Reproductive System

Unit 5
 Male and female reproductive systems and their hormones
 Physiology of menstruation
 Spermatogenesis & oogenesis and fertilization
 Pregnancy its maintenance and parturition
 Reproductive System
 The ability to reproduce is one of the properties which distinguishes
living from non-living matter
 The more primitive the animal, the simpler the process of reproduction
 In human beings the process is one of sexual reproduction in which the
male and female organs differ anatomically and physiologically
 Both males and females produce specialised reproductive germ cells,
called gametes
 The male gametes are called spermatozoa and the female gametes are
called ova
 They contain the genetic material, or genes, on chromosomes, which
pass inherited characteristics on to the next generation
 In other body cells there are 46 chromosomes arranged in 23 pairs but in
the gametes there are only 23, one from each pair
 Gametes are formed by meiosis
 When the ovum is fertilised by a spermatozoon the resultant zygote contains 23
pairs of chromosomes, one of each pair obtained from the father and one from
the mother
 The zygote embeds itself in the wall of the uterus where it grows and
develops during the 40-week gestation period before birth
Female reproductive system
Functions
 Formation of female gametes, ova
 Reception of male gametes, spermatozoa
 Provision of suitable environments for fertilisation of the ovum
by spermatozoa and development of the resultant fetus
 Parturition (childbirth)
 Lactation, the production of breast milk, which provides
complete nourishment for the baby in its early life
Male reproductive system

Functions
 Production of male gametes, spermatozoa
 Transmission of spermatozoa to the female
 Breast Female Reproductive Organ
 Ovary
 Uterine tube
 Uterus
 Vagina

 The female reproductive organs,

or genitalia, are divided into
 external organs and
 internal organs

Fig. The female reproductive organs

 External genitalia (Vulva)
 The external genitalia are known
collectively as vulva, and consist
of
 labia majora and
 labia minora,
 the clitoris,
 the vaginal orifice,
 the vestibule,
 the hymen and
 vestibular glands
Fig. External genitalia (vulva)
 Labia majora
 These are the two large folds forming the boundary of the vulva
 They are composed of skin, fibrous tissue and fat contain large number of sebaceous
glands
 Anteriorly the folds join in front of the symphysis pubis, and posteriorly they
merge with the skin of the perineum
 At the puberty, hair grows on the mons pubis and on lateral surface of labia majora
 Labia minora:
 These are two smaller folds of skin between the labia majora, containing
numerous sebaceous glands
 The cleft between the labia minora is the vestibule
 The vagina, urethra and ducts of the greater vestibular glands open into the vestibule
 Clitoris:
 The clitoris corresponds to the penis in male and contains sensory nerve endings and
erectile tissue , but it has no reproductive significance
 Hymen
 The hymen is a thin layer of mucous membrane that partially occludes the opening of
the vagina
 It is normally incomplete to allow for passage of menstrual flow

 Vestibular Glands:
 The vestibular glands (Bartholin’s glands) are situated one on each side near the vaginal
opening
 They are about the size of a small pea and have ducts, opening into the vestibule
immediately lateral to the attachment of hymen
 They secret mucus that keeps the vulva moist

 Perineum
 The perineum is the area extending from the base of the labia minora to the anal canal
 It is roughly triangular and consist of connective tissue, muscle and fat
 It gives attachment to the muscle of pelvic floor
 Blood supply, Lymph drainage and
Nerve
 The arterial supply: This is by brancsheus pfropmltyhe internal pudendal
arteries that branch from the internal iliac arteries and by external pudendal
arteries that branch from the femoral arteries

 The venous drainage: This forms a large plexus which eventually drains into
the internal iliac veins

