Audio Name: hhp 17b

Duration: 27 Minutes
NT11705

[00:00:34]
CLASS DISCUSSION

Reproductive systems

● The structures and functions are associated with the male reproductive system.
○ The testes are the primary reproductive organs
■ There are 2 tests, and they are located within the scrotum
○ 2 main functions
1. Gametogenesis or the production of the sex cells
2. Sex hormone production
● The testes and the primary function
1. Spermatogenesis
■ Spermatogenesis is the generation of mature sperm cells
■ This process occurs within the Semenov first tubules
■ At the Atassi in cross-section, there are several different compartments,
and within each compartment, there are a series of highly coiled tubes
■ These highly coiled tubes are the Semenov for tubules
■ If we were to extract the Semenov first tubules and uncoil them, the
combined length would be approximately 2 and a half football fields long
■ This means that there is a tremendous amount of surface area devoted to
sperm production in males
 2. Androgen secretion
■ This will be primarily in the form of testosterone

● 2 types of testeicular cells

○ Sertoli cells
■ These are the cells that line the seminar for US tubules
■ The Semenov first tubules in this figure right here and in the slower figure,
we're taking a look at a Semenov first tubule in cross-section
■ Sertoli cells are the cells that form the walls or line the walls of the
Semenov first tubules.
■ The primary function of the Sertoli cells in spermatogenesis
■ This is where sperm will develop and mature.
■ The Sertoli cell responds to follicle-stimulating hormones
■ In the case of the male reproductive system, the follicle refers to the
development of sperm.
■ The Sertoli cells respond to follicle-stimulating hormone and the follicle or
the sperm cells can develop in this location
○ Latex cells
■ The latex cells are actually populations of cells that are found in the
interstitial surrounding the seminar first tubules.
■ The primary function of the latex cells is to secrete testosterone.
■ Latex cells respond to luteinizing hormone
 ○ In males, the germ cells are known as sperm out of Konia
■ Spermatazoa will undergo the first and the second biotic division and they
will have become primary sperm out of sites followed by secondary sperm
out of sites
■ At the end of the second biotic division, the sperm cells are now known as
spermatids
○ The spermatids are still immature and not fully functional due to the actions of the
Sertoli cells within the Semenov first tubules the spermatids will continue to
differentiate to eventually form fully functional spermatozoa or sperm
■ This entire process takes about 64 days
■ About 300 million sperm are produced per day
■ This illustrates the idea that the body actually puts a whole lot of
biological energy into the production of sperm cells
■ Sperm production does not begin until puberty, but from that point on, it
can continue throughout the rest of the man's life

○
● Mature sperm structure
○ The acrosome is the tip of the headpiece that contain hydraulic enzymes that are
 important to help with the penetration of the oocyte site for fertilization
■ The rest of the headpiece contains the nucleus and the DNA it is followed
by the MIT piece that you see right here that contains mitochondria
■ And lastly, there is the flagellum are the tail
■ Once the sperm makes it into the female reproductive tract, there will be a
whipping motion of the flagellum in order to propel the sperm toward the
uterus and then through the fallopian tubes, where if a site has been
ovulated, fertilization might occur
■ The flagellum is able to move the sperm about one to four millimeters per
minute it actually takes several days in order to make it to the fallopian
tubes

● Spermatogenesis in the role of certain cells

○ The lumen of the Seminiferous tubule
■ These are the certain cells and there is a basement membrane at the
bottom here and you see that it is surrounded by smooth muscle-like
cells.
■ There are certain cells extending from the basement membrane all the
way towards the looming of the seminiferous first tubule
■ There are tight junctions in between adjacent certainly cells that make up
the blood testes barrier
○ The spermatogonia will mature and undergo mitosis between the basement
membrane and certain cells
■ Once the primary sperm out of sites are formed, they can move into the
Sertoli cells and move upwards towards the lumen as they are migrating
upwards through the search holey cells
■ They will undergo the first and second melodic division, and then they will
be released as sperm.
■ It hits into the element of the seminar’s first tubules.
● What exactly is the role of the search wholly cells with regard to this process?

○ Nutrient delivery to the developing sperm

■ They Help support them
○ Sertoli cells secrete most of the fluid that will be found within the seminar for us
tubule
○ They secrete a substance known as androgen binding protein.
■ Androgen binding protein does just what it sounds like it will bind to
testosterone
■ Once testosterone is bound to androgen binding protein within the limit of
the Semenov first tubule, it's in essence fixed there
■ And then the testosterone can have a favorable effect to help with sperm
maturation
○ Secrete current agent
■ Help with the proliferation, proliferation, and differentiation of the
spermatogonia
○ They secrete Hidden provides negative feedback to control the HPG axis
■ The hypothalamic pituitary-gonadal axis in order to regulate sperm
production.
○ Mullerian inhibiting substance or MIS is secreted from certain cells during the
fetal period
● What are some of the factors that can affect sperm development when we think about
sperm quality, really, there are two ways it can be quantified?
 ○
1. We can take a look at the sperm count, how many sperm are found in a semen
sample
■ Sperm count can be inhibited by elevated scrotal temperature, as well as
other things like antibiotic use.
2. Sperm morphology or the shape and the size
○ What are some of the factors that could lead to atypical sperm morphology?
■ It could be things like radiation-led pesticides, marijuana, excessive
alcohol, diet, and smoking
■ So many different environmental factors can affect sperm quality.
■ The quality of a man's sperm is in part dependent on the lifestyle
■ By making lifestyle choices, it is possible in some cases to improve the
quality of the sperm

