What do the testes (testicles) produce?
Sex hormones and sperm
What are the slender ducts in which sperm is produced?
Seminiferous tubules –> 1 to 3 in each lobule
What cells does the Seminiferous Tubules Epithelium have?
- Germs cells in process of becoming sperm
- smaller number of sustentacular cells which support/protect germ cells, promote their development, and secrete inhibin which regulates sperm production
What is the Epididymis?
- Site of Sperm maturation and storage
what is the Ductus (Vas) Deferens?
- Where the duct of epididymis straightens inferiorly
What are the 3 regions of the male urethra?
- Prostatic Urethra in Prostate Gland
- Membraneous Urethra passing through pelvic floor
- Spongy urethra passing through penis
What does the Scrotum contain?
Testes, epididymis, and spermatic cord
What are the 4 components of the spermatic cord?
ductus deferens, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and nerves
What temperature does sperm production require?
Temperature 2 degrees C cooler than pelvic cavity
What does the Cremaster muscle of the spermatic cord do in response to cold?
Draws testes closer to the body
What is the Pampiniform Plexus?
Network of veins of spermatic cord
carries heat away from arterial blood
What are the seminal vesicles?
- Pair of glands on posterior urinary bladder
- Produce secretion forming 60% of semen
What is the prostate gland?
Surrounds urethra and ejaculatory duct
opens into prostatic urethra by pores in the urethra wall (milky secretion about 30% of semen)
What are the Bulbourethral Glands?
Spherical Glands
During intercourse, they produce the clear fluid (provides lubrication and neutralizes acidity of residual urine in urethra)
What is the corpus spongiosum?
- Passes along ventral side of penis
- Encloses urethra
- Expands at distal end to fill entire glans
What do ovaries produce?
Egg Cells and sex hormones
What are egg follicles?
- Place where egg develops inside ovary
- Released when follicle breaks (ovulation)
- ovary with bulges due to follicles
What are the uterine (Fallopian) Tubes?
- Muscular Canal
- extends from ovary to uterus
- Flares into infundibulum at distal end
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What does the Uterus do?
Harbors fetus and provides nutrition, expels fetus
What does the lower end of the uterus do?
- Communicates with vagina
- inhibits spread of microorganisms from vagina
What does the Uterine Wall consist of?
- Perimetrium –> Thin external serosa
- Myometrium –> thick layer of smooth muscle, responsible for labor contractions
- Endometrium –> Inner muscosa of simple columnar epithelium, site of attachment of embryo, forms part of the placenta in which fetus is nourished
What are the layers of the endoetrium?
- Functional, superficial layer which sheds during menstrual period
- Basal, Deeper layer which regenerates a new functional layer
The vagina allows for what?
- discharge of menstrual fluid
- Receipt of penis and semen
- Birth of baby
What tissue makes up the vagina?
Nonkeratiinized squamous epithelium
