Physiology of

Reproduction

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 Overview
 Introduction
 Sex determination
 Sex differentiation
 Physiology of male reproductive
system
 Physiology of female reproductive
system

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Organization of
reproductive system
 Comprises of
1. Primary reproductive organs
(gonads)
2. Secondary reproductive tracts
3. External genitalia
 Function
1. Gametogenesis
2. Hormone production
3. Copulatory organs
Ctd - General Reproductive
System Organization
A. Primary Reproductive Organs (Gonads)
 Testes (male) and Ovaries (female)
 Whose main functions are to
1. Produce gametes
– Sperm and Ova
2. Produce and secrete sex steroid hormones
– testosterone, estrogen and progesterone
– responsible for gamete development,
development of reproductive tract and
secondary sex characteristics
General Reproductive
System Organization
B. Secondary Reproductive Organs
1. Reproductive tract
 tube connecting gametes to external
environment
2. accessory sex glands
 Produce supportive secretions

C. External Genitalia
– visible portions of reproductive tract
– sexual stimulation
 Male Reproductive
System
1. Primary sex organs
 Testis
2. Accessory organs
i. Duct system
a. Epididymis
b. Vas deferens
c. Urethra
ii. Glands
a. Seminal vesicle
b. Prostate
c. Bulbourethral
3. Penis
Testes
 Sperm production

 Secretion of
testosterone
– Interstitial cells
 Duct System
1. Epididymis
 Stores sperm until ejaculation
 Mature and gain motility

2. Vas deferens
 Peristaltic contractions propel sperm
toward urethra
 Terminates at ejaculatory duct
(seminal vesicle)

3. Urethra
 Used in urinary system as well
 Three regions
I. Prostatic
II. Membranous
III. spongy
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 Glands
1. Seminal Vesicles (seminal fluid)
– Alkaline fluid
 Fructose, prostaglandins,
 vesiculase

2. Prostate
i. Citrate
ii. Sperm activating enzyme

3. Bulbourethrals
– Neutralizing and cleansing mucus

• Sperm + glandular secretions = semen

– 2 – 5 ml, 110 million sperm per ml

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Penis
 Copulatory organ in males

 Erectile tissue
– Corpora spongiosum
– Corpora cavernosa
 Female Reproductive
System
1. Primary Sex organ
– Ovaries

2. Accessory Organs
a. Duct system
• Uterine tubes
• Uterus
• Vagina

b. External genitalia
• Mons pubis
• Labia
• vestibule
• Greater vestibular gland
• clitoris

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 Duct System
1. Uterine tubes
– Receives oocytes
– Site for fertilization

2. Uterus
– Receive, nourish
fertilized ovum
– Site of embryological and
fetal development

3. Vagina
– Copulatory organ
– Birth canal
 Sex hormones
 The multiple differences between
males and females depend on
1. Single chromosome ( Y-
chromosome) &
2. Single pair of endocrine
structures
Testes in males
Ovaries in females

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 Sex hormones
 The differentiation of primitive gonads
into TESTES and OVARIES in utero
– Is genetically determined
 Formation of male genitalia depends
on the presence of
– Functional testes
 Absence of functional testes leads to
formation of female genitalia

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 Sex hormones
 After birth gonads remain quiescent
until adolescence when they are
– Activated by gonadotropins from the
anterior pituitary
 Hormones secreted by gonads at this
time cause
1.Appearance of adult male or female
features
2.Onset of sexual cycle in females

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 Sex hormones
 In females (humans)
– Ovarian function regresses after a
number of years
– Sexual cycle ceases
Menopause
 In males
– There is a slow decline in gonadal
function with increase in age
Ability to father children persists

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 Sex hormones
 In both sexes gonads have dual
functions
1. Production of germ cells
2. Secretion of hormones
Sex hormones

a. Androgens have
musculinizing effects

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 Sex hormones
b. Oestrogens have feminizing
effects
 Both hormones are secreted in both
sexes
– Testes secrete
Large amounts of androgens
Testosterone
– Ovaries secrete
Large amounts oestrogens and
progestrone
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 Sex hormones
–Progestrone play special
function
Ovaries secrete

1.Small amount of androgens

2.Relaxin
– Relaxes the pelvic
ligaments. Pelvic symphysis,
soften the cervix for child
birth

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 Sex hormones
 In both sexes
– Adrenal cortex secrete androgens
– Gonads secrete Inhibin
Polypeptide that inhibit the
secretion of FSH
 Secretory and gametogenic functions of
gonads
– Dependent of anterior pituitary
gonadotropins FSH, LH
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 Feedback Inhibition of
Gonadotropins

Hypothalamus
Gonadotropin releasing
hormones

Anterior pituitary

Gonadotropins FSH, LH

Gonads

Sex hormones
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Inhibin Reproduction 21
 Sex Determination
 Sex is determined by genetic
inheritance of two chromosomes
– The X and Y chromosomes
Male cells with diploid
number of chromosomes
contain XY pattern
Females contain XX pattern

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 Sex Determination
Meiosis Mature ovum
 During gametogenesis
44 22 22 – As a consequence of
X X
XX meiosis
22 X 1st 22 X 2nd  Each single ovum
polar body polar body contain a single X
chromosome
 But half of sperm

22 X
contain X
22 chromosome and
X
half of them contain
Mature sperms
44
44 22 X
XY
XX Y chromosome
 Approximately equal sex
22 Y
22 distribution in population
Y

22 Y

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 Sex Determination
 The Y chromosome
– Necessary for the production of the
testes
Testes determining gene

