Module 6.2 - Male Reproductive System

Question 1

What organs does the male reproductive system include?

Answer 1

the testes, epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicles, prostate gland, bulbourethral glands, urethra, and penis

Question 2

Describe the gonads?

Answer 2

paired testes, suspended within fascia sacs of the scrotum

Question 3

What are the 2 main organs of the reproductive system?

Answer 3

penis and testes

Question 4

What is the function of the testes?

Answer 4

to produce sperm and testosterone

Question 5

What/where is testosterone?

Answer 5

hormone produced by the interstitial cells inside the connective tissues of testes

Question 6

What are seminiferous tubules?

Answer 6

several contained in each of the hundreds of lobules of the testes, site of sperm production takes place

Question 7

What is the epididymis?

Answer 7

sperm travel here after they are produced, where they mature and remain until they are expelled to the outside of the body

Question 8

Where does the development of testes begin?

Answer 8

inside the abdominal cavity, but they descend into the scrotal sacs as development proceeds

Question 9

What is sterility?

Answer 9

inability to produce gametes, which occurs if the testes do not descend into the scrotum, because sperm production requires an environment cooler than body temperature

Question 10

What organs does the male duct system contain?

Answer 10

the accessory organs which are the epididymis, vas deferens (or ductus deferens), and the urethra

Question 11

What is the function of the duct system of the male reproductive system?

Answer 11

provides a place for sperm to mature, and then sperm are expelled from the body at the appropriate time

Question 12

Describe the epididymus and it’s location.

Answer 12

tightly coiled tubules that start at the superior end of the testes and then travel inferiorly along the posterior lateral side of the testes

Question 13

How long does the maturation of sperm take where they can swim?

Answer 13

about 20 days

Question 14

What is the function of the vas deferens?

Answer 14

where sperm are propelled by muscular contractions after they mature

Question 15

What is spermatic fascia?

Answer 15

hold the spermatic cord in place that contains vas deferens, surrounds the vas deferens as well as other nerves and blood vessels

Question 16

How does the vas deferens travel?

Answer 16

travels inside the spermatic cord superiorly through the inguinal canal. after entering the abdominal wall, it continues to rise and approx follow the pelvis until it turns posteriorly over bladder, then descends inferiorly to base of prostate gland where it connects with duct of seminal vesicle to form ejaculatory duct

Question 17

What is the inguinal canal?

Answer 17

in males, it is the location in the anterior abdominal wall for the spermatic cord to enter

Question 18

What is the ejaculatory duct?

Answer 18

where vas deferens connects with the seminal vesicle, this connects with the urethra to provide a means for the sperm to exit the body

Question 19

What is a vasectomy?

Answer 19

sterility procedure where vas deferens is cut and tied off, which permanently prevents sperm from exiting the body to fertilize an egg

Question 20

What is the urethra?

Answer 20

travels from the bladder through the penis carrying urine. A part of both the male reproductive and urinary systems

Question 21

What are the 3 regions of the urethra?

Answer 21

prostatic urethra, membranous urethra, and spongy urethra

Question 22

What is the prostatic urethra?

Answer 22

surrounded by the prostate gland

Question 23

What is the membranous urethra?

Answer 23

begins at the end of the prostatic urethra and travels to the penis

Question 24

What is the spongy urethra?

Answer 24

runs through the penis and opens to the outside at the external orifice

Question 25

What is external male genitalia?

Answer 25

the penis and scrotum

Question 26

What is the penis?

Answer 26

cylindrical organ that hangs in front of the scrotum

Question 27

What is erectile tissue?

Answer 27

spongy tissue containing distensible blood spaces extends through the shaft of the penis

Question 28

What are the 2 parts of the penis?

Answer 28

the shaft and the glans penis

Question 29

What is the shaft of the penis?

Answer 29

long cylindrical part of the penis, made up of a left and right corpus cavernosum and one corpus spongiosum

Question 30

What is the glans penis?

Answer 30

the enlarged tip of the penis with fold of skin called the foreskin

Question 31

What is an erection?

