Reproduction Flashcards
(139 cards)
male reproductive organs/gonad
testes
female reproductive organ/gonad
ovaries
gametogenesis
process by which sperm or ova are produced
gametes have an endocrine role, what are the ones involved in males and females?
males: testosterone
estrogens and progesterones in females
what is the role of reproductive tracts
house and transport gametes
males: vasdeferens
females: fallopian tubes
accessory sex glands
male: seminal vesicles, prostate, bulbourethral (cowper’s) glands,
female: bartholin’s glands, clitoris, breasts
where is sperm made
within the testes
-seminiferous tubules
testes development
- testes develop from the gonadal ridge during development
- descend through the inguinal canal usually complete before 7 months gestation
what is cryptorchidism
when the testes don’t descend, staying up in the abdomen (one or both)
-this can lead to infertility
why do testes lie on the external side of the body?
testes are approx. 3 degrees lower than the rest of the body
- this cooler temperature allows for better development of sperm (in humans)
- other mammalian species are different
- this temperature leads to improved mitochondrial development and better proliferation
- better chance to fertilization
seminiferous tubule structure
- immature spermatogonium on the outside, as you get closer to the inside, more mature sperm
- leydig cells sit on the outiside and sertoli cells sit on the inside
____ cells lie within the basal lamina of the seminiferous tubules and release endocrine messages that direct development of spermatogonium into mature sperm
myoid
what is the role of the basal lamina in the seminiferous tubules of the testes?
acts like a blood brain barrier (with tight junctions) that serves as a defense mechanism for preventing messages that shouldn’t be there
-particularly stops the immune system from getting there and destroying chances for reproduction
androgens are important for the development of sperm
true or false?
true
males continue to produce sperm throughout their life. What is ADAM’s syndrome?
androgen deficiency aging males
-with age, males slow down (because androgens are important for the development of sperm)
where are leydig cells found?
they lie within the interstitium between seminiferous tubules
what does testosterone do?
- influence the reproductive system prior to birth
- influence sex-specific tissues after birth (requires LH stimulus)
- additional reproductive effects
- development of secondary sexual characteristics
- non-reproductive actions (ex: link in terms of aggression and testosterone levels)
biological effects of testicular androgens
prepubertal:
- accessory sex glands - wolffian duct differentiation and growth
- external genitalia - growth and differentiation (scrotum and penis)
pubertal:
- skeleton and muscle - masculine physique, epiphyseal closure
- vocal cords - voice deepening
- skin - facial hair growth and/pr cranial hair loss
- testis - sertoli cell maturation and androgen binding protein synthesis
- external genitalia - penile and scrotal growth
- accessory sex glands - prostate, seminal vesicle and bulbourethral growth
- CNS - libido
- hypothalamus/pituitary - inhibition of LH secretion (negative feedback)
spermatogonia
-undifferentiated germ cells containing a diploid complement of 23 pairs of chromosomes (1 paternal and 1 maternal)
spermatozoa
fully differentiated sperm cells containing a random haploid set of 23 chromosomes
what are the 3 key steps in the process of spermatogonia turning into spermatozoa. what happens if something goes wrong during this process?
mitotic proliferation, meiosis, and packaging
-sertoli cells scavenge redundant material from these cells, so if something goes wrong they usually catch it
males produce up to _____ sperm cells on daily basis, a lot of energy is required for this.
200 million
spermatid development
- meiotic division and the development of the secondary spermatocyte crossing over occurs between paired chromosomes
- the cytoplasm of spermatids is always joined until complete differentiation and sperm development has occurred
- half the spermatids have an X and half have a Y
why is it that the cytoplasm of spermatids is always joined until complete differentiation and sperm development has occurred?
the X chromosome contains essential elements for spermatogenesis
- they have to be joined until this differentiation is complete because of the genes on the X chromosomes
- Y would die without X