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Male Reproductive System

male reproductive system - sperm produced in seminiferous tubules 

  • Leydig cells - secretes testosterone to form penis/scrotum
  • scrotum - maintains temperature of 34 C for sperm development
  • spermatogonia (germ cells) - become sperm through meiosis
    • never runs out (undergoes mitosis before 1 goes through meiosis to become sperm)
    • about 100-200 million sperm created each day
  • primary spermatocyte - diploid cell that begins meiosis, produces 4 spermatids each
    • secondary spermatocyte - homologous pairs are split
    • spermatids - chromatids are split
  • Sertoli cells - nurse developing sperm, convert spermatids to spermatozoa by taking extra cytoplasm
  • spermatozoa (sperm) - simple cell consisting of head, body, tail
    • acrosome - vesicle on the head that has enzymes to help sperm penetrate egg

male accessory organs - sperm cannot move immediately after they’re made 

  • epididymus - holds sperm for at least 18 hours while they develop ability to move
  • vas deferens - tube passing into abdominal cavity
    • enters prostate gland at bladder base
    • prostrate gland - provides 30% of semen
  • seminal vesicles - produces fructose fluid (60% of semen’s volume)
  • urethra - carries sperm out through penis tip
    • bulbourethral glands - secrete fluid that lines the urethra for lubrication
  • blood vessels in corpora cavernosa/corpus spongiosum dilate >> erection
    • ejaculation - semen ejecting from the penis
    • sperm only counts as 1% of semen
Subject: 
Biology
Subject X2: 
Biology

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