Answer 31

During arousal, nervous system reflexes cause an increase in arterial blood flow to the penis, the spaces fill with blood in the erectile tissue and the penis, which is normally limp, stiffens and increases in size

Question 32

What is the scrotum?

Answer 32

pouch of skin that holds the testes outside of the body just posterior to the penis, held in place by the spermatic fascia

Question 33

How does the scrotum function in different temperatures?

Answer 33

skin can contract when outside temperatures are cold, allowing the sperm to get additional heat from the body and expand when temperatures are warm to keep sperm away from the higher body temperature

Question 34

What is semen?

Answer 34

a thick whitish fluid that contains sperm and accessory gland secretions, produced by accessory glands

Question 35

What are the components of semen?

Answer 35

fructose (sugar for fuel), prostaglandins (facilitates movement), relaxin (enhances motility), an alkaline pH (protective), and an antibiotic to kill any bacteria in the male urethra or female reproductive system, which would kill the sperm

Question 36

How many sperm are expelled from the penis during ejaculation?

Answer 36

200 to 500 million sperm

Question 37

What are the 3 glands that contribute to seminal fluid?

Answer 37

the seminal vesicles, prostate, and bulbourethral glands

Question 38

What are seminal vesicles?

Answer 38

paired vesicles lie at the base of the bladder where they each join with a vas deferens to form an ejaculatory duct that enters the urethra. they secrete a thick, viscous fluid containing nutrients (fructose, vitamin C, and prostaglandins) for use by the sperm.

Question 39

What is the prostate gland?

Answer 39

Just below the bladder, secretes a milky alkaline fluid helping to increase the motility of the sperm. In older men, the prostate gland may become enlarged, constricting the urethra and making urination slow or difficult.

Question 40

What are bulbourethral glands?

Answer 40

a pair of small glands, slightly below the prostate gland, on either side of the urethra. the first secretion to be released during an ejaculation, an alkaline fluid. The acidity of urine in the urethra is detrimental to sperm, so this clears and neutralizes the acidity of any urine remaining inside the urethra.

Question 41

What is the production of sperm called?

Answer 41

spermatogenesis

Question 42

What are the main functions of the male reproductive system?

Answer 42

sperm and testosterone production

Question 43

How long does spermatogenesis take?

Answer 43

64-72 days to complete

Question 44

When does spermatogenesis start and end?

Answer 44

begins at puberty and last throughout their lifetime

Question 45

What are sperm formed from and where are they located?

Answer 45

spermatogonia located in the seminiferous tubules of the testes

Question 46

What are spermatogonia?

Answer 46

stem cells that do through mitotic divisions (with 46 chromosomes each)

Question 47

What happens with the anterior pituitary gland when a male reaches puberty?

Answer 47

secretes FSH which triggers spermatogonia to undergo cell division

Question 48

What is produced from cell division of spermatogonia?

Answer 48

1 stem cell (spermatogonia) and 1 primary spermatocyte

Question 49

What is a primary spermatocyte?

Answer 49

undergoes meiosis to produce 4 gametes, each with 23 chromosomes

Question 50

What are male gametes also known as?

Answer 50

spermatids

Question 51

What is spermiogenesis?

Answer 51

the final stage of spermatogenesis, where the surplus cytoplasm is stripped away forming the mature sperm

Question 52

What are the 3 parts of mature sperm?

Answer 52

head, midpiece, and tail

Question 53

What is the head of sperm?

Answer 53

almost entirely nucleus containing the cell DNA with a crown called the acrosome

Question 54

What is the acrosome?

Answer 54

crown on sperm head which contains enzymes that break down the membrane of the egg to allow the sperm to penetrate.

Question 55

What is the midpiece of sperm?

Answer 55

contains numerous mitochondria that generate the locomotive energy needed by the sperm

Question 56

What is the tail of sperm?

Answer 56

a typical flagellum, which is used to propel the sperm through the female reproductive tract

Question 57

When does testosterone production begin?

Answer 57

during puberty when anterior pituitary gland secretes LH and FSH

Question 58

What is the function of testosterone?

Answer 58

stimulates growth in males and secondary sex characteristics, such as broad shoulders, deep voice, increased muscle size and bone density, and increased hair