Male Reproductive System

Produce seminal plasma

What do the accessory sex glands function to do?

Fertile sperm

What is the product of the male reproductive system?

1 to 25 billion

How many sperm per day are produced by both testes

Testes

manufacture and assemble sperm

Head and body of the epididymis

Where do sperm undergo changes to become fertile (capacitation)

Caput

Head of the epididymis

Corpus

Body of the epididymis

Cauda

Tail of the epididymis

Tail of the epididymis

Where are fertile spermatozoa stored before ejaculation

epididymal duct, ductus deferens, pelvic urethra

What is the route that sperm are shipped through from the tail of the epididymis at sexual excitement?

spermatic cord, scrotum, testis, excurrent duct system, accessory sex glands, penis and muscles for protrusion, erection, and ejaculation

What are the six basic components of the male reproductive system?

Spermatogenesis

Detect females in estrus

Inseminate females and fertilize gametes

What are the functions of the male during reproduction?

using pheromones and visual cues

How do males detect females in estrus?

Spermatic cord

extending from the inguinal ring to the dorsal pole of the testis, suspends testis in scrotum

Cremaster muscle

muscle that supports testes in the spermatic cord

Pampiniform plexus

specialized vascular network in the spermatic cord that functions as a heat exchanger

Ductus deferens

passageway through spermatic cord for sperm transport

testicular vasculature, lymphatics, and nerves

cremaster muscle

pampiniform plexus

ductus deferens

What are the four components of the spermatic cord?

Scrotum

two lobed sac that acts as a thermosensor, radiator, and protection

skin

tunica dartos muscle

scrotal fascia

parietal vaginal tunic

What are the four layers of the scrotum?

3 to 5 degrees celsius below body temperature

What temperature is required for spermatogenesis to occur?

Location of testis

Low insulation

Sweat gland

Tunica dartos

External creamaster muscle

thermoreceptors

What are the scrotal properties that facilitate thermoregulation?

Tunica dartos

smooth muscle that lines the scrotal wall and maintains contractions for an extended period of time

External cremaster muscle

triggers a pumping action on the pampiniform plexus that pumps more blood through and increases cooling efficiency, short term elevation and contraction

Thermoreceptors

Nerves in the scrotum that control response to temperature of the testis

Hypothalamus

Where does the signal from thermosensitive neurons in the scrotum go to to activate a cooling response?

Increases

What does respiratory rate do when temperature of the scrotum increases?

Decreases

What does respiratory rate do when temperature of the scrotum decreases?

Pampiniform plexus

Single, convoluted artery that is surrounded by a network of veins and acts as a counter-current heat exchange system to cool arterial blood and transport testosterone

Testicular artery

allows airflow from scrotal skin to cool blood, also acting as a pulse pressure eliinator

Scrotum, testes, and spermatic cord

What parts of the male reproductive system are involved in thermoregulation?

Enhanced surface area contact

What allows exchange of temperature and testosterone between arteries and veins in the spermatic cord and testes?