Male Histology Flashcards
What are Leydig cells, where are they located and what is secreted by Leydig cells?
Leydig cells are interstitial cells that secrete testosterone. In some species they also secrete fair amounts of estradiol as well.
red spots in Leydig cell cytoplasm. What are these dots? Why are they present?
Lipid (cholesterol) droplets, they provide the cholesterol precursor form testosterone synthesis
What are the functions of Sertoli cells?
The three main functions of Sertoli cells are: 1) maintain developing germ cells, that is to act as ‘nurse cells’ for germ cells undergoing spermatogenesis; 2) secrete inhibin, which acts in the negative feedback loop to decrease FSH levels; and 3) synthesize androgen binding protein, which in turn maintains high levels of testosterone in the sertoli cell, which is required for the sertoli cell to maintain the developing spermatozoa.
What is different about the microanatomy of an infantile testis, cryptorchid testis, and a normal testis?
Infantile: No lumen, no developing germ cells.
Cryptorchid: Only a single layer of germ cells located at the very surface of seminiferous tubules.
Normal: Seminiferous tubules have lumen, numerous ‘stages’ of sperm development.
what do spermatogonia look like? (note location, size and shape)
Small round purple cells with very little cytoplasm, located at the basement membrane of the seminiferous tubules
what do spermatocytes look like? (note location, size and shape)
Larger purple cells, in which condensed chromosomes can be seen, located just off the basement membrane of the seminiferous tubules
what do round spermatids look like? (note location, size and shape)
Small round purple cells located from the spermatocytes to the lumen of the STs
What do elongated spermatids/spermatozoa look like? (note location, size and shape)
Elongated sperm heads at the lumen of the STs
What cell types proliferate in a seminoma?
Germ cells
How would you recognize an interstitial adenoma?
Tumor cells are red/pink, separate seminiferous tubules from each other. Leydig cells.
How would you recognize a Sertoli cell tumor?
Light pink tumor causing destruction of ‘normal’ seminiferous tubule structure, inducing joining of many ST’s into a single looking structure.
Could you recognize a testis producing few/no sperm? How?
Few or no stages with elongated spermatids
You are not likely to see the efferent ducts in these slides. However, what is their role?
Provide connection from testis to epididymis
Does the epithelium look similar in all regions of the epididymis? Why or why not?
Cells are larger in caput vs cauda, microvilli longer in caput vs cauda. Caput cells need to absorb large quantities of testicular fluid and synthesize proteins involved in sperm maturation
What is the function of microvilli as contrasted to cilia?
Microvilli are involved in absorption, cilia move things.