–Sex determining region of the Y

chromosome (SRY)
–Responsible for formation of
Testes determining Factor
(TDF)

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 Sex Chromatin
 Normal female pattern XX
 When two X chromosomes are
present
– Only one is functional
– The non functional X
chromosome condenses to form
a nuclear mass
Sex chromatin

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 Sex Chromatin
– Readily observed under light
microscope
Barr bodies
Drum sticks

–White blood cells nuclei

 This form the basis of determining
the sex of individuals

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 Sex Differentiation
 Genes determine whether the
– Individual will have testes or
ovaries
 The rest of sex differentiation
– Depends on the presence or
absence of genetically
determined gonads

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 Differentiation of Gonads
 Male and female gonads
– Derived embryologically from
the same site in the body
Genital ridge

– Until the 6th week of intra-

uterine life there is no
differentiation of this site

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 Differentiation of Gonads
 In genetically male
– Y chromosome present
– Testes begin to develop (7th week)
Critical messenger

–Sex determining region of the Y

chromosome (SRY)
–Testes determining factor
(TDF),

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 Differentiation of Gonads
– In the absence of Y chromosome
Testesdo not develop
Ovaries develop instead (11th
week)

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 Differentiation of Genitalia
 Fetus is capable of developing into
either sex
 Prior to function of fetal gonads
– Primitive reproductive tract
include a double genital duct
system
Wolfian ducts
Mullerian ducts

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 Differentiation of Genitalia
– Common opening to the outside
for
The genital ducts &
Urinary system
 In males
– Wolfian ducts persists
– Mullerian ducts regress
gubernaculum

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 Differentiation of Genitalia
 In females
– Mullerian ducts persists
– Wolfian ducts regress
Gartners duct
 The external genitalia in the two sexes
and the vagina do not develop from the
duct system
– They develop from other structures
at the surface
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 Differentiation of Genitalia
 The presence or absence of fetal
testes
– Determine which of the two duct
system develop
 Fetal testes secrete
1.Testosterone from Leydig cells
Under the influence of
Chorionic Gonadotropin
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 Differentiation of Genitalia
2. Mullerian Inhibiting Hormone
(MIH) from Sertoli cells
MIH causes the mullerian ducts to
degenerate
 Testosterone
– Causes Wolffian duct system to
differentiate
Epididymis, ductus deferens,
ejaculatory ducts, seminal vesicles

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 Differentiation of Genitalia
 Testosterone is converted into
dihydrotestosterone which causes
– External tissue to form
Penis, scrotum
 Testes will ultimately
– Descend into the scrotum under
the influence of
MIH, testosterone

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 Gonads

Indifferent Mesonephros

stage Mullerian duct

Wolfian duct

Urogenital sinus

Female Male
Epididymis
Ovary

Fallopian Testes
tube
Vas deferens
Uterus
Seminal
vesicle
Vagina
Prostate

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 Sex differentiation in Male
Y+22 X+22

44+XY
Presence of Testes
determining Factor

Primodial Differentiate
into fetal testes
gonads Leydig cells
Sertoli cells

MIH Testosterone Dihydrotestosterone

Wolffian ducts
Mullerian Ducts Epididymis Duct Development of
regression deferens Seminal Penis & Scrotum
vesicle
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 Sex Differentiation in
Female
X+22 X+22

44+XX
Absence of Testes
determining Factor

Primodial gonads
Differentiate
into fetal
ovaries

Absence
of MIH Absence of
Testosterone
Mullerian Development of
Ducts vagina, female
transformed Wolffian ducts
external
into Uterus, regressesion
genitalia
uterine tubes
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 Abnormal Sex
Differentiation
 There are a variety of conditions
in which normal sex
differentiation does not occur
1. Testicular feminization
syndrome
2. Turner’s syndrome
3. Klinefelter’s syndrome

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 Testicular Feminization
Syndrome
 Also known as androgen insensitivity
syndrome
 Person is genetically male with XY
pattern
– Testes are present and functional
– But has female external genitalia
Vagina
No duct system

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 Testicular Feminization
Syndrome
 Caused by lack of androgen receptors
– Genetic defect
 Fetal testes differentiate as usual
– MIH & testosterone secreted as usual
 MIH causes regression of mullerian
ducts
 Wolfian ducts unable to respond to
testosterone
– Regress as well
– No duct system develops

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 Testicular Feminization
Syndrome
 The external tissue that give rise
to external genitalia
– Unresponsive to testosterone
Hence female genitalia and
vagina develops

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 Turner’s Syndrome
 Disorder of women
 Have 45 chromosomes with XO pattern
– Lack of sex chromatin
No Barr bodies
 Features
– Primary amennorhoea
– Sterility
– Short stature

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 Turner’s Syndrome
 Abnormalities in ovaries
– Lack of ovarian follicles
 Gonadal dysgenesis
 Have increased secretions of gonadotropins
 Other features
– Neck webbing
– Multiple defects
 Cardiac defects (co-arctation of aorta)
 Renal malformations
– Subjects have normal intelligence

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 Klinefelter’s Syndrome
 Disorder of men
– Posses 47 chromosomes
XXY pattern
–Majority are chromatin
positive (Barr body)
 Features
– Small atrophic testes
azoospermia

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 Klinefelter’s Syndrome
– Low 17-ketosteroid excretion
– Raised gonadotropins
– Occasionally
 Present with mental retardation
– Have male genitalia
 Leydig cells secrete androgen
– Secondary sex characteristics develop
 Abnormal testes
– Seminiferous tubules are abnormal

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