 Lymph drainage: This is through the superficial inguinal nodes

 Nerve supply: This is by branches from pudendal nerves

Internal genitalia
 The internal organs of female reproductive system lie in pelvic cavity
and consist of
 Vagina
 Uterus
 Two uterine tubes and
 Two ovaries
Fig. The female reproductive organs in the pelvis
Fig : Internal Female Reproductive Organ
Vagina
 The vagina or birth canal is a fibromuscular tube lined with stratified
squamous epithelium, connecting the external and internal organs
of reproduction
 It runs obliquely upwards and backwards at an angle of about
45°between the bladder in front and rectum and anus behind
 In the adult the anterior wall is about 7.5 cm (3 inches) long and the
posterior wall about 9 cm long, difference is due to the angle of insertion of
the cervix through the anterior wall
 It has three layers:
1. Outer covering of areolar tissue
2. Middle layer of smooth muscle
3. Inner lining of stratified squamous epithelium that form the ridges
and rugae
 It has no secretory gland but the surface is kept moist by
cervical secretions
 Between puberty and menopause, Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria
are normally present, which secret lactic acid, maintaining the pH
between
4.9 and 3.5
 The acidity inhibits the growth of micro organism that may enter
the vagina from perineum

Functions of Vagina
 It acts as the receptacle for the penis during sexual intercourse (coitus)
 Provides an elastic passage way through which baby passes
during childbirth
Uterus
 The uterus (womb) is a hollow muscular pear shaped organ
flattened anteroposteriorly
 It lies in pelvic cavity between the urinary bladder and rectum
 When the body is upright, the uterus lies in an almost horizontal position
 It is about 7cm long,5 cm wide and its wall are about 2.5cm thick
 It weighs from 30 to 40 grams
 The parts of uterus are
 fundus
 body and
 cervix
 Fundus
 It is the dome shaped part the uterus above the opening of
the uterine tubes
 Body
 This is the main part
 It is narrowest inferiorly at the internal os where it is continuous
with the cervix
 Cervix (neck of uterus)
 this protrudes through the anterior wall of vagina, opening into it
at the external os
Structure
The wall of uterus are composed of three layers of tissue :
 perimetrium, myometrium and endometrium

 Perimetrium : peritoneum is distributed differently on various surfaces of the uterus

 Anteriorly it lies over the fundus and body where it is folded on upper surface of
urinary bladder, this fold of peritoneum forms the vesicouterine pouch
 Posteriorly the peritoneum covers the fundus, body and cervix , then it folds back
on to the rectum to form the rectouterine pouch (of Douglas)
 Laterally only the fundus is covered because the peritoneum forms a double
fold with the uterine tubes in the upper free border. This double fold is the
broad ligament which, at its lateral ends, attaches the uterus to the sides of the
pelvis
 Fig. The main ligaments supporting the uterus (one
Fig: Section of Uterus side)
Myometrium
 This is the thickest layer of the tissue in the uterine wall
 It is a mass of smooth muscle fibres interlaced with areolar tissue, blood vessels and nerve

Endometrium
 this consists of columnar epithelium containing a large number of mucus secreting
tubular glands
 It has two layers:
 Functional layer: is the upper layer and it thickens and becomes rich in blood vessels
in the first half of menstrual cycle. If ovum is not fertilized and does not implant this
layer is shed during menstruation
 The basal layer: it lies next to myometrium, and is not lost during menstruation. It
is the layer from which the fresh functional layer is regenerated during each cycle
 The upper two-thirds of the cervical canal is lined with this mucous membrane
Functions of uterus

 The prepare the uterus to receive, nourish and protect a fertilised ovum, to
prepare the bed for fertilized ovum
 To nourish the developing embryo during pregnancy
 To expel the fetus
 To provide blood flow to the ovaries
 To provide structural support to the bladder, bowel, pelvic bones and organ
Uterine tubes
 The uterine (fallopian) tubes are about 10 cm long and extend from the sides of
the uterus between the body and the fundus
 The end of each tube has fingerlike projections called fimbriae
 The longest of these is the ovarian fimbria, which is in close association with the
ovary
 Structure
 The uterine tubes have
 an outer covering of peritoneum,
 a middle layer of smooth muscle and
 inner layer are lined with ciliated epithelium
Parts of Fallopian Tube
The fallopian tube is described as having four parts (lateral to medial)

 Fimbriae- finger like, ciliated projections which capture the ovum from the
surface of the ovary

 Infundibulum- funnel shaped opening near the ovary to which fimbriae

are attached

 Ampulla -widest section of the uterine tubes, fertilization usually occurs here
 Isthmus- narrow section of the uterine tubes connecting the ampulla to the
uterine cavity
Functions

