Reproductive System

•Most organ systems of the

body function to move and
maintain the well-being of
the individuals, keeping
the survival of the
individuals.
•Unlike other organ systems
of the body, however, the
principal function of the
reproductive systems in
both sexes is to produce
offspring, maintaining
the survival of human
being.
In both females and males, the primary sex organs, or gonads are
the testes in males and the ovaries in females.
Gonads produce the sex cells or gametes—the sperm in males and
the ovum (egg) in females.
The sperm meets with the ovum in the uterine tube of the female,
and fuse to form a fertilized egg (zygote ). Fertilized egg will be
transported into the uterus in female, in which it develops a fetus,
an new individual.
Besides producing sex cells, gonads also secrete sex hormones and
therefore function as endocrine glands.
Sex hormones secreted by gonad play vital roles in the development,
maintenance, and function of all sex organs.
Other hormones, secreted by the pituitary gland or hypophysis, also
influence reproductive functions.
 Differences between Reproductive
System and Other Organ Systems

First, the reproductive system does not become functional (dormant)

until it is “turned on” or “wake up” at puberty by the actions of sex
hormones. By contrast, all of the other organ systems are functional
at birth, or shortly thereafter or after that.
Second, although other organ systems exhibit slight sexual
differences, no other organ system approaches the level of
dissimilarity of the reproductive system. Because sexual
reproduction requires the production of two types of gametes or
sex cells, and human being has a male and female form, each of
which has its own unique reproductive system. The male and female
reproductive systems complement each other in their common
purpose of producing offspring.
Third, functionally, the chief function of the reproductive system is
to produce offspring, keeping the survival of the species. But other
organ systems function to move and maintain the survival of the
individual.
 Categories of Reproductive Organs
The organs of the reproductive system in both sexes can be
categorized on a functional basis as follows:
Primary sex organs. The primary sex organs are called gonads:
testes in male and ovaries in female. Gonads produce gametes, or
sex cells, and secrete sex hormones. The secretion of sex
hormones at appropriate times and in sufficient quantities causes
the development of the secondary sex organs and the expression
of secondary sex characteristics.
Secondary sex organs. Secondary sex organs are those structures
that are in caring for and transporting gametes, including the
gametes-transporting ducts, the accessory glands, and the
copulatory organ.
Secondary sex characteristics are features that are not essential for
the reproductive process but are generally considered sexual
attracts. In the male, they include body physique, beard or hairs of
beard, laryngeal prominence, and voice. In the female, they are
body physique, breasts, and voice.
The organs of the reproductive system in both sexes also can
be divided into internal genitalia and external genitalia according
to their locations in the body, each of which is subdivided into
several organs. The categories of reproductive organs based
on location are summarized as follows:
Gonad

Internal Transporting
genitalia ducts

Accessory
Reproductive gland
organs

External
genitalia
Male
Reproductive
System
 Summary to Male Reproductive Organs

Gonad Testes

Internal Epididymides
genitalia Transporting Ductus deferentia
ducts Ejaculatory ducts
urethra
Male Accessory
Bulburethral gland
reproductive gland
system

External Scrotum
genitalia
Penis
 Gonad — testes

The paired testes, one on each side, are located within the scrotum.
They produce sperm or spermatozoa and secrete androgens.
Androgens regulate spermatogenesis and the development and
functions of the secondary sex organs.
 Location

