Histology of the Reproductive

System
By:
ERDS

MALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

A. PRIMARY FUNCTION IS
REPRODUCTION- BOTH
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND
PHYSIOLOGYCAL MOTIVATION
B. REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM INCLUDES :
1. TESTES-SPERM PRODUCTION VIA
MITOSIS AND MEIOSIS
2. EPIDIDYMIS-STORAGE OF SPERM
3. GENITAL DUCTS
4. PENIS

MALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

C. ACCESORY GLANDS-TO SUPPORT &

TRANSPORT SPERM

1. SEMINAL VESSICLE
2. PROSTATE
3. BULBOURETHRAL GLANDS

TESTES
A. ANDROGEN = TESTOSTERONE
1.STEROID HORMONE PRODUCED BY LEYDIG
OR INTERSTITIAL CELLS
2. SOME PRODUCED BY ADRENAL (VERY SMALL
AMOUNT)
3. NECESSARY FOR SPERM PRODUCTION AN D
MATURATION
4. OTHER EFFECTS
A. DIFFERENTIATION OF CNS, DUCTS AND
GENITAL STRUCTURES
B. GROWTH & SECONDARY SEX CHARACTERISTICS
C. GROWTH & SECONDARY CHARAC. OF ACCESSORY
GLANDS

TESTES

D. METABOLISM IN SKELETAL
MUSCLE AND KIDNEY
E. BEHAVIOR-8TH GRADERS AND
SOPHOMORES
5. CONCENTRATION EFFECTS-HIGH IN
SEMINIFEROUS LUMEN,
HEMODILUTION
6. PRESENCE OF RECEPTORS

HORMONAL STIMULATION OF MALE

REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
1. FEED BACK SYSTEM INVOLVES THE
ANTERIOR PITUITARY
2. ANTERIOR PITUITARY PRODUCES LH, FSH,
PROLACTIN
3. LH STIMULATES LEYDIG CELLS TO PRODUCE
TESTOSTERONE
4. PROLACTIN & LH PROMOTES STEROIDOGENIC
ACTIVITY
5. FSH & TESTOSTERONE STIMULATE SPERM
PRODUCTION IN SERTOLI CELLS

HISTOLOGY
A. VASCULATURE IS CRITICAL TO FUNCTION
1.
2.
3.

SPERM PRODUCTION
ERECTION & TRANSMISSION OF SPERM
TEMPERATURE REGULATION-MUST BE BELOW 37C

B. CONNECTIVE TISSUE SYSTEM

1.
2.
3.
4.

TUNICA BAGINALIS (OUTER), T. ALBUGINEA

(MIDDLE) & T. VASCULOSA (INNER)
MEDIASTINUM TESTES = CONNECTIVE TISSUE TO
PROTECT BLOOD VESSELS. LYMPHATICS, & GENITAL
DUCTS
LOBULES CONTAIN THE SEMINIFEROUS FOR SPERM
PRODUCTION
THESE LOBULES TERMINATE IN TUBULI RECTI TO
RETE TESTIS

C. SEMINIFEROUS TUBULES
1. DIFFERENT SPERMATOGENIC CELLS ARE
INTERSPERSED WITH EPITHELIAL CELLS
(SERTOLI) AT SPECIFICSITES GOVERNED BY
SPECIFIC INTERCELULAR CONNECTIONS
2. DEVELOPS IN CYCLES74 DAYS TO MATURATION
A. TUNICA PROPRIA CONTAINS MYOID CELLS WHICH
ARE SMOOTH MUSCLE LIKE AND USED FOR
CONTRACTION OF PERISTALTIC TO MOVE SPERM

3. SERTOLI CELLS
A. TALL COLUMNAR EPITHELIUM
B. SUPPORT (NURSE) CELLS FOR SPERM
C. EXTENSIVE RER, GOLGI, LIPID, GLYCOGEN &
INCLUSIONS INDICATE HIGH METABOLIC ACTIVITY

TUBULUS SEMINIFEROUS

D. SPECIFIC CELL-CELL INTERACTIONS IN UNIQUE TIGHT

JUNCTIONS
E. ALSO A CELL-SPERMATOCYTE JUNCTION=DESMOSOMAL LIKE

4. CELL-CELL ESTABLISHES THE BASAL AND

LUMINAL COMPARTMENTS
A. SPERMATOGONIA & PRIMARY SPERMATOCYTE
CONFINED TO BASAL LAYER BY TIGHT JUNCTION
B. WITH MEIOSIS & SPERMATOGENESIS MOVEMENT
UPWORDS TOWARDS THE LUMINAL SURFACE

5. INDICATES NURSE CELL FUNCTION AS IN

OTHER SYSTEMS
6. BASAL LAMINAE DEFINES BLOOD-TESTES
BARRIER & BLOCKS CERTAIN MOLECULES
SUCH AS Iggs BUT OTHERS OK

7. EDOCRINE/EXOCRINE FUNCTION
A. ANDROGEN BINDING
PROTEIN=CONCENTRATES THE
TESTOSTERONE IN LUMEN OF THE
SEMINIFEROUS TUBULES-ESSENTIAL FOR
SPERM DEVELOPMENT
B. INHIBIT-APPEARS TO REGULATE FSH BY
FEEDBACK AS WELL AS CONTROL OF ABP
SYNTHESIS

8. LEYDIG CELLS
A. LARGE ACIDOPHILIC (HARD TO SEE) WITH
INCLUSIONS OF LIPID AND CRYSTALS OF
REINKE
B. STEROID SECRETING PROFILE FOR
TESTOSTERONE
C. IN OLD AGE MAY RESEMBLE FIBROBLASTS

