Male Reproductive System Organs and Functions

The Male Reproductive System

• The male reproductive system consists of the testes, ductal system, accessory glands, and penis.
• These structures have three main functions: producing and storing sperm, depositing sperm for fertilization, and developing male secondary sex characteristics.

Testes

• The two oval testes (or testicles) are enclosed in the scrotum, a saclike structure that lies suspended from the exterior abdominal wall.
• The testes contain one to three coiled seminiferous tubules, which produce sperm cells.
• The testes also produce the hormone testosterone, responsible for the development of male secondary sex characteristics.

Epididymis

• Sperm produced in the seminiferous tubules travel through a network of testicular ducts called the rete testis.
• The rete testis contains cilia that sweep sperm out of the testes into the epididymis, a tightly coiled tube structure that lies superior to the testes.

Ductal System

• The ductus deferens (or vas deferens) is approximately 18 inches (46 cm) long and rises along the posterior wall of the testes.
• The ductus deferens passes through the inguinal canal into the pelvic cavity, loops over the urinary bladder, and joins with the ejaculatory duct.
• The ductus deferens and its accompanying nerves and blood vessels are enclosed in a connective tissue sheath called the spermatic cord.

Accessory Glands

• The accessory glands produce seminal fluid (semen) and include the seminal vesicles, prostate gland, and Cowper's glands.
• The seminal vesicles are paired structures that lie at the base of the bladder and produce 60% of the volume of semen.
• The prostate gland is a single, doughnut-shaped gland that surrounds the neck of the bladder and urethra.
• Cowper's glands are two pea-sized glands under the male urethra that provide lubrication during sexual intercourse.

Penis

• The cylindrical penis is the organ of copulation.
• The shaft of the penis ends with an enlarged tip called the glans penis.
• The skin covering the penis, called the prepuce, or foreskin, lies in folds around the glans.
• Three masses of erectile tissue, the corpus spongiosum and two corpora cavernosa, contain numerous sinuses that fill the shaft of the penis.

Spermatogenesis

• Spermatogenesis (the process of developing spermatozoa) begins at puberty and continues throughout life.
• Mature sperm consist of three distinct parts: the head, midpiece, and tail, which propels the sperm.
• Once deposited in the female reproductive system, mature sperm live approximately 48 hours (or in some cases up to 5 days).

Learn about the organs of the male reproductive system, including the testes, ductal system, accessory glands, and penis. Understand their functions such as sperm production and storage, sperm deposition for fertilization, and development of male secondary sex characteristics.