Located within the scrotum, the oval-shaped testis is enclosed

with a thin serous sac, which contains serous fluid.
Actually, this sac is part of the
peritoneal cavity, because it
develops as an outpocketing of
the abdominal peritoneal cavity
that precedes the descending
testes into the scrotum.
 Structures
Encapsulating the testis is
a tough fibrous
membrane, called the
tunica albuginea.
Inward extensions of the
tunica albuginea partion
the testis into 250 to 300
wedge-shaped
compartments called
lobules, each of which
contains 1 to 4 coiled
convoluted seminiferous
tubules.
Most of the convoluted
seminiferous tubules
are looped like hairpins.
Each seminiferous
tubule may exceed 70 cm in length if uncoiled.
•Mitosis of the epithelial cells of the seminiferous tubules produce
sperms. These proliferating cells move progressively into the lumen
of the seminiferous tubules. This process is called spermatogenesis.
•Sperms are produce at the rate of more than 100 million per day
throughout the life of a healthy, sexually mature male.
•Between the seminiferous tubules are specialized endocrine cells
called interstitial cells. The function of these cells is to produce
and secrete male sex hormones. The testes, therefore, are considered
as both gonad and endocrine glands because they produce both
sperm and androgens, male sex hormones.
•Posteriorly, the convoluted
seminiferous tubules of
each lobule converge to
form a tubulus rectus
(plural: tubuli recti).
•The tubuli recti convey
sperm into the rete testis in
the posterior part of the
testis.
•From the rete testis, sperms
leave the testis through
about a dozen efferent
ductules to enter the
epididymis for further
maturation.
 Epididymis

Location
•The comma-shaped epididymis arches over the posterior surface
of the testis within the scrotum.
 Structure

•Its upper expanded portion

is the head and contains
the efferent ductules, which
empty into the duct of the
epididymis in the body and
tail of the epididymis, a
highly coiled duct.
•The tapering middle section
is the body.
•The lower thin part is the
highly, coiled, tubular
tail, which contains
spermatozoa in their final
stage of maturation. The tail is continuous with the ductus deferens.
Both the tail and ductus deferens store spermatozoa to be
discharged during ejaculation.
•The immature, nearly immotile sperm that leave the testes are moved
slowly through the duct of the epididymis. During this journey,
which takes about 20 days, the sperm gain the ability to swim and
also the ability to fertilize the egg through the acrosome reaction
(the events of fertilization occur in the female’s uterine tube).
•These maturation processes are stimulated by proteins secreted by
the epididymis epithelium.
•Sperm are ejaculated from the epididymis, not directly from the testes.
At the beginning of ejaculation, the smooth muscle in the walls of
the epididymis contracts, expelling sperm from the tail of the
epididymis into the next segment of the duct system, the ductus
deferens.
•Sperm can be stored in the epididymis for several months, after which
time they are phagocytized by the epithelial cells of the duct of the
epididymis.
 Ductus deferens

•The ductus deferens, or vas deferens, a fibromuscular tube, is the

continuation of the duct of the epididymis, about 45 cm long.
•It conveys spermatozoa from the epididymis to the ejaculatory duct.
•At first, it ascends along the posterior side of the epididymis to exits
the scrum. And then, it ascends continuously in the spermatic cord
until reaches the external opening of the inguinal canal. From there,
It penetrates the inguinal canal, enters the pelvic cavity, and passes
to the side of the urinary bladder on the medial side of the ureter.
Its terminal portion is expanded, called the ampulla of ductus
deferens, and then joins with the duct of the seminal vesicle to form
the short ejaculatory duct.
•The ductus deferens
contains three layers
of tightly packed
smooth muscle.
•Stimulation of
sympathetic nerve
causes peristaltic
contraction of the
muscular layer, which
propels the stored
spermatozoa toward
the ejaculatory duct.
 Deferentectomy
or Vasectomy

•The commonly used

method of sterilizing
in males is
deferentectomy,
popularly called a
vasectomy.
•During this procedure the physician makes a small incision into both
sides of the scrotum, part of the ductus deferens is ligated and/or
excised. Hence, although sperm continue to be produced, the
ejaculated fluid from the seminal vesicles, prostate, and
bulbourethral glands contains no sperms. The unexpelled sperm
degenerate in the epididymis and the proximal part of the ductus
deferens.
Ejaculatory Duct

•The ejaculatory duct, about 2 cm long,

is formed by the union of the ductus
deferens and the duct of the seminal
vesicle, one on each side.
•They pass anteroinferiorly through the
posterior part of the prostate and open
by slit-like apertures into the posterior
wall of the prostatic urethra.
•The ejaculatory ducts receive secretion from the seminal vesicles
and sperm from the ductus deferens into the prostatic urethra to be
mixed with secretion of prostate gland.
 Seminal Vesicle

•The paired seminal vesicle are convoluted gland.

