Histology course

The Male Reproductive System

Functions
 System insures continual existence of human
species

 ONLY system NOT essential to survival of the

individual
 Male Reproductive System

 Ensure the sexual maturation of each individual.

 Primary sex organs called gonads (testes)-Produce gametes which unite

to form a new individual (sperm + oocytes).

 Gonads also produce large amounts of sex hormones which affect

maturation, development, and changes in the activity of the reproductive system
organs (Androgens- Testosterone).

 Accessory reproductive organs, including duct systems to carry

gametes away from the gonads to the outside of the Fertilization occurs when
male and female gametes meet (copulation, coitus, sexual intercourse)
 Male Reproductive System

 Primary gonads are the testes

 Accessory sex organs include:
 a complex set of ducts and tubules leading from the testes to the

penis
 a group of male accessory glands

 the penis, which is the organ of copulation

 Male Reproductive System

 Primarily nonfunctional and “dormant” until puberty.

 At puberty, external sex characteristics become more prominent.

 pubic hair
 reproductive organs become fully functional
 gametes mature
 gonads secrete sex hormones

 Male produces 100,000,000’s of (sperm) daily.

 male gametes are stored for a short time
 if they are not expelled from the body within that period, they are resorbed
Male Visual
Male Visual, II
 Products of Testes & accessory organs

 Endocrine products are androgens (most important is

testosterone)
 Exocrine products are sperm
 Semen

 Semen is mixture of sperm and accessory gland secretions

 Secretions supply liquid for transport and nutrition, and contains
chemicals that protect sperm and aid their movement
 Semen is alkaline (pH 7.2-7.6) which helps neutralize acid
environment (3.5-4) of female’s vagina
 Also contains chemicals that inhibit bacterial multiplication
 Dilutes sperm to assist their motility
 Ejaculation contains ~ 2-5 mls of semen with 50-130 million
sperm per ml
 Accessory Glands

 Seminal vesicles located at base of bladder produce ~60% of

fluid volume of semen
 Thick, yellowish fluid rich in fructose, vitamin C, prostaglandins, & other
stuff which nourish & activate sperm passing through tract

 Prostate gland (almond) encircles upper prostatic part of

urethra just below bladder
 secretes milky fluid that helps activates sperm
 During ejaculation, fluid enters urethra through several small ducts
 Bulbourethral glands (pea size), inferior to prostate gland,
produce thick, clear mucus that drains into penile urethra
 This secretion first to pass down urethra when man becomes
sexually excited
 Believed to cleanse the urethra of traces of acidic urine and
serve as lubricant during sexual intercourse
Chase The Sperm...

Seminiferous Tubules

Straight Tubules

Rete Testis

Efferent Ductules

Epididymis (20 days, mature and gain ability to swim)

Vas Deferens (+ejaculatory duct) (passes through prostate)

Urethra
 Directions…?

 Main function of ductus deferens to propel sperm from

storage sites (epididymis/distal part of ductus deferens into
urethra

 Ejaculation: thick layers of smooth muscle in DD walls create

perisaltic waves that propel sperm

 At ejaculation, sperm exit body via urethra

 Definitions

 Penis is male copulatory organ for delivery of sperm into female

reproductive tract

 Spongy urethra surrounded by 3 areas of erectile tissue that fills

with blood during arousal causing penis to enlarge and become
erect

 Events result in an erection which helps penis serve as penetrating

organ to deliver sperm
 Definitions II

 Ejaculation is sudden ejection of semen from the penis

 In males, urethra carries both urine and sperm but they never
pass at same time

 When ejaculation occurs, bladder sphincter constricts

 Prevents urine from passing into urethra and also prevents sperm
from entering urinary bladder
 Scrotum

 Male gametes often exhibit abnormal or completely curtailed development when

exposed to elevated temperatures.

 Consequently, both the male gonads and the first portion of the duct system,
which is the site of early sperm maturation and development, reside outside the
body proper within a skin-covered sac called the scrotum.

 When the testes are exposed to elevated temperatures, the skin of the scrotal sac
becomes thin as a result of dartos relaxation.

 At the same time, another muscle (the cremaster muscle) relaxes to allow the
testes to move inferiorly away from the body. The testes temperature becomes
less than normal body temperature.

 The opposite occurs if the testes are exposed to cold.

19
 Testes

 The spaces surrounding the seminiferous tubules are called interstitial

spaces. Within these spaces reside the interstitial (Leydig) cells, which
produce hormones called androgens.

 There are several types of androgens, the most common one being
testosterone.

 Although the adrenal cortex secretes a small amount of androgens,

the vast majority of androgen release is via these interstitial cells in
the testis, beginning at puberty.