 The uterine tubes move the ovum from ovary to the uterus by peristalsis and
ciliary movement
 The mucus secreted by mucosa provides ideal conditions for the movement of OVA
and spermatozoa
 Fertilization of ovum usually takes place in uterine tube, and the zygote is
propelled into uterus for implantation
 Ovaries
 Ovaries are primary female reproductive organs
 Ovaries are the female gonads (glands
which produce sex hormones and
ova/oocyte/egg) and they lie on the lateral
walls of pelvis in ovarian fossa
 Each women has two ovaries, oval in shape
 They are 2.5 to 3.5 cm long, 2cm wide and 1
cm thick
 Each ovary is attached to the upper part of the
uterus by the ovarian ligament and to the back
of the broad ligament by a broad band of
tissue, the mesovarium
 Blood vessels and nerves pass to the ovary
through the mesovarium
Structure of ovaries
The ovaries have two layers of tissue:
Medulla
 This lies in the center and consists of fibrous tissue, blood vessels and
nerves Cortex
 This surrounds the medulla
 It has a framework of connective tissue or stroma covered by germinal epithelium
 It contains ovarian follicles in various stages of maturity, each of which contains
an ovum
 Before puberty the ovaries are inactive but the stroma already have
immature (primordial) follicles, which the female has from birth
 During childbearing years, about every 28 days, one ovarian follicle (Graafian
follicle) matures, ruptures and release its ovum into peritoneal cavity
 This is called ovulation and it occurs during most menstrual cycles
 B l o o d s
Ar te r ial su ppl y
upply, lymph drainage and nerve
supply
 This is by the ovarian arteries, which branch from the abdominal aorta just below
the renal arteries
Venous drainage
 This is into a plexus of veins behind the uterus from which the ovarian veins arise,
the right ovarian vein opens into the inferior vena cava and the left into the left renal
vein
Lymph drainage
 This is to the lateral aortic and preaortic lymph nodes, the lymph vessels follow
the same route as the arteries
Nerve supply
 The ovaries are supplied by parasympathetic nerves from the sacral outflow
and sympathetic nerves from the lumbar outflow
 Following ovulation the ruptured follicle develops into corpus luteum (yellow body),
which in turn will leave a small permanent scar of fibrous tissues called corpus
albicans on the surface of ovary

Functions
 Production of female gametes (Ova)
 Production of female steroid hormone (estrogen and progesterone)
 The source of these hormone is follicle itself
 While the ovum is developing the follicle release increasing amount of oestrogen
Fig. A section of an ovary showing the stages of development of one ovarian follicle
 Oogenesis is the process ifemale gametes ie. ova
O o g e n e s
of fo rm a tio n o f
 Oogenesis is the type of gametogenesis through which ova, also
called the female gametes are formed and the produced female
gamete i.e ovum
 There are three phases to oogenesis
1. Multiplication phase
2. Growth phase
3. Maturation phase
1. Multiplication Phase
 During foetal development, it should be noticed that certain cells
present in the germinal epithelium of the female ovary are bigger
than others
 Hence, these cells split by mitosis, creating a couple of million
oogonia or mother egg cells in each ovary present in the foetus
 There are no more oogonia which are formed or augmented after birth
2. Growth Phase:
 This tends to be very long phase
 The oogonium nurtures into bigger primary oocytes
 After this, each primary oocyte gets surrounded by a granulosa
cells layer to create primary follicle
 Later, a large number of follicles get debased during the duration
from birth to puberty
 Therefore, at puberty around 60,000 to 80,000 primary follicles can
be found in each ovary
3. Maturation phase
 Every primary oocyte experiences two maturation divisions
 Considering the first meiotic division, the primary oocyte segregates
into two uneven haploid daughter cells
 These are known as the large secondary oocyte and a first polar body
 The follicle cells surrounding the primary follicle develop into
secondary follicle
 The follicle layer of secondary oocyte thickens to from tertiary follicle
and folds to from graafian follicle
 When the graafian follicle become matures it will move towards surface
of ovary wall and rupture to release the secondary oocyte (n)
 The secondary oocytes that has complete meiosis II when it is fertilized
by a sperm (n)
 The final product of meiosis II is the ovum and second polar body
This primary oocyte gets dephased at meiosis I, at Prophase I