•They obliquely lie between the fundus of the bladder and the rectum
and superior to the prostate gland.
•They secrete a sticky, slightly alkaline, yellowish substance. This
secretion contains a variety of nutrients that provide an energy
source for spermatozoa and contribute to the motility and viability
of spermatozoa.
 Prostate Gland

•The prostate gland,

or simply prostate,
is the size and
shape of a
chestnut and lies
immediately
below the urinary
bladder, where it
surrounds the
prostatic part of the urethra.
•Its base is related to the neck of the bladder.
•Its apex rests on the urogenital diaphragm.
•Its anterior surface is separated from the pubic symphysis by
retroperitoneal fat in the retropubic space.
•Its posterior surface is related to the ampulla of the rectum.
•Its inferolateral surfaces are related to the levator ani.
•The prostate has a dense fibrous
capsule.
•External to its fibrous capsule is
a fibrous prostatic sheath, which
is formed by the visceral layer of
pelvic fascia.
•Although not clearly separated
anatomically, several lobes of the prostate are described.
•The anterior lobe, or isthmus, lies anterior to the urethra; it is
fibromuscular and contains little, if any, glandular tissue.
•The posterior lobe lies posterior to the urethra and inferior to the
ejaculatory ducts; it is readily palpable by digital rectal examination.
•The lateral lobes lie on either side of the urethra; they form the
major part of the prostate.
•The middle lobe lies between the urethra and the ejaculatory ducts
and is closely related to the neck of the bladder.
•Extensive bands of smooth muscle course throughout the prostate
to form a meshwork, supporting the glandular tissue.
•Contraction of the smooth muscle expels prostatic fluid from the
gland and provides part of the propulsive force needed to ejaculate
sperm.
•The 20-30 prostatic ducts open
into the prostatic part of the
urethra on its posterior wall.
•Prostatic fluid makes up about
40% of the volume of the
semen. Like the secretion of
the seminal vesicles, the
protatic fluid is a thin, milky
secretion.
•The prostatic secretion
enhances sperm cell motility
as clotting and liquefying
agents, its alkalinity protects sperm in their passage through the
acid environment of the female vagina.
•One of the enzymes that liquefy semen is prostate-specific antigen
(PSA); measuring the levels of PSA in a man’s blood is the most
important method of screening for prostate cancer.
 Benign Prostatic
Hyperplasia

A common, noncancerous
tumor called benign prostatic
hyperplasia (BPH) is
characterized by uncontrolled
growth in the deep, mucosal
glands in the prostate, and
by proliferation of some of
the nearby stroma cells.
About 50% of men at age 50
and 80% of men at age 70 develop BPH. Enlargement of the prostate
and contraction of its smooth musculature constrict the prostatic
urethra, making micturition difficult, and it can lead to urinary
retention, continual dribbling of urine, urinary tract infections, and
the formation of kidney stones.
 Bulbourethral Glands

•The bulbourethral glands are paired, pea-sized glands situated

posterolateral to the membranous part of the urethra, within the
urogenital diaphragm.
•Their ducts open through minute apertures into the proximal part
of the spongy urethra in the bulb of the penis.
•The mucus-like secretion of the bulbourethral glands enters the
urethra during sexual arousal and prior to ejaculation.
•This mucus-like secretion apparently coats the lining of the urethra to
neutralize the residue of acidic urine in the urethra and lubricates the
urethra to smooth the passage of semen during ejaculation. It also
lubricates the tip of the penis in preparation for coitus ( sexual
intercourse).
 Scrotum

