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Human A&P BIO 304 · American River College ← Course home (Week 8)

BIO 304 . WEEK 8 . THURSDAY . LAB WORKBOOK

Male Reproductive System

Testes, accessory glands, spermatogenesis, and hormonal control.

Print this page. You will draw your own diagrams from the directions below, then hand-label the structures listed. Drawing by hand is the integrity mechanism for this course.

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Part 1 of 2

Anatomy Lab

1A. What you will draw

The male reproductive system produces sperm in the testes, matures and stores them in the epididymis, and delivers them through a series of ducts with contributions from three accessory glands. Today you'll draw both the gross anatomy and a seminiferous tubule showing spermatogenesis.

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.

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.

1C. Structures to label (18)

After you finish each drawing, label every structure below directly on your sketch.

  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 2 of 2

Physiology Lab

2A. Trace a sperm cell from production to ejaculation

List the path a single sperm cell takes from the moment it is formed in the seminiferous tubule to the moment it leaves the body in semen. Aim for 7 to 9 steps.

2B. Synthesis questions

Answer each in 2 to 4 sentences. Use the language from this week's lecture and your drawings as evidence.

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.

3. What to submit

Complete both the Anatomy Lab (your own drawings, hand-labeled, plus the structures list) and the Physiology Lab (activity and synthesis questions). Photograph or scan every page and upload to Canvas before the deadline listed on the schedule. Hand-drawn, hand-labeled work is the integrity mechanism for this course. Typed or AI-generated diagrams are not accepted.