Male Reproductive System
BSN |FINALS | MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY | 🐰
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INTRODUCTION
- The male reproductive system consists
of the organs that produce, transfer, and
introduce mature sperm into the female
reproductive tract, where fertilization
occurs.
- In addition to producing male sex cells,
the male reproductive system secretes
some of the male sex hormones.
-The male reproductive organs include
the penis, scrotum and testes, duct
system, and accessory reproductive
glands.
TESTES
- The male germ cells, the sperm cells or
spermatozoa (singular: spermatozoon),
are produced in the paired testes
(singular: testis) that are suspended
outside of the body in the scrotum
- The testes, also called the testicles, are
two egg-shaped glands within the
scrotum. Enclosed in a fibrous white
capsule, each testicle is divided into
numerous compartments, or lobules. The
lobules contain seminiferous tubules,
where spermatogenesis (sperm
formation) takes place. This begins when
a male reaches puberty and continues
throughout life. Stimulated by male sex
hormones, sperm continuously form
within these tubules.
- From the start of sexual maturation, or
puberty, spermatozoa form continuously
within the testes in coiled seminiferous
tubules (FIG. 15-3). Their development
requires the aid of special Sertoli cells
and male sex hormones, or androgens,
mainly testosterone.
- These hormones are manufactured in
interstitial cells located between the
tubules.
-In both males and females, the gonads
are stimulated by follicle-stimulating
hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone
(LH), released from the anterior pituitary
gland beneath the brain.
TRANSPORT OF
SPERMATOZOA
- After their manufacture, sperm cells are
stored in a much coiled tube on the
surface of each testis, the epididymis.
- Here, they remain until ejaculation
propels them into a series of ducts that
lead out of the body.
- The first of these is the ductus (vas)
deferens, which is contained in the
spermatic cord along with nerves and
blood vessels that supply the testis
- The spermatic cord ascends through
the inguinal canal into the abdominal
cavity, where the ductus deferens leaves
the cord and travels behind the bladder.
- A short continuation of the ductus
deferens, the ejaculatory duct, delivers
spermatozoa to the urethra as it passes
through the prostate gland below the
bladder.
- Finally, the cells, now mixed with other
secretions, travel in the urethra through
the penis to be released.
PENIS
- The penile urethra transports both urine
and semen, male organ of sexual
intercourse, or coitus.
Male Reproductive System
BSN |FINALS | MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY | 🐰
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- It is composed of three segments of
spongy tissue, which become engorged
with blood to produce an erection, a
stiffening of the penis.
1.two corpora cavernosa lateral
bodies
2. corpus spongiosum, through
which the urethra travels, it is in the
center, enlarges at the tip to form the
glans penis, which is covered by loose
skin – the prepuce, or foreskin.
- Surgery to remove the foreskin is
circumcision. This may be performed for
medical reasons but is most often
performed electively in male infants for
reasons of hygiene, cultural preferences,
or religion.
FORMATION OF SEMEN
- Semen is the thick, whitish fluid that
transports spermatozoa. It contains
sperm cells and secretions from three
types of accessory glands. Following the
sequence of sperm transport, these are:
1. The paired seminal vesicles, which
release their secretions into the
ejaculatory duct on each side.
2. The prostate gland, which secretes
into the first part of the urethra beneath
the bladder. As men age, prostatic
enlargement may compress the urethra
and cause urinary problems.
3. The two bulbourethral (Cowper)
glands, which secrete into the urethra
just below the prostate gland.
-Together, these glands produce a
slightly alkaline mixture that nourishes
and transports the sperm cells and also
protects them by neutralizing the acidity
of the female vaginal tract.
CLINICAL ASPECTS OF
THE MALE REPRODUC-
TIVE SYSTEM
INFECTION
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)-
caused by the bacterium chlamydia
trachomatis, which mainly causes
urethritis in This same organism also
causes lymphogranuloma venereum, an
STI associated with lymphadenopathy,
which occurs most commonly in tropical
regions. Both forms of these chlamydial
infections respond to treatment with
antibiotics.
GONORRHEA
- is caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae,
the gonococcus(GC)
- Infection usually centers in the urethra,
causing urethritis with burning, a purulent
discharge, and dysuria.
- Untreated, the disease can spread
through the reproductive system.
- Gonorrhea is treated with antibiotics,
but gonococci can rapidly develop
resistance to these drugs.
HERPES INFECTION
- caused by a virus.
- Anyone who is sexually active and not
in a monogamous sexual relationship
with an uninfected partner should have
regular checkups for STD
MUMPS
- is a non-sexually transmitted viral
disease that can infect the testes and
lead to sterility.
Male Reproductive System
BSN |FINALS | MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY | 🐰
____________________________________________________________
- Other microorganisms can infect the
reproductive tract as well, causing
urethritis, prostatitis, orchitis, or
epididymitis.
BENIGN PROSTATIC
HYPERPLASIA
- As men age, the prostate gland
commonly enlarges. Although not
cancerous, this overgrown tissue can
press on the urethra near the bladder and
interfere with urination.
- Urinary retention, infection, and other
complications may follow if an
obstruction is not corrected.