This Secondary oocyte gets dephased at meiosis II, at

metaphase II
Menstrual cycle
 This is a series of events, occurring regularly in females every 26 to
30 days throughout the childbearing period of about 36 years
 The cycle consists of a series of changes that take place concurrently
in the ovaries and uterine walls, stimulated by changes in the blood
concentrations of hormones
 Hormones secreted in the cycle are regulated by negative
feedback mechanisms
 The hypothalamus secretes luteinising hormone releasing
hormone (LHRH) which stimulates the anterior pituitary to secrete
 Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), which promotes the maturation
of ovarian follicles and the secretion of oestrogen, leading to
ovulation
 Luteinising hormone (LH), which triggers ovulation, stimulates the
development of the corpus luteum and the secretion of
progesterone
 The hypothalamus responds to changes in the blood levels of
oestrogen and progesterone
 It is switched off by high levels and stimulated when they are low
 The average length of the menstrual cycle is about 28 days
 By convention the days of the menstrual cycle are numbered from the
beginning of the
 Menstrual phase (lasts about 4 days)
 Proliferative phase (about 10 days),
 Secretory phase (about 14 days)
Phases of menstrual cycle

The four phases of menstrual cycle are

1. Menstruation
2. The follicular phase
3. Ovulation
4. The luteal phase
1. Menstruation
 Menstruation is the elimination of the thickened lining of the uterus (from the
body through thevagina
 Menstrual fluid contains blood, cells from the lining of the uterus (endometrial
cells) and mucus
 The average length of a period is between three days and one week
 When the ovum is not fertilised, the corpus luteum starts to degenerate
 In the event of pregnancy, the corpus luteum is supported by human chorionic
gonadotrophin (hCG) secreted by the developing embryo
 Progesterone and oestrogen levels therefore fall, and the functional layer of the
endometrium, which is dependent on high levels of these ovarian hormones, is shed
in menstruation
2. Follicular phase
 The follicular phase starts on the first day of menstruation and ends with ovulation
 Prompted by the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland releases follicle stimulating
hormone(FSH)
 FSH stimulates the ovary to produce around five to 20 follicles (tiny nodules or
cysts), which bead on the surface and each follicle houses an immature egg
 Usually, only one follicle will mature into an egg, while the others die
 This can occur around day 10 of a 28 day cycle
 The growth of the follicles stimulates the lining of the uterus to thicken in
preparation for possible pregnancy
3. Ovulation
 Ovulation is the release of a mature egg from the surface of the ovary
 This usually occurs mid cycle around two weeks or so before menstruation starts
 During the follicular phase, the developing follicle causes a rise in the level of oestrogen
 The hypothalamus in the brain recognises these rising levels and releases a chemical
called gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH)
 This hormone prompts the pituitary gland to produce raised levels of
luteinising hormone (LH) and FSH
 Within two days, ovulation is triggered by the high levels of LH
 The egg is funnelled into the fallopian tube and toward the uterus by waves of
small, hair like projections
 The life span of the typical egg is only around 24 hours
 Unless it meets a sperm during this time, it will die
4. Luteal Phase
 The luteal phase happens in the second part of the menstrual cycle
 It begins around day 15 of a 28-day cycle and ends when menstruation starts
 The luteal phase prepares the uterus for pregnancy by thickening the uterine lining
 Immediately after ovulation, the lining cells of the ovarian follicle are stimulated by
LH to develop the corpus luteum, which produces progesterone and some oestrogen
 Under the influence of progesterone the endometrium becomes oedematous and
the secretory glands produce increased amounts of watery mucus
 This is believed to assist the passage of the spermatozoa through the uterus to
the uterine tubes where the ovum is usually fertilised
 The ovum may survive in a fertilisable form for a very short time after
ovulation, probably as little as 8 hours
 The spermatozoa, deposited in the vagina during coitus, may be capable of
fertilising the ovum for only about 24 hours although they may survive for several
days
 If the ovum is not fertilised menstruation occurs and a new cycle begins
Fig. Female reproductive hormones and target tissues
 Puberty is the age at
P u b e r t y i n t h e f e mrganaslreeach maturity
wh ich t he in te r nal r epr o du ctiv e o
 This is called the menarche, and marks the beginning of the childbearing period
 The ovaries are stimulated by the gonadotrophins from the anterior pituitary,
follicle stimulating hormone and luteinising hormone
 The age of puberty varies between 10 and 14 years and a number of physical and
psychological changes take place at this time:
 the uterus, the uterine tubes and the ovaries reach maturity
 the menstrual cycle and ovulation begin (menarche)
 the breasts develop and enlarge
 pubic and axillary hair begins to grow
 there is an increase in the rate of growth in height and widening of the pelvis
 there is an increase in the amount of fat deposited in the subcutaneous tissue,
especially at the hips and breasts
Pregnancy and Parturition:
 Pregnancy is actually a pretty complicated process that has several steps
 It all starts with sperm cells and an egg

