THE REPRODUCTIVE

SYSTEMS

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The purpose of the male and female reproductive systems is
to continue the human species by the production of offspring.
The ability to reproduce is one of the properties distinguishing
living from non-living matter. the process is one of sexual
reproduction, in which the male and female organs differ
anatomically and physiologically, and the new individual
develops from the fusion of two different sex cells (gametes)
The male gametes are called spermatozoa and the
female gametes are called ova. the union of
gametes in fertilization following sexual intercourse
develop embryo/fetus.
Male reproductive system
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Learning outcomes
After studying this section, you should be able to:
■ Know the structure of the male reproductive system; the external, internal
and accessory organs
■The male sexual act (mechanism of erection\ejaculation}
■describe the structure and function of the testes
■spermatogenesis
■ outline the structure and function of the spermatic cords
■ describe the secretions that pass into the spermatic fluid
■ list the main changes occurring at puberty in the male.influence of
hormones.
■Andropause.
The male reproductive system consists of the external internal
and accessory organs.external organs
1, Penis the external male genital organ responsible for
ejaculation and urination.
2,Scrotum is a pouch of pigmented skin, fibrous and connective
tissue and smooth muscle. It is divided into two compartments,
each of which contains one testis, one epididymis and the
testicular end of a spermatic cord. It lies below the symphysis
pubis, in front of the upper parts of the thighs and behind the
penis. The temperature within the scrotum is about 96F, slightly
lower than body temperature.
 Beneath the skin of scrotun are a layer of loose connective
tissue and a layer of smooth muscle called the dartos (dar′tōs)
muscle. Extensions of abdominal muscles enter the scrotum
and are called cremaster (krē-mas′ter) muscles . The response
of the dartos and cremaster muscles regulates the
temperature in the testes for normal sperm cell development.
In cold temperatures, the dartos muscle contracts, causing
the skin of the scrotum to become firm and wrinkled and
reducing the overall size of the scrotum. In addition, the
cremaster muscles contract, which pulls the testes closer to
the body, which increases the testes’ temperature. During
warm weather or exercise, the dartos and cremaster muscles
relax, the skin of the scrotum becomes loose and thin, and the
testes descend away from the body, which lowers their
temperature.
3)TESTES The testes are located in the scrotum, a sac of skin
between the upper thighs. is necessary for the production of viable
sperm.they are the male reproductive glands and are the
equivalent of the ovaries in the female. They are about 4.5 cm long,
2.5 cm wide and 3 cm thick and are suspended in the scrotum by
the spermatic cords. They are surrounded by three layers of tissue.
In each testis are 200–300 lobules, and within each lobule are 1–4
convoluted loops of germinal epithelial cells, called seminiferous
tubules. Between the tubules are groups of interstitial cells (of
Leydig) that secrete the hormone testosterone after puberty when
stimulated by luteinizing hormone (LH) from the anterior pituitary
gland.
. Besides its role in the maturation of sperm, testosterone is
also responsible for the male secondary sex characteristics,
which begin to develop at puberty. At the upper pole of the
testis the tubules combine to form a single tubule. This tubule,
about 6 m in its full length, is repeatedly folded and tightly
packed into a mass called the epididymis. It leaves the scrotum
as the deferent duct (vas deferens) in the spermatic cord. Blood
and lymph vessels pass to the testes in the spermatic cords.
Tunica vaginalis. This is a double membrane, forming the
outer covering of the testes, and is a downgrowth of the
abdominal and pelvic peritoneum. During early fetal life, the
testes develop in the lumbar region of the abdominal cavity
just below the kidneys. They then descend into the scrotum,
taking with them coverings of peritoneum, blood and lymph
vessels, nerves and the deferent duct.
The peritoneum eventually surrounds the testes in the
scrotum, and becomes detached from the abdominal
peritoneum. Descent of the testes into the scrotum should be
complete by the 8th month of fetal life.
Tunica albuginea. This is a fibrous covering beneath the
tunica vaginalis. Ingrowths form septa, dividing the
glandular structure of the testes into lobules.

Tunica vasculosa. This consists of a network of capillaries

supported by delicate connective tissue.
