What composes the duct system in males?
What composes the duct system in females?
What is the indifferent stage of development?
-The gonad and duct system at the point which it is the same regardless of sex
When does structural development of the genitalia occur and how does this differ from functional development and maturation?
- Functional development and maturation continues after birth
What is meant by sexual maturation?
- Sexual maturation occurs as puberty and development of secondary sexual characteristics
State the secondary sexual characteristics which occur in males
State the secondary sexual characteristics which occur in females
What is the urogenital ridge?
-Region of intermediate mesoderm which gives rise to the embryonic kidney and the gonad
What tissues contribute to the gonad?
- Primordial germ cells (extragonadal)
What are primordial germ cells? How do they contribute to the gonad?
On a genetic level, what drives development of the male?
-Expression of SRY genes in primordial germ cells
Which structures do SRY genes affect?
What affect does SRY have on the gonads?
-Causes differentiation into testis by development of medullary cords, no cortical cord development and thickening of the tunica albuginea
What determines the sex of an embryo?
-What chromosome the male gamete is carrying
How does the absence of a Y chromosome influence an indifferent gonad?
Why is it important that an ovary doesnt have a thick tunica albuginea?
Allows ova to be released
What are the names of the two duct systems involved in genital development?
- Paramesonephric (mullarian)
Where do the mesonephric and paramesonephric ducts end?
-Cloaca
As well as gonadal function, what do the mesonephric ducts function to do?
-Embryonic kidney
What is the cloaca?
-The point at which the reproductive, gastrointestinal and urinary tracts end early in development
What is the urogenital sinus?
-Structure which forms from the hind gut by the urorectal septum and makes the future bladder and urethra (plus prostate in males and vagina in females)
Describe the development of the bladder and urethra from the urogenital sinus in the male
Describe the development of the bladder and urethra from the urogenital sinus in the female
Where are the paramesonephric ducts and where do they come from?
-Appear from invaginations of the urogenital ridge and are lateral to the mesonephric ducts