 Sperm are microscopic cells that are made in testicles

 Sperm mixes with other fluids to make semen, which comes out of the penis
during ejaculation
 Millions and millions of sperm come out every time of ejaculation but it only takes
1 sperm cell to meet with an egg for pregnancy to happen

 Eggs live in ovaries, and the hormones that control menstrual cycle cause a few eggs
to mature every month
 When the egg is mature, it is ready to be fertilized by a sperm cell
 These hormones also make the lining of uterus thick and spongy, which makes
body ready for pregnancy
 About halfway through the menstrual cycle, one mature egg leaves the ovary
called ovulation and travels through the fallopian tube towards the uterus
 If semen gets in the vagina, the sperm cells can swim up through the cervix and
uterus and into the fallopian tubes, looking for an egg
 If the ovum is fertilised there is no breakdown of the endometrium and no
menstrual flow
 The fertilised ovum (zygote) travels through the uterine tube to the uterus where it
becomes embedded in the wall and produces human chorionic gonadotrophin
(hCG), which is similar to anterior pituitary luteinising hormone
 This hormone keeps the corpus luteum intact, enabling it to continue secreting
progesterone and oestrogen for the first 3 to 4 months of the pregnancy, inhibiting
the maturation of further ovarian follicles
 During that time the placenta develops and produces oestrogen, progesterone
and gonadotrophins
 When a sperm cell joins with an egg, it’s called fertilization and zygote is formed
 If a sperm cell does join up with the egg, the fertilized egg moves down the fallopian
tube toward the uterus
 It begins to divide into more and more cells and formed 8 cells structure on 4th
day called morula
 The morula gets cleavage and attached into gets to the uterus called a blastocyst about
7 days after fertilization
 The ball of cells floats in the uterus for another 2 - 3 days
 If the ball of cells attaches to the lining of your uterus, it’s called implantation -
when pregnancy officially begins and the cell is called embryo until 11 weeks of
pregnancy and after that it is called fetus
 Implantation usually starts about 6 days after fertilization, and takes about 3 - 4 days
to complete
 The embryo develops from cells on the inside of the ball
 The placenta develops from the cells on the outside of the ball and it grows until
40 weeks
 The placenta is responsible for production of progesterone, oestrogen hormones
and also for supplying oxygen and nutrient to foetus and removing the wastages
from foetus
 When a fertilized egg implants in the uterus, it releases pregnancy hormones that
prevent the lining of your uterus from shedding that’s why people don’t get
periods when they’re pregnant
 After 40 weeks the baby may come out and this period from fertilization to birth
is called gestation period (280 days)
 Foetal membrane
 Amnion : Innermost membrane,
containing amniotic fluid to
protect embryo from mechanical
shock and maintain proper
pressure

 Chorion and allantois :