Functions 0f Testes
Spermatozoa (sperm) are produced in the seminiferous tubules
of the testes, and mature as they pass through the long and
convoluted epididymis, where they are stored. FSH from the
anterior pituitary stimulates sperm production.
A mature sperm has a head, a body, and a long whip-like tail
used for motility. The head is almost completely filled by the
nucleus, containing its DNA. It also contains the enzymes
required to penetrate the outer layers of the ovum to reach,
and fuse with, its nucleus.
The body of the sperm is packed with mitochondria, to fuel
the propelling action of the tail that powers the sperm along
the female reproductive tract. Successful spermatogenesis
takes place at a temperature about 3°C below normal body
temperature. The testes are cooled by their position outside
the abdominal cavity, and the thin outer covering of the
scrotum has very little insulating fat.
Blood supply, lymph drainage and nerve supply Arterial
supply.
The testicular artery branches from the abdominal aorta, just below
the renal arteries.
Venous drainage. The testicular vein passes into the abdominal
cavity. The left vein opens into the left renal vein and the right into
the inferior vena cava.
Lymph drainage. This is through lymph nodes around the aorta.
Nerve supply. This is provided by branches from the 10th and 11th
thoracic nerves.
EPIDIDYMIS:
The seminiferous tubules of each testis converge into a
tubular network called the rete (rē′tē; net) testis. The rete
testis empties into 15–20 tubules called the efferent ductules
(ef′er-ent dŭk′toolz). The efferent ductules carry sperm cells
from the testis to a tightly coiled series of threadlike tubules
that form a comma-shaped structure on the posterior side of
the testis called the epididymis (ep-i-did′i-mis)
. The sperm cells continue to mature within the epididymis,
developing the capacity to swim and the ability to bind to
the oocyte. Sperm cells taken directly from the testes are not
capable of fertilizing oocytes, but after maturing for several
days in the epididymis, the sperm cells develop the capacity
to function as gametes. Final changes in sperm cells, called
capacitation (kă-pas′i-tă′shun), occur after ejaculation of
semen into the vagina and prior to fertilization.
Ductus Deferens The ductus deferens (dŭk′tŭs def′er-enz), or vas
deferens, emerges from the epididymis and ascends along the
posterior side of the testis to become associated with the blood vessels
and nerves that supply the testis. These structures form the spermatic
cord . Each spermatic cord consists of
(1) the ductus deferens,
(2) the testicular artery and veins
, (3) lymphatic vessels, and
(4) the testicular nerve.
The spermatic cord is surrounded by the cremaster muscle
and two connective tissue sheaths. Each ductus deferens
extends, in the spermatic cord, through the abdominal wall
by way of the inguinal canal. Each ductus deferens then
crosses the lateral wall of the pelvic cavity and loops behind
the posterior surface of the urinary bladder to approach the
prostate gland. The total length of the ductus deferens is
about 45 cm. Just before reaching the prostate gland, the
ductus deferens increases in diameter to become the
ampulla of the ductus deferens
Seminal Vesicle and Ejaculatory Duct.
Near the ampulla of each ductus deferens is a sac-shaped
gland called the seminal vesicle (sem′i-năl ves′i-kl). A short duct
extends from the seminal vesicle to the ampulla of the ductus
deferens. The ducts from the seminal vesicle and the ampulla
of the ductus deferens join at the prostate gland to form the
ejaculatory (ē-jak′ū-lă-tōr-ē) duct. Each ejaculatory duct
extends into the prostate gland and ends by joining the urethra
within the prostate gland
Urethra
The male urethra (ū-rē′thră) extends from the urinary bladder
to the distal end of the penis. The urethra can be divided into
three parts:
1) the prostatic urethra, which passes through the prostate
gland;
2) the membranous urethra, which passes through the floor of
the pelvis and is surrounded by the external urinary sphincter;
and
3) the spongy urethra, which extends the length of the penis
and opens at its end.
The urethra is a passageway for both urine and male
reproductive fluids. However, urine and the
reproductive fluids do not exit the urethra at the
same time. While male reproductive fluids are
passing through the urethra, a sympathetic reflex
causes the internal urinary sphincter to contract,
which keeps semen from passing into the urinary
bladder and prevents urine from entering the
urethra.
