the university of Georgia

Histology

Subject : male reporductive system

Alaa Eid Ug : 1702101

Arezo bahrami akbari Ug : 1701818

reproductive system

The main functions of the male reproductive system, are to produce spermatozoa,
androgens (sex hormones - principally testosterone) and to facilitate fertilisation, by
introducing spermatozoa into the femal genital tract .
The male reproductive system includes the testis, genital ducts, accessory sex glands and
penis.

functions

The purpose of the organs of the male reproductive system is to perform the following
functions:

1-To produce, maintain, and transport sperm (the male reproductive cells) and protective
fluid (seme)
2-To discharge sperm within the female reproductive tract during sex

3-To produce and secrete male sex hormones responsible for maintaining the male
reproductive system.

external male reproductive structures

Most of the male reproductive system is located outside of the man’s abdominal cavity or
pelvis. The external structures of the male reproductive system are the penis, the scrotum
and the testicles.

Penis : The penis is the male organ for sexual intercourse. It has three parts: the root, which
attaches to the wall of the abdomen; the body, or shaft; and the glans, which is the cone-
shaped end of the penis. The glans, which also is called the head of the penis, is covered
with a loose layer of skin called foreskin. (This skin is sometimes removed in a procedure
called circumcision.) The opening of the urethra, the tube that transports semen and urine,
is at the tip of the glans penis. The penis also contains a number of sensitive nerve endings.

The body of the penis is cylindrical in shape and consists of three internal chambers. These
chambers are made up of special, sponge-like erectile tissue. This tissue contains thousands
of large spaces that fill with blood when the man is sexually aroused. As the penis fills with
blood, it becomes rigid and erect, which allows for penetration during sexual intercourse.
The skin of the penis is loose and elastic to allow for changes in penis size during an
erection.

Semen, which contains sperm, is expelled (ejaculated) through the end of the penis when
the man reaches sexual climax (orgasm). When the penis is erect, the flow of urine is
blocked from the urethra, allowing only semen to be ejaculated at orgasm .

Scrotum : The scrotum is the loose pouch-like sac of skin that hangs behind the penis. It
contains the testicles (also called testes), as well as many nerves and blood vessels. The
scrotum has a protective function and acts as a climate control system for the testes. For
normal sperm development, the testes must be at a temperature slightly cooler than the
body temperature. Special muscles in the wall of the scrotum allow it to contract (tighten)
and relax, moving the testicles closer to the body for warmth and protection or farther away
from the body to cool the temperature.

Testicles (testes) :The testes are oval organs about the size of very large olives that lie in
the scrotum, secured at either end by a structure called the spermatic cord. Most men have
two testes. The testes are responsible for making testosterone, the primary male sex
hormone, and for producing sperm. Within the testes are coiled masses of tubes called
seminiferous tubules. These tubules are responsible for producing the sperm cells through a
process called spermatogenesis.

Epididymis : The epididymis is a long, coiled tube that rests on the backside of each
testicle. It functions in the carrying and storage of the sperm cells that are produced in the
testes. It also is the job of the epididymis to bring the sperm to maturity, since the sperm
that emerge from the testes are immature and incapable of fertilization. During sexual
arousal, contractions force the sperm into the vas deferens.

internal male reproductive organs

The internal organs of the male reproductive system, also called accessory organs, include
the following:

Vas deferens: The vas deferens is a long, muscular tube that travels from the epididymis
into the pelvic cavity, to just behind the bladder. The vas deferens transports mature sperm
to the urethra in preparation for ejaculation.

Ejaculatory ducts : These are formed by the fusion of the vas deferens and the seminal
vesicles. The ejaculatory ducts empty into the urethra.

Urethra : The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to outside of the
body. In males, it has the additional function of expelling (ejaculating) semen when the man
reaches orgasm. When the penis is erect during sex, the flow of urine is blocked from the
urethra, allowing only semen to be ejaculated at orgasm.

Seminal vesicles: The seminal vesicles are sac-like pouches that attach to the vas
deferens near the base of the bladder. The seminal vesicles produce a sugar-rich fluid
(fructose) that provides sperm with a source of energy and helps with the sperms’ motility
(ability to move). The fluid of the seminal vesicles makes up most of the volume of a man’s
ejaculatory fluid, or ejaculate.

Prostate gland : The prostate gland is a walnut-sized structure that is located below the
urinary bladder in front of the rectum. The prostate gland contributes additional fluid to the
ejaculate. Prostate fluids also help to nourish the sperm. The urethra, which carries the
ejaculate to be expelled during orgasm, runs through the center of the prostate gland.

Bulbourethral glands : The bulbourethral glands, or Cowper’s glands, are pea-sized

The sperm

About 300 million sperm (spermatozoa) are released in a total volume of 3ml, during
ejaculation. Sperm counts below 20 million per ml usually mean that the man is sterile. The
sperm are 'cut down' cells. They are adapted for speed by their long flagellum, and their
small cytoplasmic volume.

the main features of a spermatozoa:

The cytoplasms lacks most cytoplasmic organelles, but does contain:

mitochondria tightly packed into a sheath in the midpiece, which provide ATP for the
energy to drive the movement of the flagellum,the haploid nucleus, which contains
tightly packed DNA, and the acrosomal vesicle, which contains hydrolytic enzymes,
released when the sperm meets the egg.

Around 20% of the sperm are not perfect, but this does not affect fertility. 80% of seminal
volume contains fluid secretions from seminal vesicles and prostate.

Spermatogenesis
Spermatogenesis is the process by which haploid spermatozoa develop from germ cells in
the seminiferous tubules of the testis. This process starts with the mitotic division of the
stem cells located close to the basement membrane of the tubules. These cells are called
spermatogonial stem cells. The mitotic division of these produces two types of cells. Type A
cells replenish the stem cells, and type B cells differentiate into primary spermatocytes. The
primary spermatocyte divides Meiosis I into two secondary spermatocytes; each secondary
spermatocyte divides into two equal haploid spermatids by Meiosis II. The spermatids are
transformed into spermatozoa(sperm) by the process of spermiogenesis. These develop
into mature spermatozoa, also known as sperm cells. Thus, the primary spermatocyte gives
rise to two cells, the secondary spermatocytes, and the two secondary spermatocytes by
their subdivision produce four spermatozoa and four haploid cells.

Thank you
References
https://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/guide/male-reproductive-system
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9117-male-reproductive-system
https://www.histology.leeds.ac.uk/male/sperm.php
https://www.histology.leeds.ac.uk/male
http://www.histologyguide.com/slidebox/19-male-reproductive-system.html