Male Reproductive System

Male Reproductive Organs Penis Scrotum Testes

Epididymis Seminiferous

tubules Vas deferens

Seminal vesicle

Prostate gland

Cowper’s gland

Urethra Semen

Male Reproductive Organs

Scrotum

Sac-like structure that houses the testes.

The function of scrotum is to keep the testes 1-2°C cooler than the body temperature which is 37°C.

Testes The two testes are oval structures about 5 cm long and 3 cm in diameter

Held in the scrotum

They produce sperm in the tubes called Seminiferous Tubules.

Also produce sex hormone called testosterone.

Epididymis

Seminiferous tubules Vas

deferens

Epididymis A long tube (about 6 meters)

located on top of the testes.Sperm is made in the testes in

tubes called seminiferous tubules.Sperm that leave the testes are

immature.Sperm complete their maturation

process as they move through the epididymis.

Mature sperm are stored in the lower portion of the epididymis.

Vas Deferens The two vas deferens are flexible tubes that start at the epididymis and joins the urethra at the base of prostate gland.

Each vas deferens is about 45 cm or (1.5 ft)

Vas deferens carry mature sperm from epididymis for ejaculation.

Vasectomy is a procedure of cutting and tying the vas deferens to prevent sperm from reaching the egg.

Urethra The urethra is a long narrow tube extending from the bladder to the tip of the penis.

It carries urine from the bladder during urination.

It also a passageway for semen.

Both urine and semen leave the body through the same opening at the tip of the penis.

Semen Semen is a

sticky, cloudy, whitish fluid composed of sperm from the testes and fluids from prostate gland, seminal vesicle, and Cowper’s gland.

Semen exits the penis during ejaculation.

ErectionInvolves increase

in length, width & firmness of the penis.

Changes in blood flow to penis cause erection.

The spongy tissue fills with blood causing the penis to stand out from the body.

Ejaculation

To ejaculate means to suddenly release or let go.

Semen leaves the body during ejaculation.

Usually ejaculation happens during erection.

After ejaculation, the penis becomes soft and it is not erect any more.

There are usually about two to five hundred million sperm in a single ejaculation.

Sperm

Sperm The sperm cell consists

of a head, a body and a tail.

The head contains the nucleus which holds chromosomes.

The body produces energy molecules needed for the movement of the sperm cell.

The tail provides the lashing movements that propel the sperm cell.

Sperm The sperm cell consists of a

head, a body and a tail. The head contains the nucleus

which holds chromosomes. The top portion of the head

contains acrosome, an enzymes used for penetrating the female egg.

The body produces ATP, energy molecules needed for the movement of the sperm cell.

The tail or "flagellum" provides the lashing movements that propel the sperm cell.