They provide nourishment
and removes wastage

 Yolk sac : it is the region

of formation of blood
cells
 P a r t u r i tio n ( C
 After gestational perio d t he b a by g e t s ou t fr o m
htheilmdobthierr wthom)bs that is called
parturition
 Parturition is the process of childbirth or delivery of a baby
 It marks the end of pregnancy when the fetus is expelled from the uterus
 This is stimulated by hormone oxytocin
 Occurs in three stages
1. Dilation of cervix
 The cervix is pushed by the baby heads and the cervix gets dilated
 This stage begins with the onset of labour and continues until the cervix is
completely dilated
 Dilation is divided into two phases:
 Latent Phase: When the cervix dilates 0-4 cm, takes around 6 hours
 Active Phase: The cervix dilates by 4-10 cm, the cervix dilates at a rate of about
1 cm per hour
2. Expulsion of fetus
 The brain gets the impulses and activated posterior pituitary to
produce the hormone oxytocin
 This hormone cause the contraction of the uterus and pusses the baby out
 This stage starts at full dilation and continues until birth, this stage is
also divided into two phases:
 Passive Phase: In this phase, the baby’s head starts moving out of the
vagina
 Active Phase: In this phase, the mother contracts the abdominal
muscles along with the uterine contractions
 This stage ends with the childbirth and the umbilical cord is clamped
3. The delivery of placenta
 The remaining placental tissues are expelled out after the baby gets
out from vagina
 The placenta gets out because it is no longer required in the
mother body
 In this stage, the placenta is removed and the contractions of
uterus decrease simultaneously
The female hormones involved in parturition include
 Estrogen: This plays a major role in uterine contractions
 Oxytocin: It helps in the uterine contractions during parturition and the
release of milk during breastfeeding
 Relaxin: It relaxes the pelvic ligaments and widens the cervix
 Prostaglandin: It is synthesized within the amnion and chorion and
facilitates cervix ripening, changing the membrane structures and
contraction of the myometrium
 Hormones involved in female reproductive
Estrogen system
 Estrogens are secreted in large quantities by the ovaries, even though some
estrogen is also secreted by the adrenal cortices
 Estrogens are essential for the proliferation and growth of cells in the ovary that
determine the secondary sexual characteristics in the female
 There are three estrogens that are secreted in significant amounts in the body;
 β-estradiol,
 estrone, and
 estriol
 The β-estradiol is the most synthesized estrogen in the ovary, but some
amount of estrone is also secreted
 Estrogen plays a major role in uterine contractions
Progesterone
 Progesterone is the most important progestin produced by the ovaries
 Progesterone mainly functions to prepare the uterus during
pregnancy and the mammary glands for lactation
 In nonpregnant women, progesterone is secreted in significant
amounts only during the second half of the ovarian cycle
 At this time, progesterone is secreted by the corpus luteum
 Some amount of progesterone is also secreted by the placenta
during pregnancy at about the fourth month of pregnancy
Male reproductive system
 Testis
 Accessory ducts
 Glands
 External genitalia
Scrotum

 The scortum is a pouch of deeply pigmented skin, fibrous and

connective tissue and smooth muscle
 It is divided into two compartments each of which contains one
testis, one epididymis and the testicular end of of a spermatic cord
 It lies below the symphysis pubis, in front of the upper parts of the
thigh and behind the penis
 The testes are the reproductive
Te s t e s
gla n d s of the male and are the
equivalent of the ovaries in female
 They are about 4.5cm long,2.5cm wide and 3cm thick and are
suspended in the scrotum by the spermatic cords
 It lies below the abdominal cavity because it is responsible for
forming spermatozoa and for the formation of spermatozoa it
requires 2 - 3 degree less temperature than the body has
 Testis is surrounded by three layers of tissue
 Tunica vaginalis
 Tunica albuginea
 tunica vasculosa
 T u n i c a v a g in a l i s
 This is a double membran e, for m in g the o u ter co ve r in g of the

testis
 It is a downgrowth of the abdominal and pelvic peritoneum
 During early fetal life the testes develop in the lumbar regions of the
abdominal cavity just below the kidneys
 Then they descend into the scrotum,taking with them coverings of peritoneum
,blood and lymph vessels,nerves and the deferent duct
 The peritoneum eventually surrounds the testes in the scrotum and
become detached from the abdominal peritoneum
 Descent of the testes into the scrotum should be complete by the 8th month of
fetal life
Tunica albuginea
 This is a fibrous covering beneath the tunica vaginalis that surrounds the testes
 Ingrowths form septa,dividing the glandular structure of the testis into lobules