 These hormones cause males to develop the classic characteristics of

axillary and pubic hair, deeper voice, and sperm production.
testis
Seminiferous tubules
Spermatogenesis Visual
 Making Sex Cells (Gametes) : Spermatogenesis

 Spermatogenesis: production of sperm from primitive stem cells

called spermatogonia

 FSH (anterior pituitary) stimulates spermatogonia to divide into

Type A (stem) and Type B (primary spermatocyte) cells

 Type B cells will undergo meiosis and form 4 sperm

 Gametes, cont…

 In spermatogenesis, gametes are called spermatids (sperm)

 In last stage of formation, all excess cytoplasm discarded and

remaining “stuff” compacted into 3 regions of mature sperm:
head, midpiece, and tail
 Acrosome located on very tip of head

 Entire process takes 64-72 days

 Sperm Structure

 Sperm head contains DNA (essentially the nucleus of the sperm)

 Acrosome positioned on tip of head; contains enzymes to help

penetrate the egg

 Midpiece contains centrioles from which tail (flagellum) arises;

mitochondria also located here

 Tail (flagellum) for propelling sperm long distance in very short

amount of time
34
Sertoli cell electron microscopy
Rete Testis
Epididymis
Ductus Deferens
 Ductus Deferens
 When sperm leave the epididymis, they enter the ductus
deferens, also called the vas deferens.

 The ductus deferens is a thick-walled tube that travels within

the spermatic cord, through the inguinal canal, and within
the pelvic cavity before it reaches the prostate gland.

 The ampulla of the ductus deferens unites with the proximal

region of the seminal vesicle to form the terminal portion of
the reproductive duct system, called the ejaculatory duct.
Seminal Vesicles
Prostate Gland
Urethra
Spermatic Cord
 The blood vessels and nerves to the testis travel from within the
abdomen to the scrotum in a multilayered structure called the spermatic
cord.
Epididymis
 The epididymis is a comma-shaped structure composed of an internal
duct and an external covering of connective tissue.
 Its head lies on the superior surface of the testis, while the body and tail
are posterior to the testis.
 Internally, the epididymis contains a long, convoluted duct of the
epididymis, which is approximately 4 to 5 meters in length.
 Sperm must reside in the epididymis for a period of time to become
mature and fully motile.
 If they are expelled too soon, they lack the motility necessary to travel
through the female reproductive tract and fertilize an oocyte.
 If sperm are not ejected from the male reproductive system in a timely
manner, the old sperm degenerate in the epididymis.
Urethra
 Transports semen from the ejaculatory duct to the outside of the body.
 Subdivided into:
 prostatic urethra that extends through the prostate gland

 membranous urethra that travels through the urogenital diaphragm

 penile urethra that ends through the penis

 Sperm leave the body through the urethra.

Accessory Glands
 The vagina has a highly acidic environment to prevent bacterial growth.
 Sperm cannot survive in this type of environment, so an alkaline
secretion called seminal fluid is needed to lessen the acidity of the
vagina and bring pH values closer to neutral.
 As the sperm travel through the reproductive tract (a process that can
take several days), they are nourished by nutrients within the seminal
fluid.
 The components of seminal fluid are produced by accessory glands:
 seminal vesicles

 prostate gland

 bulbourethral glands

28-56
Seminal Vesicles
 The paired seminal vesicles are located on the posterior surface of the
urinary bladder adjacent to the ampulla of the ductus deferens.
 Each seminal vesicle is an elongated, pouchlike hollow organ
approximately 5–8 centimeters long.
 It is the proximal portion of each seminal vesicle that merges with a
ductus deferens to form the ejaculatory duct.
 The seminal vesicles secrete a viscous, whitish-yellow alkaline fluid
containing both fructose and prostaglandins.
 The fructose is a sugar that nourishes the sperm as they travel through
the female reproductive tract, while the prostaglandins promote the
widening and slight dilation of the external os of the cervix.
Prostate Gland
 A compact encapsulated organ that weighs about 20 grams and is
shaped like a walnut, measuring approximately 2 cm by 3 cm by 4 cm.
 Located immediately inferior to the bladder.
 Secretes a slightly milky fluid that is weakly acidic and rich in citric acid,
seminalplasmin, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA).
 citric acid is a nutrient for sperm health

 seminalplasmin is an antibiotic that combats urinary tract infections

 PSA acts as an enzyme to help liquefy semen following ejaculation

Bulbourethral Glands
 Paired, pea-shaped bulbourethral glands (or Cowper’s glands) are
located within the urogenital diaphragm on each side of the
membranous urethra.
 Each gland has a short duct that projects into the base of the penis and
enters the spongy urethra.
 Their secretory product is a clear, viscous mucin that forms mucus when
mixed with water.
 As a component of the seminal fluid, this mucin protects the urethra and
serves as a lubricant during sexual intercourse.
Semen
 Seminal fluid from the accessory glands combines with sperm from the
testes to make up semen.
 When released during intercourse, semen is called the ejaculate, and it
is normally about 3 to 5 milliliters in volume and contains approximately
200 to 500 million spermatozoa.
 In a sexually active male, the average transit time of human
spermatozoa—from their release into the lumen of the seminiferous
tubules, passage through the duct system, and appearance in the
ejaculate—is about 2 weeks.
 Since semen is composed primarily of seminal fluid, a male who is very
active sexually may have a reduced sperm count because there are
fewer sperm to be released from the epididymis; however, the total
semen volume remains close to normal for that individual.
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 Corpora Cavernosa

Pubic symphysis

Cavernosal artery
Tunica albuginea

Corpus
cavernosum Crus

Corpus spongiosum
Urethra

Glans
Transverse section of normal penis