Mammalian

Reproductive
Physiology
Submitted to :Dr. Adeeb Babar
Submitted by :Mudassar akram F21-MPHIL-ZOOL- 5016
Shahzad Naseem F21-MPHIL-ZOOL- 5046
Topic Outline
 Parts of Male Reproductive Tract
 Parts of Female Reproductive Tract
 Reproductive Cycle in Mammals
 Reproductive Pattern in Mammals
Male Reproductive System

The male reproductive system contains several interconnected parts that must all work together in
order to have a successful mating.
Some of the major organs of the male reproductive system are :
 Testicles
 Epididymis
 Scrotum
 Vas Deferens
 Urethra
 Accessory Sex Glands
 Seminal Vesicles
Male Reproductive System Cont…

 Prostate Gland
 Cowper's Gland
 Penis
 Sigmoid flexure
Male Reproductive system
Testicles
The testicles produces sperm, the
male sex cells also called the
spermatozoa.
They also produce a hormone called
testosterone which causes the
appearance and the behavior of the
animal to be masculine.

There are two testicles in male

mammals.
 
Epididymis
o The epididymis is the storage site for the sperm
cells.
o Sperm cells enters the epididymis from the testicle
to mature .
o Sperm become able to fertilize female sex cell as it
travel through the epididymis.
o There is a separate epididymis attached to each
testicle.
Scrotum
Scrotum is a two lobed sac that contains and protects
the two testicles.
It also regulates the temperature of the testicles,
maintaining them at a temperature lower than the
body temperature.
Maintaining the correct temperature is critical in that
Being too hot or too cold can affect the production and
the vitality of the sperm.
 Vas Deferens
Vas Deferens is essentially a transportation tube that carries the sperm
containing fluid from each epididymis to the urethra.
Urethra
Urethra is the large muscular canal extending from the urinary bladder. Both
semen and the urine move through the urethra to the end of the penis.
Accessory sex glands
There are several accessory sex glands that add volume and nutrition to the
sperm rich fluid coming from the epididymis.
Seminal Vesicle
The seminal vesicle open into the urethra. They produces a fluid that protects
and transports the sperm.
Prostate Gland
The prostate gland is near the urethra and the bladder.it produces a fluid that is
mixed with the seminal fluid.
Cowper’s Gland
The Cowper's gland produces a fluid that moves down to the urethra ahead of
the seminal fluid. This fluid cleans, neutralizes and helps to move through the
urethra. The mixture of the seminal and the prostate fluid and the sperm is called
the semen.
Penis
The penis deposits the semen within the female reproductive system. The
urethra in the penis is surrounded by a spongy tissue that fills With blood when
the male is sexually aroused. This causes an erection that is necessary for the
copulation or mating to occur.
Sigmoid Flexure
It is found in bulls boars and rams.it is the retractor muscle extend the penis
from a sheath a tubular fold of a skin.
Reproductive system of a stallion
Female reproductive system

Like males the female mammals has a complex system of organs that make
up the reproductive tract. Some of the major organs of the female
reproductive tract are following.
 Ovary
 Oviducts
 Uterus
 Cervix
 Vagina
 Bladder
 Vulva
 Clitoris
 
 Ovary
The ovary produces female gamete .a typical female mammal has two ovaries. The
ovaries also produces female sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone.
Within each ovary, there are hundreds of tiny follicles or cavities. The ova are produces
in the follicles.
Oviducts
The oviduct or the fallopian tube are the two tubes that carry the ova from the ovaries
to the uterus. The oviducts are close but not attached to the ovaries.
The funnel shaped end of each oviduct that is close to the ovary is called the
infundibulum, At ovulation, the follicle raptures and releases an ovum that is captured
by the infundibulum.
After copulation sperm move through te uterus to the oviduct. Fertilization of the
ovum occurs in the upper end of the oviduct. The zygote or the fertilized egg cell
moves to the uterus about 2-4 days after fertilization.
 Uterus
The uterus of mammal is Y shaped structure consisting of the body, two
uterine horns and the cervix.
The size and shape of the uterus varies among species. The upper part of
the uterus consist of two uterine horns that develop into the oviduct.in most
species pregnancy normally occurs in the uterine horns. In horses pregnancy
occurs in the body of the uterus .in all species, fetus grow within the uterus
where it remains till the parturition or birth.
Cervix
It is the lower outlet of the uterus. It is compose of primarily of connective
tissue that gateway between the uterus and vagina.
Like the rest of the reproductive tract, the cervix is lined with mucosal cells .
These cells make significant changes as the animal goes from one estrous
cycle to another and during gestation or pregnancy.
 Vagina
The vagina severs as the female organ of copulation at mating and as the birth canal
at birth.It is the passage between the cervix and the vulva. The lining is moist during
the estrous cycle and dry during animal is not in estrous cycle.
Bladder
The bladder collects the liquid water which is called urine. The urine passes through
the urethra to the vagina.
Vulva
The vulva is the external opening of the reproductive and urinary system. The exterior
and the visible part of the vulva consist of Two folds called the Labia Majora and the
Labia Minora are the main two folds inside the Labia Majora.
Clitoris
The clitoris is the sensory erectile organ of the female is located just inside the vulva.
Stimulation of the clitoris causes contractions that move semen further into the
reproductive tract.
Mammalian Reproductive Cycles