Tunica vasculosa
 This consists of a network of capillaries supported by delicate connective tissue
 S t r u c t ulobruelesoanfd tweithsintiesach
 In each testis are 200 to 300 t es ti cu la r

lobule are 1 to 3
convoluted loops composed of germinal epithelial cells called seminiferous tubules (ST)
 The seminiferous tubules contain two types of cells called male germ cells and
Sertoli cells
 The male germ cells produce spermatozoa while the Sertoli cells gives nutrient to
spermatozoa
 Between the ST are groups of interstitial cells(of leydig) that secrete the
hormone testosterone after puberty
 The sperm is produced inside ST and moves outward through rete testis and to the
efferent duct
 At the upper pole of testis,the tubules combine to form a single tubule
called epididymis
 It leaves the scrotum as the deferent duct(vas deferens) in the spermatic cord
 Blood and lymph vessels pass to the testis in the spermatic cord
 S p e r m
 The process of formation of sp er m s
a t o g e n e s i s
is ca l led s pe rm a to g enesis
 It occurs in the male gonads testis
 Testes are made up of many seminiferous tubules lined by germinal epithelium
 Cells of this layer divide to form spermatozoa in the following steps:
1. Multiplication Phase
 At maturity, the primordial germ cells divide by mitosis to produce a large number of
spermatogonia
 Type A spermatogonia is the stem cells which divide to form spermatogonia
 Type B spermatogonia are the precursors of sperms
2. Growth Phase
 Type B spermatogonium actively grows to a primary spermatocyte
 It obtains nourishment from the nursing cells
3. Maturation Phase
 Each primary spermatocyte undergoes two maturation divisions
 The first maturation division is reductional and forms two haploid daughter
cells called secondary spermatocytes (Miosis I)
 Both secondary spermatocytes then undergo second maturation division to
form four haploid spermatids (Miosis II)

4. Spermiogenesis
 It is the process of transformation of spermatid to a spermatozoan
 The spermatozoa are then known as sperms
 The four spermatid becomes the head of the sperm, the Golgi apparatus,
containing proteolytic enzymes, becomes the acrosome cap
Structure of Sperm
 A mature human sperm cell has snake like structure
 It has following parts head, neck, middle piece and tail.
Head:
 It is spherical in shape consisting of large nucleus and a dome shaped
acrosome present on the nucleus
 Function: Nucleus contain genetic information and half number of chromosomes
 The acrosome releases a hyaluronidase enzyme which destroys the hyaluronic acid
of the ovum and enters into the ovum

Neck:
 It contains centrioles which are proximal centriole and distal centriole
 Function: Distal centriole gives rise to axial filament of the sperm which runs up to the
end of the tail
Middle piece
 It is tubular structure in which mitochondria are spirally arranged
 Function: Middle piece is called power house of sperm because it gives energy
to the sperm to swim in the female genital tract

Tail
 It arises from middle piece and it is the end part of the sperm
 It contains axial filaments
 Function: Tail helps the sperm to swim in the female genital tract
 It is the main part of sperm to move
 Spermatic cord
 The spermatic cord suspend the testes in the scrotum
 Each cord contains a testicular artey,testicular veins,lymphatics, a deferent duct
and testicular nerves which come together to form the cord from their various
origins in the abdomen
 The cord which is coverd in a sheath of smooth muscle and connective and
fibrous tissue,extends through the inguinal wall and is attached to the testis at
posterior wall
 Seminal vesicles
 The seminal vesicles are small fibromuscular pouches lined with
columnar epithelium lying on the posterior aspect of the bladder
 At its lower end each seminal opens into a short duct,which joins with
the corresponding deferent duct to form an ejaculatory duct
 The seminal vesicles contract and expel their stored contents, seminal fluid,
during ejaculation
 Seminal fluid, which forms 60% of the bulk of the fluid, contains nutrient to
support sperm when sperm passing through female reproductive tract
 seminal vesicles leaves semen slightly alkaline, or basic
 This alkalinity helps protect sperm and prolong their life after they are deposited
in the acidic environment of the vagina
 Ejaculatory ducts
 The ejaculatory ducts are formed by the union of duct from a seminal vesicle
and deferent duct
 They pass through the prostate gland and join the prostatic urethra
 Ejaculatory duct carries seminal fluid and spermatozoa to the urethra
 The ejaculatory ducts are composed of the same layers of tissue as the seminal
vesicles
 Prostate gland
 The prostate gland lies in the pelvic cavity in front of the rectum and behind
the symphysis pubis
 Prostate gland surrounds the first part of the urethra
 It consists of outer fibrous covering, a layer of smooth muscle and
glandular substance composed of columnar epithelial cells
 The prostate gland secretes a thin, milky fluid that makes up about 30% of
semen, and gives it its milky appearance
 It contains a clotting enzyme, which thickens the semen in the vagina, increasing the
likelihood of semen being retained close to the cervix and helps to propel the
semen towards urethral ducts
 U r e t h r a
 The male urethra provides a comm on p a th w ay for the flow of urine and

