The Male Reproductive System

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms related to the male reproductive system as discussed in the lecture.

Primary Sex Organs

The organs that produce gametes; in males, these are the testes.

Secondary Sex Organs

Organs other than gonads necessary for reproduction; in males, includes the system of ducts and glands.

Gonads

Reproductive organs that produce gametes; testes in males and ovaries in females.

Spermatozoon

The male gamete that has motility.

Ovum

The female gamete that provides nutrients for the developing embryo.

SRY Gene

The sex-determining region of the Y chromosome that initiates male sex determination by stimulating the development of testes.

Gubernaculum

Embryonic connective tissue that guides the descent of the gonads into the scrotum.

Testosterone

The primary male sex hormone secreted by the testes, responsible for the development of male secondary sex characteristics.

Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome

A condition where an individual is genetically male (XY) but has female physical traits due to a lack of response to testosterone.

Spermatogenesis

The process of sperm production in males, occurring in the seminiferous tubules of the testes.

Ejaculation

The expulsion of semen from the male reproductive tract during orgasm.

Cryptorchidism

A condition where one or both testes fail to descend into the scrotum.

Acrosome

An enzyme cap over the apical half of the nucleus of sperm that aids in penetrating the egg.

Semen

The fluid expelled during ejaculation, containing sperm and seminal plasma.

Puberty

The phase of development when reproductive organs mature and secondary sex characteristics develop.

Hormonal Control of Male Reproductive Function

Regulated by the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis involving GnRH, FSH, and LH.

Interstitial Cells

Cells located between seminiferous tubules in the testes that produce testosterone.

Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH)

Hormone released by the hypothalamus that stimulates the pituitary to release FSH and LH.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

Noncancerous enlargement of the prostate that can obstruct urine flow.

Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)

Infections that may arise as a complication due to BPH.