•The scrotum is a sac of skin and superficial fascia, and is suspended

immediately behind the root of the penis.
•The function of the scrotum is to support and protect the testes and to
regulate temperature of the testes.
•The soft, textured skin of the scrotum is covered with sparse hairs in
mature males and is darker in color than most of the other skin of the
body. It also contains numerous sebaceous glands.
•A septum in the midline divides the scrotum into right and left halves,
providing one compartment for each testis.
•The scrotum responds
to changes in external
temperature. Under
cold conditions, the
testes are pulled up
toward the warm
body wall, and the of
the skin wrinkles to
increase its thickness
and reduce heat loss.
Under hot conditions,
the scrotal skin is flaccid and loose, and the testes hang low to
decrease its thickness and to increase the skin surface available for
cooling (sweating); this also moves the testes farther away from the
warm body wall.
•These actions responded
to changes in external
temperature are
performed by two muscles : The dartos and cremaster.
•The dartos is a layer f smooth muscle fibers within the superficial
fascia, and is responsible for wrinkling the scrotal skin.
•The cremaster is a small band of skeletal muscle extending
inferiorly through the spematic cord from the internal oblique, and
is responsible for elevating the scrotum.
•The temperature of the testes are maintained at about 35℃, about 3℃
cooler than the core body temperature, by the contraction or
relaxation of the dartos and cremaster. This temperature is optical
for the production and storage of spermatozoa.
•Why do doctors often recommend that men not wear tight underwear
or tight jeans if they want to father children? Tight clothing holds the
testes close to the warmth of the body, where higher temperatures
inhibit sperm production.
 Penis
•The penis when distended (erected), functions as the male organ of
sexual intercourse, and delivers sperm into the female reproductive
tract.
•The penis is suspended from the perineum, attached to the pubic
arches and the pubic symphysis by a suspensory ligament of penis.
Cutting this suspensory ligamen of may elongate the length of the
penis to some extent.
•The penis consists of an attached root and a free shaft or body that
ends in an enlarged tip called the glans penis.
•Internally, the penis is chiefly composed
of three cylindrical columns of erectile
tissue, one corpus spongiosum
ventrally located and two corpora cavernosa dorsally positioned.
•The corpus spongiosum surrounds the spongy urethra.
•Its terminal part expands to form the cone-shaped glans penis.
•Its proximal part of the corpus spongiosum is also enlarged to form
the bulb of penis (or urethra), into which the bulbourethral glands
open. This bulb is attached to the urogenital diaphragm and
enveloped by the bulbocavernosus.
•The two corpora cavernosa make up most of the mass of the penis,
and are enveloped with a coat, the tunica albuginea, which forms
a partition, called the septum penis.
•The posterior art of each corpus cavernosum is called the crus of
the penis, which is anchored to the pubic arch and covered by the
ischiocavernosus muscle on either side.
 •The penis is enveloped with
loose, pigmented skin.

•The skin covering the penis slides distally around the glans penis to
form a cuff, called the prepuce, or foreskin.
•On the undersurface of the glans penis, a vertical fold of tissue called
the frenulum attaches the glans penis to the skin covering the glans
penis. This frenulum can not be cut off during circumcision in males
with excess length of the prepuce.
 Erection of Penis
•The penis becomes engorged with blood for insertion into the vagina
during coitus. This process is called erection of the penis.
•Erection of the penis depends on the volume of blood that enters the
arteries of the penis filling the small spaces within the three columns
of erectile tissue as compared to the volume that exits through
venous drainage.
•Normally, there is an flow of blood throughout the penis.
•During sexual excitement, however, more blood enters the penis,
filling the small spaces of three columns of erectile tissue, and little
blood is drained out of the penis. These combined events cause
the spongy tissue of the corpora cavernosa and the corpus
spongiosum to become distended with blood and the penis to
become turgid. In this condition, the penis can be inserted into the
vagina of the female and functions as copulatory organ to
discharge semen.
 Male Perineum
•The male perineum is
the region between the
pubic arch anteriorly,
the coccyx posteriorly,
and the ischial
tuberosities laterally.
•The male perineum is
subdivided into a
urogenital triangle
in front and an
anal triangle in back
by the line connecting
the two ischial
tuberosities.
•The male perineum contains the scrotum, penis and anus. The
scrotum and penis are attached at the anterior part of the urogenital
triangle and the anus is located within the posterior portion of the
anal triangle.