The accessory reproductive structures

○
○ Spooked sperm will move into the epididymis where it can be stored for a period
of time
■ Sperm can move through the vast deferens into the ejaculatory ducts and
 eventually into the urethra for expulsion
■ The seminal vesicles and the prostate can secrete the bulk of the semen
along with the sperm that's within the semen.
■ There will be nutrients to support the sperm buffers against the acidic
environment of the vagina as chemicals to increase sperm motility and
prostaglandins

○ Erection is an increased rigidity of the penis due to vascular enlargement.

■ There's an increase in blood flow into the penis that will help with the
erection process
● 2 things have to happen in order for an erection to occur.
1. There has to be inhibition of sympathetic activity
■ Sympathetic activity and norepinephrine release can lead to
vasoconstriction if there's vasoconstriction that increases the resistance
and it can decrease blood flow into the penis, which is the opposite of
what happens during an erection
■ The first thing that has to happen is the inhibition of sympathetic activity.
2. There will be an increase in the activity of nonadrenergic non-call Nurkic
autonomic neurons, and in fact, these neurons release nitric oxide
○ Nitric oxide is a potent vasodilator.
■ Nitric oxide released within the penis will help to relax blood vessels,
decrease resistance and then favor an increase in blood flow
■ Along with the dilation of the arteries, blood can flow in
■ Because of the structure of the penis, as blood flows in, it actually
compresses the veins and it's going to prevent outflow.
○ Factors that will influence the generation of an erection.
■ It could be sensory information from the counter receptors.
■ Those inputs can influence the neural-mediated events associated with
 erection.
■ There can be information sending information from the central nervous
system that can also influence the activity of the neurons that lead to the
penis

○ The ejaculation phase is the discharge of the semen from the penis
■ It's a spinal reflex and we have to go way back to skeletal muscle in order
to reveal what a spinal reflex
■ A spinal reflex is made up of a few different components
■ Their sensory or affair and information that's relayed to the spinal cord
■ There's going to be one or more synapses within the spinal cord that's
going to lead to an efficient response back
○ With this spinal reflex, we switch from inhibition of sympathetic activity to an
increase in sympathetic activity
■ An increase in sympathetic activity is going to lead to the contraction of
the smooth muscle that surrounds the epididymis
■ The Vasja friends, the ejaculatory ducked, as well as potentially the
prostate and seminal vesicles
■ This is going to lead to sperm and glandular secretions that are going to
empty into the urethra, and this occurs during the emission phase.
■ The expulsion phase and is where there will be smooth muscle
contraction in the urethra as the skeletal muscles at the base of the penis
in order to expel the semen
○ What is male erectile dysfunction?
■ Erectile dysfunction, by definition, is an inability to achieve or sustain an
erection.
○ The next question is what are the potential causes?
■ The first causes are blood flow issues.
■ It could be cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, hypertension
■ It could be other chronic health conditions as well as we take a look at the
figure here that illustrates the incidence of male erectile dysfunction.
■ It could be temporary, excessive tobacco or alcohol use other drugs.
■ There can also be psychological causes such as depression, stress,
anxiety, reactions to medications
○ How do drugs for male erectile dysfunction work?
■ Smooth muscle cells that line the vasculature of the penis
■ Nitric oxide activates a second messenger system that ultimately
decreases intracellular calcium
■ Calcium is an important signaling mechanism for actin and myosin, cross-
bridge formation, and tension generation.
○ When nitric oxide is available, the effect is that there's a decrease in intracellular
calcium that's going to lead to smooth muscle relaxation in the case of the penis
erection,
■ The second messenger system gets this stuck, it can either lead to a
decrease in calcium or there is a way that it can be inhibited.
■ It can be stopped with an agent known as PDE5.
○ The drugs that help treat male erectile dysfunction inhibit the inhibitor if that
makes sense, and that allows for a greater decrease in calcium concentration
and therefore that smooth muscle relaxation
Hormonal regulation
● Male reproductive physiology.
○ The hypothalamus secretes gonadotropin releasing hormone
○ Follicle-stimulating hormone is the signal to the Stoli cells to produce more
Hariharan agents that will help stimulate spermatogenesis.
■ It also increases androgen binding production.
■ This will help increase testosterone concentration in the seminary for US
tubules
○ Testosterone can act as a Paraka agent
■ It can migrate to this or Tolly cells and also contribute to
spermatogenesis.
○ The second thing that can happen with testosterone is that it can be secreted into
the blood to act as a hormone
■ It can go to peripheral effectors and bring about many different
responses, both in reproductive organs as well as nonreproductive
organs
○ Even though gonadotropin-releasing hormone causes the release of both follicle-
stimulating hormone
■ Luteinizing hormone, we don't necessarily secrete them both in equal
concentrations.
○ The systemic responses to testosterone secretion.
■ Testosterone is a reproductive hormone it's going to have effects on male
reproductive physiology
○ The first application is to take a look at how it influences puberty.
■ Puberty is the development of the male secondary sex characteristics.
■ There can be the growth of facial, axillary, and pubic hair.
■ This is in part due to increased secretion of testosterone from the testes,
along with androgen secreted from the adrenal cortex
○ Testosterone is an anabolic agent
 ■ It can help deepen the voice by changing the structure of the larynx.
■ It can stimulate skin oil glands to secrete oil that can contribute to acne
and because of its anabolic properties
■ It can help with both muscle and bone growth that's associated with the
growth spurt of puberty
○ Testosterone can also be converted to other sex hormones
■ It can be converted to DHT in the prostate gland, and this helps to
maintain reproductive functions and specifically some of the secretions
that are added to the semen volume by the prostate
○ Testosterone can be secreted to estradiol in peripheral tissues through the
actions of aromatase
■ This happens in the brain, in the skeleton, as well as in body fat stores.
■ Some of the other systemic effects of testosterone include male pattern
baldness
■ Testosterone can be converted to estrogen in the brain, and this in males
can increase sex drive or libido
○ Testosterone can lead to muscle and skeleton development during puberty, but it
also helps continue to develop tissues into the early 20s and then sustain them
for quite a long time, several decades beyond this time point
■ The anabolic protein or anabolic processes associated with testosterone
also has a favorable effect on proteins
○ The kidneys can lead to an increase in your risk for a potent secretion.
■ EPO is the stimulus that's released from the kidneys.
■ It goes to the bones, and it's the signal to increase red blood cell
formation and subsequently the hematocrit
○ Testosterone can also act on the liver in order to increase serum proteins or
blood proteins