Estrous Cycle
 The estrous cycle represents the cyclical pattern of ovarian activity that
facilitates female animals to go from a period of reproductive receptivity
to non-receptivity ultimately allowing the establishment of pregnancy
following mating.
 The normal duration of an estrous cycle in cattle is 18–24 days. The cycle
consists of two discrete phases: the luteal phase (14–18 days; met-estrus
and di-estrus) and the follicular phase (4–6 days; pro-estrus and estrus).
 The luteal phase is the period following ovulation when the corpus luteum (CL)
is formed, while the follicular phase is the period following the demise of the
corpus luteum (luteolysis) until ovulation.
Estrous Cycle
  During the follicular phase final maturation and ovulation of the ovulatory
follicle occurs which leads to the release of an oocyte (the female gamete)
into the oviduct allowing the potential for fertilization.
If fertilization and implantation do not occur, a phase termed
metestrus ensues, in which the reproductive tract assumes its
normal condition. Metestrus may be followed by anestrus, a
nonreproductive period characterized by quiescence or involution of
the reproductive tract.
On the other hand, anestrus may be followed by a brief quiescent
period (diestrus) and another preparatory proestrus phase.
Mammals that breed only once a year are termed monestrous and
exhibit a long anestrus.
Those that breed more than once a year are termed polyestrous. In
many polyestrous species the estrous cycle ceases during gestation
and lactation (milk production), but some rodents have a postpartum
estrus and mate immediately after giving birth.
 Menstrual Cycle

The menstrual cycle of higher

primates is derived from the
estrous cycle but differs from
estrus in that when progesterone
secretion from the corpus luteum
ceases, in the absence of
fertilization, the uterine lining is
sloughed. In anthropoids other than
humans, a distinct period of “heat”
occurs around the time of ovulation.
 Reproductive pattern in mammals

Reproductive pattern in Monotremes

Monotremes lay shelled eggs, but the

ovarian cycle is similar to that of other

mammals. The eggs are predominantly

yolk (telolecithal), like those of reptiles

and birds. Young monotremes hatch

in a relatively early stage of development

and are dependent upon the parent

(altricial). They reach sexual maturity in about one

year.
Reproductive pattern in Marsupials

The reproduction of marsupials differs from that of placentals in that the uterine wall is not

specialized for the implantation of embryos. The period of intrauterine development varies

from about 8 to 40 days. After this period the young migrate through the vagina to attach to

the teats for further development. The pouch, or marsupium, is variously structured. Many

species, such as kangaroos and opossums, have a single well-developed pouch; in some

phalangerids (cuscuses and brush-tailed possums), the pouch is compartmented, with a

single teat in each compartment.

Reproductive pattern in Placental
mammals
Reproductive patterns in placental
mammals are diverse, but in all cases a
secretory phase is present in the uterine
cycle, and the endometrium is
maintained by secretions of
progesterone from the corpus luteum.
The blastocyst implants in the uterine wall. Villi are embedded in the lining of the
uterus. The resulting complex of embryonic and maternal tissues is a true
placenta. The uterine lining may be shed with the fetal membranes as “afterbirth”
(a condition called deciduate) or may be resorbed by the female (nondeciduate).
The period of intrauterine development, or gestation, varies widely among
eutherians, generally depending on the size of the animal but also influenced by
the number of young per litter and the condition of young at birth. The gestation
period of the golden hamster is about 2 weeks, whereas that of the blue whale is
11 months and that of the African elephant 21 to 22 months.