Human A&PBIO 304 · American River College ← Week 08 pre-work

BIO 304 · Week 08 · Interactive Workbook

Male Reproductive System

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Part 1 of 4 · Recall

Fill in the blanks

Type the term that completes each statement, using the word bank. Pull it from memory first.

Word bank

GlansBulbourethral (Cowper) glandsVolumeTailUrethraEpididymisInguinal canalSpermatidsAnterior pituitaryTestesLeydig (interstitial) cellsSeminiferous tubuleTestosteroneSpermatogoniaSecondary characteristics

  1. paired gonads outside body in scrotum (~2°C cooler for spermatogenesis)
  2. fetal descent path; vulnerable to hernia
  3. site of spermatogenesis
  4. storage & maturation (sperm gain motility here)
  5. prostatic → membranous → spongy; final passage out
  6. pre-ejaculate; neutralizes urethra; lubrication
  7. tip; head of penis
  8. germ-cell stem cells at outer wall of tubule
  9. after meiosis II; haploid
  10. outside tubules; make testosterone in response to LH
  11. flagellum; whip-like motion
  12. GnRH triggers LH and FSH
  13. negative feedback on GnRH and LH; also pubertal changes
  14. facial/body hair, deep voice, muscle mass, bone density
  15. 2-5 mL per ejaculate

Define it: high-yield vocabulary

Write a clear definition in your own words for each term.

  1. Testes
  2. Seminiferous tubules
  3. Spermatogenesis
  4. Sertoli cells
  5. Leydig (interstitial) cells
  6. Epididymis
  7. Vas deferens
  8. Prostate
  9. Semen
  10. Testosterone
  11. FSH
  12. LH
  13. Inhibin

Part 2 of 4 · Anatomy lab

Draw and label

Box A. Male reproductive system (sagittal section)

Directions

  1. Draw a side view of the male pelvis.
  2. Show the testis hanging in the scrotum (outside the body cavity to keep cooler).
  3. Inside the testis, show coiled seminiferous tubules.
  4. Outside the testis but attached to it, draw the epididymis (a tightly coiled tube on the posterior surface).
  5. From the epididymis, draw the vas deferens (ductus deferens) ascending up out of the scrotum, looping behind the bladder.
  6. Show three accessory glands: seminal vesicles (paired, posterior to bladder), prostate gland (encircling the urethra just below the bladder), bulbourethral (Cowper's) glands (small, below the prostate).
  7. Show the ducts of the seminal vesicle joining the vas deferens to form the ejaculatory duct, which passes through the prostate and joins the urethra.
  8. Finally, show the urethra exiting through the penis. Label.
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Your uploaded drawing for Box A. Male reproductive system (sagittal section)

Box B. Seminiferous tubule with spermatogenesis

Directions

  1. Draw a cross-section of one seminiferous tubule (round shape with a lumen).
  2. Show developing sperm cells in a progression from the OUTSIDE (basement membrane) to the INSIDE (lumen).
  3. Outermost: spermatogonia (diploid stem cells, 2n). Label.
  4. Inward: primary spermatocytes (2n, undergoing meiosis I). Label.
  5. Further inward: secondary spermatocytes (haploid, n, after meiosis I). Label.
  6. Closer to lumen: spermatids (n, after meiosis II). Label.
  7. At the lumen edge: spermatozoa (mature sperm with head, midpiece, tail). Label.
  8. Add Sertoli cells (sustentacular cells) reaching from the basement membrane to the lumen, supporting and nurturing developing sperm. Label.
  9. Between tubules, add Leydig cells (interstitial cells) which produce testosterone. Label.
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Your uploaded drawing for Box B. Seminiferous tubule with spermatogenesis

Structures to label

Label each on your drawing.

  1. Testis
  2. Seminiferous tubule
  3. Epididymis
  4. Vas deferens (ductus deferens)
  5. Ejaculatory duct
  6. Seminal vesicle
  7. Prostate gland
  8. Bulbourethral gland
  9. Urethra
  10. Penis
  11. Scrotum
  12. Spermatogonium
  13. Primary spermatocyte
  14. Secondary spermatocyte
  15. Spermatid
  16. Spermatozoon
  17. Sertoli cell
  18. Leydig cell

Part 3 of 4 · Physiology lab

Reason it through

A. Trace a sperm cell from production to ejaculation

Explain the main structure-function relationship for this topic.

B. Synthesis

1. A vasectomy involves cutting and tying the vas deferens. Predict (a) whether sperm production continues, (b) whether ejaculation still occurs, (c) what is missing from the ejaculate. Why does the procedure not affect testosterone levels?
2. Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis: GnRH releases LH and FSH, which act on the testis. LH stimulates Leydig cells (testosterone), FSH stimulates Sertoli cells (sperm maturation). Predict the effects of (a) anabolic steroid abuse, which raises external testosterone, on natural testosterone production and sperm count.
3. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is enlargement of the prostate, common in older men. Given the prostate's anatomical position (encircling the urethra), predict the patient's urinary symptoms and explain the mechanism.

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