anteriorly, the
coccyx posteriorly, and the ischium.

Epididymis
 The epididymis is a tightly coiled tubes against the
testicles.
 It acts as maturation and storage place for sperm.
A. Head of the epididymis
B. body of the epididymis
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 Biochemistry
FIRST YEAR - FINAL TERM MR. Jan Jarrel Gillego 11/2021 - 01/2022
Male Reproductive System

Seminal Vesicles
 Lie on posterior bladder surface. Each of these fairly
Urethra
large, hollow glands is about the shape and length of
 Is a terminal portion of the male duct system. It
a little finger.
transports urine and semen (at different times) so it
 Stored within the mucosa’s honeycomb of blind
serves both the urinary and reproductive systems.
alleys is a yellowish viscous alkaline fluid containing
 Its regions are:
fructose sugar, citric acid, a coagulating enzyme, a
 Prostatic Urethra- the portion surrounded by
prostaglandins, and other substances that increase
prostate
sperm motility or fertilizing ability.
 Membranous Urethra – in the urogenital
 The yellow color of a seminal fluid is due to a yellow
diaphragm.
pigment that fluoresces under UV light, a capability
 Spongy urethra – runs through the penis and opens
that allows investigators to recognize a sperm trail or
to the outside at the external urethral orifice.
residue in instances of sexual attack.

Seminal Vesicles
 The Seminal Vesicles are sac-like structures attached
to the vas deferens at one side of the bladder.
 They produce a sticky yellowish fluid that contains
fructose.

Accessory glands
o Seminal Vesicles
o Prostate Gland Prostate Gland
o Bulbourethral Glands  The Prostate Gland surrounds the ejaculatory ducts at
 These glands produce nourishing fluids for the the base of the urethra, just below the bladder.
sperms that enter the urethra.  The Prostate Gland is responsible for making the
production of semen, a liquid mixture of sperm cells,
prostate fluid and seminal fluid.

Bulbourethral Glands (Cowper’s gland)

 The Bulbourethral Glands are two small glands located
on the sides of the urethra just below the prostate
gland.
 These glands produce a clear, slippery fluid that
empties directly into the urethra.

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 Biochemistry
FIRST YEAR - FINAL TERM MR. Jan Jarrel Gillego 11/2021 - 01/2022
Male Reproductive System

 The main function of the Male Reproductive System is

to produce sperm cells and deliver them to the female
reproductive system.
 It consists of external and internal genital organs which
are essential for the continuous reproduction of life.

SPERMATOGENESIS
SPERM
• Function:
 To move and carry genetic information to the egg.

• Structure:
 Head: The large head region of the sperm that
contains DNA.
 Midpiece: The narrow middle part of the cell that
contains mitochondria.
 Tail: The wavelike motion of the flagellum propels
the sperm forward.

SPERMATOGENESIS
 Spermatogenesis is the formation of sperm cells.
 It takes place in the seminiferous tubules.
Process:
1. Diploid cells that begin the process are located near
the outer wall of the tubules.
 These cells multiply constantly by mitosis, and
each day about 3 million of them differentiate
into primary spermatocytes, the cells that
undergo meiosis.
2. Meiosis I of a primary spermatocyte produces
secondary spermatocytes, each with the haploid
number of chromosomes (n=23).
 The cells are still in their duplicated state, each
consisting of two identical chromatids.
3. Meiosis II then forms four cells, each with the
haploid number of single-chromatid chromosomes.
4. A sperm cell develops by differentiation of each of
these haploid cells and gradually pushed toward the
center of the seminiferous tubule.
5. From there, it passes into the epididymis, where it
matures, becomes motile, and is stored until
ejaculation.

EJACULATION
 Ejaculation is the discharge of semen from the penis.
 During orgasm, the semen is forcefully expelled from
the body by strong muscular contractions of sperm
ducts.

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 Biochemistry
FIRST YEAR - FINAL TERM MR. Jan Jarrel Gillego 11/2021 - 01/2022
Male Reproductive System

 At the peak of sexual arousal, muscles in the

epididymis, seminal vesicles, prostate gland, and vas
deferens contract.
 At the same time, a sphincter muscle at the base of
the bladder contracts, preventing urine from leaking
into the urethra from the bladder.
 Another sphincter also contracts, closing off the
entrance of the urethra into the penis.
 In the second stage of ejaculation, the expulsion
stage, the sphincter at the base of the penis
relaxes, admitting semen into the penis.
 Simultaneously, a series of strong muscle
contractions around the base of the penis and
along the urethra expels the semen from the
body.