○ Testosterone that's in the blood can exhibit both long and short feedback to
 control or inhibit gonadotropin-releasing hormone from the hypothalamus.
■ If we reduce gonadotropin-releasing hormone output, it can also reduce
follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone secretion
■ Testosterone has an additional preferential effect to inhibit luteinizing
hormone, specifically at the level of the anterior pituitary
○ There is some negative feedback control
■ If testosterone levels are too high it can reduce luteinizing hormone
secretion from the anterior pituitary, which would reduce the stimulus for
the latest cells to continue to secrete testosterone
○ What effect does anabolic steroid use then have on testicular function?
■ The issue with anabolic steroids is that testosterone and other androgens
are introduced artificially, so they're in the blood.
■ They can have negative or inhibitory effects on the hypothalamus in the
anterior pituitary.
■ Luteinizing hormone concentrations will drop and the testes will not
receive the signal for testosterone secretion
■ It can actually lead to testicular atrophy, even though there's plenty of
anabolic hormones or testosterone in the blood
○ Sertoli cells secrete and a hormone known as inhibition is going to feedback to
the anterior pituitary gland, and it preferentially inhibits follicle-stimulating
hormone
■ If the job of the Sertoli cell is to stimulate spermatogenesis if there's a
high amount of sperm that's available it will also increase, and this
provides information to the anterior pituitary to then decrease follicle-
stimulating hormone and reduce further spermatogenesis

○ The pattern of androgen secretion in males.

■ An increase in testosterone secretion that accompanies puberty, and it's
 maintained fairly well throughout adult life
■ Into the fourth decade following 40 or so testosterone concentrations will
begin to decline
■ it's really a very gradual decline in testosterone secretion.
○ Some of the causes for this could be deteriorating testicular function and perhaps
an inability to respond to follicle-stimulating hormone and womanizing hormone
○ What are some of the potential effects of the decrease in testosterone in older
men?
■ It's sometimes known as Andrew Pause, or it can even be menopause if
you would like
■ The potential effects are the withdrawal of testosterone, a decrease in
libido, or sex drive.
■ There can be a decrease in sperm count
○ There can be an increase in osteoporosis, meaning the loss of bone mineral
density, loss of muscle mass, loss of muscle strength, and going along with that
depression
■ The idea is that testosterone can have an effect on mood, and a reduction
in testosterone can contribute to depressive symptoms in older men
○ Example:
■ It can be difficult to deal with the facts and some of the consequences of
the aging process