10 Sexual Function and Fertilisation Flashcards
What is semen made up of? (2) (general terms)
Spermatozoa and seminal plasma
What are the functions of seminal plasma?
- Transport medium
- Nutrition
- Buffering capacity
- Lubricate end of penis
- Breakdown semen clots (proteolytic enzymes)
From which glands do each of the components of seminal plasma come from and what % of seminal plasma do they make up?
What parameters should be checked when analysing sperm?
What are the phases of the human sexual response?
How does an erection occur (excitement phase)? (with relation to the nervous system)
Outline how an erection occurs physiologically.
Sinusoidal relaxtion
Arterial dilation
Venous compression
Emission (semen moved through prostatic urethra) and ejaculation (expulsion of sperm) is under sympathetic stimulation. Outline how it occurs.
(Point and Shoot)
- Sympathetic stimulation
- Emission:
- Contraction of smooth muscle from prostate, vas deferens, seminal vesicles
- Ejaculation:
- Contraction of glands and ducts
- Contraction of internal sphincter- prevent retrograde ejaculation
(muscles of pelvic floor and perineum also contribute to ejaculation)
Outline the process of capacitation:
- Membrane change
- Allow fusion with oocyte cell surface
- Tail movement change
- Beat to whip action
- Head of sperm
- =capable of acrosome reaction
Give some causes of erectile dysfunction:
- Psychological input
- Vascular disorders
- Medication eg
- Anti-hypertensives
- Neurological disorders
- Trauma of fibrous tissue of corpora cavernosa
May give paitient NO or cGMP
The character of the cervical mucus changes over the course of the menstrual cycle. Describe the changes (Oestrogen only then oestrogen and progesterone)
What is the fern test and the Spinnbarkeit test?
- Oestrogen
- Thin, stretchy mucus
- Oestrogen and progesterone
- Thick, sticky mucus (forms plug)
Fern test refers to detection of a characteristic ‘fern like’ pattern of cervical mucus when a specimen of cervical mucus is allowed to dry on a glass slide and is viewed under a low-power microscope- high estrogen levels
Spinnbarkeit mucus is the stringy, stretchy quality of cervical mucus found especially around the time of ovulation
How is the oocyte transported through the fallopian tube?
- Beating cilia
- Peristalsis of uterine tube
What is the fertile window for spermatozoa and oocytes?
Outline how fertilisation occurs.
At what point does implantation occur? What needs to happen to the blastocyst fro implantation to occur?
Implantation into endometrial lining occurs once blastocyst has hatched from zona pellucida
(6-7 days after fertilisation)
How does implantation occur?