Penis
The penis (pe′nis) is the male organ of copulation and
functions in the transfer of sperm cells from the male to the
female. The penis contains three columns of erectile tissue.
Engorgement of this erectile tissue with blood causes the
penis to enlarge and become firm, a process called erection
(ē-rek′shŭn). Two columns of erectile tissue form the dorsal
portion and the sides of the penis and are called the corpora
cavernosa (kōr′pōr-ă kav-er-nōs′ă). The third, smaller erectile
column occupies the ventral portion of the penis and is called
the corpus spongiosum (kōr′pŭs spŭn-gē-ō′sŭm).
 It expands over the distal end of the penis to form a cap, the
glans (glanz) penis. The spongy urethra passes through the
corpus spongiosum, including the glans penis, and opens to
the exterior as the external urethral orifice. The shaft of the
penis is covered by skin that is loosely attached to the
connective tissue surrounding the penis. The skin is firmly
attached at the base of the glans penis, and a thinner layer of
skin tightly covers the glans penis. The skin of the penis,
especially the glans penis, is well supplied with sensory
receptors. A loose fold of skin, called the prepuce (prē′pūs), or
foreskin, covers the glans penis.
Glands
The seminal vesicles are glands consisting of many saclike
structures located next to the ampulla of the ductus
deferens . There are two seminal vesicles. Each is about 5
cm long and tapers into a short duct that joins the ampulla
of the ductus deferens to form the ejaculatory duct, as
previously mentioned.
The prostate (pros′tāt) gland consists of both
glandular and muscular tissue and is about the size
and shape of a walnut. The prostate gland surrounds
the urethra and the two ejaculatory ducts. It consists
of a capsule and numerous partitions. The cells lining
the partitions secrete prostatic fluid. There are 10–20
short ducts that carry secretions of the prostate gland
to the prostatic urethra.
The bulbourethral (bul′bō-ū-rē′thrăl) glands, or Cowper
glands, are a pair of small, mucus-secreting glands
located near the base of the penis. In young adults, each
is about the size of a pea, but they decrease in size with
age. A single duct from each gland enters the urethra.
Spermatogenesis
Spermatogenesis (sper′mă-tō-jen′ĕ-sis) is the formation of
sperm cells. Before puberty, the testes remain relatively
simple and unchanged from the time of their initial
development. The interstitial cells are not prominent, and the
seminiferous tubules are small and not yet functional. At the
time of puberty, the interstitial cells increase in number and
size, the seminiferous tubules enlarge, and spermatogenesis
begins.
Germ cells are partially embedded in the sustentacular cells.
The most peripheral germ cells are spermatogonia (sper′mă-
tōgō′nē-ă; undeveloped sperm cells), which divide through
mitosis . Some daughter cells produced from these mitotic
divisions remain as spermatogonia and continue to divide by
mitosis. Other daughter cells form primary spermatocytes
(sper′mă-tō-sītz; sperm cells), which divide by meiosis and
become sperm cells.
Recall that prior to meiosis, the chromosomes duplicate so that
each of the 46 chromosomes is present in two copies, or
chromatids. Thus, a primary spermatocyte contains 46
chromosomes, each consisting of 2 chromatids. Each primary
spermatocyte completes the first meiotic division to produce 2
secondary spermatocytes. Each secondary spermatocyte
undergoes the second meiotic division to produce 2 smaller
cells called spermatids (sper′mă-tidz). Each of the four
spermatids has 23 chromosomes. The spermatids undergo
major structural changes to form mature sperm
.Much of the cytoplasm of the spermatids is eliminated, and each
spermatid develops a head, midpiece, and flagellum (tail) to become a
sperm cell, or spermatozoon. The nucleus of the sperm cell is located
in the head of the sperm cell. Just anterior to the nucleus is a vesicle
called the acrosome (ak′rō-sōm), which contains enzymes that are
released during the process of fertilization and are necessary for the
sperm cell to penetrate the oocyte, or egg cell. At the end of
spermatogenesis, the developing sperm cells are located around the
lumen of the seminiferous tubules, with their heads directed toward
the surrounding sustentacular cells and their tails directed toward the
center of the lumen . Finally, sperm cells are released into the lumen of
the seminiferous tubules.