LEYDIG CELL

SPERMATOGENESIS 3 PHASES
A. SPERMATOGONIAL
1. STEM CELLS DIVIDE
2. COMMITTED POPULATION OF CELLS TO BE
SPERMATOGONIA
3. HISTOLOGICALLY DEFINED BY APPEARANCE
OF NUCLEI AND STAIN AFFINITY

B. SPERMATOCYTE=MEIOSIS
1. REDUCTION DIVISION AFTER MITOSIS TO
NUCLEI
2. TIME OF CROSS OVER

C. SPERMATID = SPERMIOGENESIS
1. AFTER 2nd MEIOTIC DIVISION GOES TO 4
PHASES
A. GOLGI PHASE-PROACROSOMAL GRANULE TO FORM
ACROSOMAL VESICLE NEAR NUCLEAR MEMBRANE;
MOVEMENT OF CENTRIOLES
B. CAP PHASE-FORMATION OF ACROSOMAL CAP IN
TIGHT ASSOC. WITH MEMRANE
C. ACROSOMAL PHASE-REORIENTATION,
CONDENSATION OF NUCLEUS AND MT FOR
MACHETTE CYLINDER

D. MATURE SPERM
1. HEAD AND TAIL REGION
2. ACROSOMAL REACTION-RECOGNITION AND
DIGESTION
3. SPERM ARE SECRETED IN FLUID FROM
SERTOLI CELLS AND ARE NON-MOTILE AT
THIS TIME
4. HIGH CONCENTRATION OF TESTOSTERONE
NECESSARY FOR MATURATION IN LUMEN
5. DUCTS OF TESTES
A. TUBULI RECTI=STRAIGHT TUBE TO RETE TESTES
OF MEDIASTINUM
B. SIMPLE EPITHELIUM WITH APICAL CILIA

EXCURRENT DUCT SYSTEMS

1. EFFERENT DUCTULES CONNECT RETE
TESTES TO EPIDIDYMIS
2. CONVOLUTED SYSTEM TO FORM
CONICAL MASS=CNI VASCULOSA
3. PSEUDOSTRATIFIED EPITHELIUM FOR
FLUID RESORBTION
4. SOME ELASTIC FIBERS
5. MOVEMENT OF SPERM BY CILIA

DUCTUS EPIDIDYMIS
1. MATURATION OF SPERM
2. PSEUDOSTRATIFIED EPITHELIUM WITH
STEREO CILIA THAT CONTAINS PRINCIPAL
CELLS AND BASAL CELLS
3. FUNCTION
A. FLUID RESORBTION
B. PHAGOCYTOSIS OF RESIDUAL BODIES FROM SPERM
C. SECRETION OF GLYCOPROTEIN HIGH FRUCTOSERICH FLUID WITH GLYCERPHOSPHOCHOLINE,
SIALIC ACID AND GP

DUCTUS DEFERENS (VAS

DEFERENS)
1.
2.
3.
4.

APPEARANCE OF SMOOTH MUSCLE

APICAL REGION NEAR EPIDIDYMIS
DISTAL AT PROSTATIC URETHRA
ENLARGES AT AMPULA, JOINTS THE DUCT
OF SEMINAL VESICLE TO THE EJACULATORY
DUCT
5. PSEUDOSTRATIFIED EPITHELIUM WITH LOTS
OF MUCOSAL INFOLDING

ACCESSORY SEX GLANDS

A. ALL APICAL TO VAS DEFERENS TO PRODUCE
FLUID FOR METABOLISM AND TRANSPORT OF
SPERM
B. SHOOTING BLANKS MEANS TO PRODUCE ALL
THE SEMEN WITHOUT SPERM IF YOU HAVE A
VASECTOMY = TUBULE LIGATION
C. SEMINAL VESICLES
1.
2.

PAIRED TUBULAR GLANDS IN MUSCULAR AND

FIBROUS COAT
SECRETES VISCUS FLUID FOR SPERM METABOLISM
(FRUCTOSE), AMINO ACID, ASCORBATE
(ANTIOXIDANT) AND PROSTAGLANDINS

PROSTATE GLAND
A.

LARGE TUBULO ALVEOLAR GLAND PROXIMAL TO

URETHRA
B. MUCOSAL LAYER
C. SUBMUCOSAL LAYERGLANDS
D. CANCER RISK-BENIGN HYPERTHROPHY
BULBOURETHRAL GLANDS (COWPERS
GLANDS)

A. SIMPLE MUCUS SECRETING

B. SECRETES GALACTOSE, GALACTOSAMINE &
SIALIC ACID
C. MAJOR PORTION OF PRESEMINAL FLUID
D. SEMEN=ALL PRODUCTS OF SECRETION FOR
LUBRICATION, NUTRITION AND
ENHANCEMENT OF FERTILIZATION

PENIS
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

CARRIES BOTH URINE AND SPERM

ERECTILE TISSUE 2 DORSAL MASSES CORPORA
CAVERNOSA AND 1 VENTRAL CORPORA
SPONGIOSUM
CT= TUNICA ALBUGINEA
ERECTILE AND INCREASE PRESSURE
(CONSTRICTION) OF VENOUS SYSTEM
AUTONOMIC ACTIVITY CONTROLS BLOOD FLOW
INTO CORPORA CAVERNOSA AND AV SHUNT
(CONSTRICTION)
1.
2.
3.

F.

PARASYMPATHETIC INITIATES THE ERECTION

SYMPATHETIC RESPONSIBLE FOR EJACULATION
COMMONLY TERMED POINT AND SHOOT

SOME CORTICAL CONTROL FANTASIES, STRESS