Exam 3 Flashcards
(141 cards)
Scrotum
between the hind legs away from the body, pendulous, protects the testes
When do the testes descend
Between the last 30 days of gestation to the first 10 days postpartum
Cryptorchidism (ridgling)
One or both testes do not descend into the scrotum
Why is cryptorchidism undesirable
Most males are castrated and castrating one is very expensive ($2,000)
Bilateral C/R
No testes in the scrotum at all- not fertile
Unilateral C/R
Only one teste descends into the scrotum- still fertile
Testes
Sperm and testosterone production, oval shaped, horizontal orientation
Equine sperm
Tail is offset to one side of the head, swims in large arcs
Epididymis
Sperm maturation and storage, tail of the epididymis is towards the end of the stallion, head is towards head
Pampiniform plexus
Blood comes from an artery coming from the body to the testes and the veins around that artery cool the blood
Tunica dartos
One of the external muscles that goes around the whole scrotum- muscle is temperature dependent
Skin
has temperature sensitive sweat glands to help with evaporative cooling when temp is hot
Cremaster muscle
Not temperature dependent- a fight or flight muscle (sensitive to touch and the enviroment)
Accessory sex glands
ejaculate is a mix of seminal fluid and spermatozoa
Ampulla
two, secretions buffer and protect the sperm
Seminal vesicles
produce post ejaculate, gel fraction (very thick and viscous) gel fraction prevents sperm from getting through from other stallions
Prostate gland
produce post ejaculate, cleanse urethra after sperm has passed
Bulbourethral glands
responsible for producing the pre sperm fraction (cleanses the urethra prior to ejaculation)
Urethra
common passageway for both urine and semen, clean out any smegma one time a year (or bean) (geldings and stallions) if cleaned too often, the beneficial bacteria can be decreased
Smegma
Substance that protects the skin
Sheath
tissue that surrounds the non-erect penis, above prepuce
Prepuce and sheath
protect the penis itself, sheath cleaning
Penis
Musculo cavernosis, delivers ejaculate into cervix, bell shaped
Glands penis
bells out after breeding X4 size (stretches the cervix) causes an oxytocin release in mare to contract and take in ejaculate