MALE REPRODUCTIVE

SYSTEM- PART 1
LECTURE – 1 → HUMAN REPRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION

• Humans are sexually reproducing and viviparous.

• Reproductive events → gametogenesis, transfer of sperm into female genital tract (insemination),
fusion of male and female gametes (fertilization), development of blastocyst (primary embryo),
attachment to uterine wall (implantation), development and delivery of baby (parturition).
• There are differences between the reproductive events in the male and in the female, for example,
sperm formation continues even in old men, but formation of ovum ceases in women around the
age of fifty years.
MALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

• Located in pelvic region.

• Parts → Pair of testes, accessory ducts, glands, external genitalia.
• Primary sex organ → Testes – Produce gametes and secrete sex hormones.
• Secondary sex organs → prostate, seminal vesicles, vas deferens, penis.
TESTES
• Situated outside abdominal cavity within a pouch called scrotum. It maintains the temperature 2-
2.5 ̊C lower than internal body temperature. This is necessary for spermatogenesis.
• During 7th month of foetal life, the testes descends from abdomen into the scrotum through
inguinal canal. The failure to do so is cryptorchidism that leads to sterility.
• Few examples of intra-abdominal testis → Elephants, Whales, Duck billed Platypus, etc
• Function:
Formation of sperms and release of sex hormones (Androgen → Testosterone).
Testosterone is steroid hormone which helps in spermatogenesis and responsible for male
secondary sexual characteristics.
• Removal of testes is castration. It also leads to sterility and loss in male character.
• In adults, each testis is oval in shape, with a length of about 4 to 5 cm and a width of about 2 to 3
cm. The testis is covered by a dense covering of collagenous tunica albuginea. Each testis has
about 250 testicular lobules (compartments) which consists of highly coiled seminiferous tubules
(1-3) in which sperms are produced.
• Each seminiferous tubule is lined on its inside by two types of cells called male germ cells
(spermatogonia) and Sertoli cells.
• Embedded among the spermatogenic cells in the seminiferous tubules are large sustentacular cells
or Sertoli cells, which provide nourishment to developing spermatozoa.They also release anti
Mullerian factor to prevent development of oviduct/Mullerian duct in male.
• Sertoli cells also release inhibin to inhibit FSH and androgen binding protein (ABP) to increase
amount of Testosterone.
• The spaces between adjacent seminiferous tubules are clusters of cells called interstitial cells or
Leydig cells. These cells secrete testosterone (endocrine role).
• Seminiferous tubules unite to form straight tubules called tubuli recti which forms a labyrinth of
channels called rete testis.Vasa efferentia (ductuli efferentes) arise from rete testis and conduct
sperms out of the testis. They open into epididymis.
• The extratesticular duct system consists of 10-12 tubes of vasa efferentia to a folded tube
epididymis behind each testis. They consists of Caput (head), corpus (body) and cauda (tail).
• They store the sperms temporarily.
• The cauda epididymis leads to vas deferens/ductus deferens (45 cm long) that ascends to the
abdomen and loops over the urinary bladder. It receives a duct from seminal vesicle and opens into
urethra as the ejaculatory duct.
Seminiferous tubule
(Spermiation)

Tubuli recti
Intra-testicular
Duct System

Rete Testis

Vasa efferentia

Epididymis

Vas deferens