Male Reproductive System PDF

Organs and Functions What’s the male reproductive system? The male reproductive system includes a group of organs that make up a man’s reproductive and urinary system. These organs do the following jobs within your body: They produce, maintain and transport sperm (the male reprod...

Organs and Functions What’s the male reproductive system? The male reproductive system includes a group of organs that make up a man’s reproductive and urinary system. These organs do the following jobs within your body: They produce, maintain and transport sperm (the male reproductive cells) and semen (the protective fluid around sperm). They discharge sperm into the female reproductive tract. They produce and secrete male sex hormones.  The male reproductive system is made up of internal (inside your body) and external (outside your body) parts. Together, these organs help you urinate (rid your body of liquid waste materials), have sexual intercourse and make children. External Genital Internal Genital Penis Testis Scrotum Epididymis Vas Deferens Accessory Glands Seminal Vescicle Prostate Gland Buboeurethral glands How does the male reproductive system function? The entire male reproductive system is dependent on hormones. These are chemicals that stimulate or regulate the activity of your cells or organs. The primary hormones involved in the functioning of the male reproductive system are follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone. FSH and LH are produced by the pituitary gland. It’s located at the base of your brain and it’s responsible for many functions in your body. FSH is necessary for sperm production (spermatogenesis). LH stimulates the production of testosterone, which is necessary to continue the process of spermatogenesis. Testosterone is also important in the development of male characteristics, including muscle mass and strength, fat distribution, bone mass and sex drive. PENIS The penis is the male organ for sexual intercourse. It has three parts: 1. The root: This is the part of the penis that attaches to the wall of your abdomen. 2. The body or shaft: Shaped like a tube or cylinder, the body of the penis is made up of three internal chambers. Inside these chambers there’s a special, sponge-like erectile tissue that contains thousands of large spaces that fill with blood when you’re sexually aroused. As the penis fills with blood, it becomes rigid and erect, which allows for penetration during sex. The skin of the penis is loose and elastic, allowing for changes in penis size during an erection. 3.The glans: This is the cone-shaped end of the penis. The glans, which is also called the head of the penis, is covered with a loose layer of skin called foreskin. This skin is sometimes removed in a procedure called circumcision. SCROTUM The scrotum is the loose pouch-like sac of skin that hangs behind the penis. It holds the testicles (also called testes), as well as many nerves and blood vessels. The scrotum protects your testes, as well as providing a sort of climate control system. For normal sperm development, the testes must be at a temperature slightly cooler than the body temperature. Special muscles in the wall of the scrotum allow it to contract (tighten) and relax, moving the testicles closer to the body for warmth and protection or farther away from the body to cool the temperature.  TESTIS (PLURAL: TESTES) They are the site of sperm production and are also responsible for the production of testosterone. Testosterone is a steroid hormone that is important for a number of bodily functions, not just sex drive and sperm development The testes take the form of two, egg-shaped organs located in the scrotum. The scrotum hangs outside the body. The location of the testes outside the abdomen has evolved, at least in part, because the testes need to stay cooler than body temperature to fully function Originally, the testes are located on the posterior abdominal wall. During embryonic development they descend down the abdomen, and through the inguinal canal to reach the scrotum. They carry their neurovascular and lymphatic supply with them.  The testes are located within the scrotum. The testes are suspended from the abdomen by the spermatic cord. This is a collection of blood vessels, nerves, and ducts that support the health of the testes  The testes have an ellipsoid shape. They consist of a series of lobules, each containing seminiferous tubules supported by interstitial tissue. The seminiferous tubules are lined by Sertoli cells that aid the maturation process of the spermatozoa. In the interstitial tissue lie the Leydig cells that are responsible for testosterone production.  The whole mass is mostly surrounded by the tunica vaginalis. This covering allows the testes to move smoothly inside the scrotum. In adult males, the testes are 2-3 centimeters (cm) wide by 3-5 cm long.1 The testes increase in size through adulthood and then decrease in size later in life. EPIDIDYMIS As sperm develop and mature they move through the tubules until they are collected in the rete testes and then passed through to the epididymis. The epididymis is where sperm mature before ejaculation. EPIDIDYMIS- It carries and stores sperm cells that are created in the testes. It’s also the job of the epididymis to bring the sperm to maturity. The epididymis consists of a single heavily coiled duct. It can be divided into three parts; head, body and tail. Head – The most proximal part of the epididymis. It is formed by the efferent tubules of the testes, which transport sperm from the testes to the epididymis. Body – Formed by the heavily coiled duct of the epididymis. Tail – The most distal part of the epididymis. It marks the origin of the vas deferens, which transports sperm to the prostatic portion of the urethra for ejaculation. VAS DEFERENS is a long, muscular tube that travels from the epididymis into the pelvic cavity, to just behind the bladder and transports mature sperm to the urethra in preparation for ejaculation. Ejaculatory ducts: These ducts are formed by the fusion of the vas deferens and the seminal vesicles. The ejaculatory ducts empty into the urethra. SEMINAL VESCICLES : The seminal vesicles are sac-like pouches that attach to the vas deferens near the base of the bladder. The seminal vesicles make a sugar-rich fluid (fructose) that provides sperm with a source of energy and helps with the sperms’ ability to move (motility). The fluid of the seminal vesicles makes up most of the volume of your ejaculatory fluid, or ejaculate.  Prostate gland is a walnut-sized structure that’s located below the urinary bladder in front of the rectum. The prostate gland contributes additional fluid to the ejaculate. Prostate fluids also help to nourish the sperm.. Urethra which carries the ejaculate to be expelled during orgasm, runs through the center of the prostate gland. Bulbourethral glands The bulbourethral glands, or Cowper’s glands, are pea-sized structures located on the sides of the urethra, just below the prostate gland. These glands produce a clear, slippery fluid that empties directly into the urethra. This fluid serves to lubricate the urethra and to neutralize any acidity that may be present due to residual drops of urine in the urethra. SPERM EJACULATION- Discharge of semen from the penis VIDEO