Male Reproduction System

Question 1

What are the male accessory sex glands?

Answer 1

Male accessory sex glands include the seminal vesicles, prostate, and bulbourethral glands.

Question 2

What do the seminal vesicles do?

Answer 2

The seminal vesicles produce a sugar-rich fluid (fructose) that provides sperm with a source of energy to help them move - this makes up the majority of semen.

Question 3

What does the prostate do?

Answer 3

Secretes prostate fluid, one of the components of semen. The muscles of the prostate gland also help propel this seminal fluid into the urethra during ejaculation

Question 4

What does the bulbourethral gland do?

Answer 4

Adds fluids to semen during ejaculation.

Question 5

What is the tunica vaginalis?

Answer 5

The tunica vaginalis is the pouch of serous membrane that covers the testes.

Question 6

Where is sperm produced?

Answer 6

Sertoli cells of seminiferous tubules of the testes

Question 7

What does the epididymus do?

Answer 7

Stores the sperm and matures it until ejaculation.

Question 8

What forms the blood-testis barrier?

Answer 8

Sustentacular (aka sertoli) cellswith tight junctions

Question 9

What cells make up the seminiferous tubules?

Answer 9

Sertoli cells (aka sustentacular cells)
Spermatogenic cells

Question 10

What do sertoli cells do?

Answer 10

 Provide nutrients to nourish the spermatogenic cells.
 Form the tight junctions that make the blood-testis barrier.
 Secrete Mullerian regression factor
 Secrete Inhibin and Activin
 Secrete androgen binding protein and estrogen binding protein

Question 11

What is mullerian regression factor?

Answer 11

A hormone that prevents ducts from developing into structures of the female reproductive tract.

Question 12

What does a mutation of mullerian regression factor in men lead to?

Answer 12

Hermaphroditism

Question 13

What does activin do?

Answer 13

Stimulate FSH synthesis and secretion.

Question 14

What does inhibin do?

Answer 14

Inhibit FSH synthesis and secretion.

Question 15

Where does the vas deferens run through?

Answer 15

Inguinal canal

Question 16

Explain the route of the vas deferens.

Answer 16

The vas deferens takes sperm stored in the epididymus to the posterior prostate, here it joins the seminal vesicle duct forming the ejaculatory duct which opens up into the urethra.

Question 17

What cells line the seminal vesicles?

Answer 17

Columnar secretory epithelium with goblet cells.

Question 18

What do the seminal vesicles secrete?

Answer 18

Each seminal vesicle secretes a mucoid material containing an abundance of fructose, citric acid and other nutrient substances as well as large quantities of prostaglandins and fibrinogen, making up 60% of semen.

Question 19

When does the seminal vesicle empty it’s contents into the ejaculatory duct?

Answer 19

During ejaculation shortly after the vas deferens empties sperm.

Question 20

What forms the ejaculatory duct?

Answer 20

The joining of the vas deferens and seminal vesicle duct.

Question 21

What makes up the prostate?

Answer 21

70% glandular elements

30% fibromuscular stroma

Question 22

What does prostatic fluid contain?

Answer 22

Nutrients and enzymes to activate sperm.

Question 23

What makes up semen?

Answer 23

60% Mucoid from seminal vesicles

30% Prostatic fluid

Question 24

How are spermatagonia produced?

Answer 24

Primordial germ cells migrate to the testes where they differentiate into spermatogonia.

Question 25

How long does the entire period of spermatogenesis from spermatogonia to spermatozoa take?

Answer 25

64 days

Question 26

By what sequence of cells do primordial germ cells differentiate into mature sperm cells?

Answer 26

Primordial germ cells > Spermatogonia > Primary spermatocyte > Secondary spermatocyte > Spermatid > Mature Sperm cell

Question 27

What is the function of the acrosome?

Answer 27

Contains enzymes which allows the sperm to enter the ovum and fertilise it.

Question 28

Where is the acrosome of the sperm cell synthesised?

Answer 28

Golgi apparatus

Question 29

What is different between male and female sperm?

Answer 29

The female sperm also differ phenotypically in that they have a larger head in comparison to the male sperms. This contributes to the male sperm being lighter, and therefore faster and stronger swimmers than their female counterparts. Still a 50:50 chance of XX or XY however.

Question 30

What cell in the testes does LH act on?

Answer 30

Leydig cells

Question 31

What cell in the testes does FSH act on?

Answer 31

Sertoli cells

Question 32

What effect do LH have on the testes?

Answer 32

Stimulates testosterone production in the leydig cells.

Question 33

What effect does FSH have on the testes?

Answer 33

Stimulates spermatogenesis in the sertoli cells of the testes.

Question 34

What hormone inhibits spermatogensis, explain how.

Answer 34

Inhibin by inhibiting FSH secretion in the anterior pituitary. Thus FSH cannot stimulate spermatogensis in sertoli cells.

Question 35

Where are leydig cells found?

Answer 35

In the loose tissue surrounding seminiferous tubules.

Question 36

What role does testosterone have in spermatogeneis?

Answer 36

Testosterone stimulates growth and division of testicular germ cells, the first stage in forming sperm.

Question 37

Erection is caused by increased bloodflow into which tissue?

Answer 37

Corpus cavernosum