semen, the
combined secretions of the male reproductive organs
 It is about 19 to 20 cm long
 It consists of three parts
 Prostatic urethra,membraneous urethra,spongiose or penile urethra
 Prostatic urethra originates at the urethral orifice of the bladder and passes
through the prostate gland
 Membraneous urethra is the shortest and narrowest part and extend from
the prostate gland to the bulb of the penis, after passing through the perineal
membrane
 Spongiose or penile urethra lies within the corpus spongiosum of the penis
and terminates at the external urethral orifice in the glans penis
 Urethral sphincters
 There are two urethral sphincters
 The internal sphincter consists of smooth muscle fibres at the neck of the
bladder above the prostate gland
 The external sphincter consists of skeletal muscle fibres surrounding
the membraneous part
 The penis has a root and a body
Penis
 The root lies in the perineum and the body surrounds the urethra
 It is formed by three cylindricial masses of erectile tissue and smooth muscle
 The erectile tissue is supported by fibrous tissue and covered with skin and has
a rich blood supply
 The two lateral columns are called the corpora cavernosa and the column
between them,containing the urethra is the corpus spongiosum
 At its tip ,it is expanded into a triangular structure known as glans penis
 Just above the glans the skin is folded upon itself and forms a movable
double layer,the foreskin or prepuce
 Blood supply of penis
 Arterial blood is supplied by deep,dorsal and bulbar arteries of the penis which
are branches from the internal pudental arteries
 A series of veins drain blood to the internal pudendal vein and internal veins

Nerve supply
 The penis is supplied by autonomic and somatic nerves
 Parasympathetic stimulation leads to filling of the spongy erectile tissue with
blood caused by arteriolar dilation and venoconstriction which increases blood
flow into the penis
 Ejaculation
 During ejaculation,spermatozoa are expelled from the epididymis and pass
through the deferent duct,the ejaculatory duct and the urethra
 The semen is propelled by powerful rhythmical contraction of smooth muscle in
the walls of the deferent duct
 Muscle in the walls of the seminal vesicles and prostate gland also contracts,adding
their content to the fluid passing through the genital ducts
 The force generated by these process leads to emission of the semen through
the external urethral sphincter
 Sperm comprise only 10% of the final ejaculate,the remainder being made up of
seminal and prostatic fluid
Seminal fluid
 Between 2 to 5ml of semen are produced in a normal ejaculate
 It contains between 40 and 100 million of spermatozoa per ml
 P u b e r t y in male
 This occurs between the ag es o f 1 0 a n d 14
 Luteinising hormone from the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland stimulates the
interstitial cells of the testes to increase the production of testosterone
 This hormone influences the development of the body to sexual maturity

Changes occuring at puberty

 Growth of muscle and bone and a marked increase in height and weight
 Enlargement of the larynx and deepening of the voice
 Growth of hair on the face ,axillae,chest,abdomen and pubis
 Enlargement of the penis ,scrotum and prostate gland
 Maturation of the seminiferous tubules and production of spermatozoa
 The skin thickens and becomes oilier
 The secretion of testosterone gradually declines,usually begins at about 50 years
Testosterone
Hormones of Testes
 It is the primary sex hormone in men that is secreted by the interstitial cell
of Leydig cells of the testes
 It is the most abundant male hormone secreted by the testes, much of
which is converted into the active hormone dihydrotestosterone once they
reach the target cells
 It is responsible for the sexual characteristics in males, which defines
the masculine body
 Some testosterone is even produced during the fetal stage once the
testes are stimulated by the chorionic gonadotrophin from the placenta
 Even though testosterone is a sex hormone, it also helps in general
body functions by increasing
 protein formation
 muscle build-up
 red blood cells, and
 basal metabolic rate in the body
 The synthesis and release of testosterone in the body are regulated
by the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone of the hypothalamus, which
influences the luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone
of the pituitary gland