• Treatment
- Alpha-adrenergic blocking agents
Example: tamsulosin (Flomax),
finasteride (Proscar).
• Herbal remedy
- extract of the berries of the saw
palmetto, a low-growing palm tree. Saw
palmetto has been found to delay the
need for surgery in some cases of BPH.
Surgical treatment:
▪Prostatectomy - removal of the
prostate in advanced cases of BPH.
▪Transurethral Resection of the
Prostate (TURP)
- performed through the urethra. The
prostate may also be cut in a
transurethral incision of the prostate
(TUIP) to reduce pressure on the urethra.
▪Laser beam or heat to destroy
prostatic tissue.
▪BPH is diagnosed by digital rectal
examination (DRE) or imaging
studies.
CANCER
CANCER OF THE PROSTATE
- Prostatic cancer is the most common
malignancy among men in the United
States.
Only lung cancer and colon cancer cause
more cancer
- related deaths in men who are past
middle age.
The TNM system for staging
prostate cancer includes the
following categories:
• T1: tumor not palpable by rectal
examination; detected by biopsy or
abnormal PSA
• T2: tumor palpable and confined to the
prostate
• T3: tumor has spread locally beyond the
prostate
• M: distant metastases
TREATMENT METHODS
INCLUDE:
Surgery (prostatectomy)
Radiation
- radiation is usually delivered by
implantation of radioactive
seeds
Inhibition of male hormones
- (androgens), which stimulate prostatic
growth; and chemotherapy.
- Another approach is termed “watchful
waiting” or deferred therapy, which
consists of monitoring without therapy.
- Choice of this option is based on a
man’s age, tumor invasiveness, and the
probability that an untreated tumor will
result in harm to a patient during his
lifetime. A genetic test for tumor
aggressiveness can help to evaluate risk
and determine treatment decisions
TESTICULAR CANCER
- Cancer of the testis represents less
than 1 percent of cancer in adult males.
Male Reproductive System
BSN |FINALS | MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY | 🐰
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- It usually appears between the ages of
25 and 45 years and shows no sign of
genetic inheritance.
- This cancer typically originates in germ
cells and can spread to abdominal lymph
nodes.
- More than half of testicular tumors
release markers that can be detected in
the blood.
- Treatment may include removal of the
testis (orchiectomy), radiation, and
chemotherapy.
CRYPTORCHIDISM
- It is fairly common that one or both
testes will fail to descend into the scrotum
by the time of birth
- This condition is termed cryptorchidism,
literally hidden (crypt/o)
- testis (orchid/o).
- The condition usually corrects itself
within the first year of life. If not, it must
be corrected surgically to avoid sterility
and an increased risk of cancer.
INFERTILITY
- An inability or a diminished ability to
reproduce.
- Its causes may be hereditary, hormonal,
disease related, or the result of exposure
to chemical or physical agents.
- The most common causes of infertility
are STIs.
- A total inability to produce offspring may
be termed sterility.
- Men may be voluntarily sterilized by
cutting and sealing the vas deferens on
both sides in a vasectomy.
ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION
- Erectile dysfunction (ED), also called
impotence
- is the inability of the male to perform
intercourse because of failure to initiate
or maintain an erection until ejaculation.
- About 10 to 20 percent of such cases
are psychogenic, that is, caused by
emotional factors, such as stress,
depression, or emotional trauma
Causes of Erectile dysfunction
(ED)
- A vascular disorder such as art
eriosclerosis, varicose Veins, or damage
caused by diabetes
- A neurologic problem, as caused by a
tumor, trauma, the effects of diabetes, or
damage caused by radiation or surgery.
- A side effect of a drug, such as an
antihypertensive agent, antiulcer
medication, or appetite suppressant.
- Drugs that are used to treat ED work by
dilating arteries in the penis to increase
blood flow to that organ.
- Nondrug approaches include corrective
surgery; vacuum pumps to draw blood
into the penis; penile injections to dilate
blood vessels; and penile prostheses.
- Physician assistants aid in patient
examination and care in urology and
many other medical and surgical fields.
INGUINAL HERNIA
- The inguinal canal, through which the
testis descends, may constitute a
weakness in the abdominal wall that can
lead to a hernia.
- In the most common form of inguinal
hernia an abdominal organ, usually the
intestine, enters the inguinal canal and
may extend into the scrotum. This is an
indirect, or external, inguinal hernia.
- In a direct, or internal, inguinal hernia,
the organ protrudes through the
abdominal wall into the scrotum.
- If blood supply to the organ is cut off,
the hernia is said to be strangulated.
Male Reproductive System
BSN |FINALS | MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY | 🐰
____________________________________________________________

- Surgery to correct a hernia is a

herniorrhaphy.
Male Reproductive System
BSN |FINALS | MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY | 🐰
____________________________________________________________
Male Reproductive System
BSN |FINALS | MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY | 🐰
____________________________________________________________
Male Reproductive System
BSN |FINALS | MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY | 🐰
____________________________________________________________
Male Reproductive System
BSN |FINALS | MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY | 🐰
____________________________________________________________
Male Reproductive System
BSN |FINALS | MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY | 🐰
____________________________________________________________