Male Reproductive Histology

Front 1

What is the tunica albuginea of the testes?

Back 1

1. Outer dense connective tissue capsule

Front 2

What is the tunica vasculosa?

Back 2

1. Inner layer of the capsule of the testes

2. Highly vascular

Front 3

What is the mediastinum testis?

Back 3

1. Posterior thickening of tunica albuginea that projects inward

Front 4

What is the straight tubule?

Back 4

1. Short segment in the seminiferous tubules

Front 5

What constitutes the testicular intersitium?

Back 5

1. Spaces between the seminiferous tubules

2. Regular groupings of Leydig cells

Front 6

What is the morphology of Leydig cells?

Back 6

1. Well-developed SER

2. Mitochondria

3. Lipid droplets

Front 7

What is the function of Leydig cells?

Back 7

1. Testosterone production

Front 8

What controls testosterone production in Leydig cells?

Back 8

1. Production of LH by gonadotropes

Front 9

What makes up the seminiferous tubule?

Back 9

1. Seminiferous epitheliums surrounded by tunica propria

2. Cells--- Sertoli cells and spermatogenic cells

Front 10

What are Sertoli cells?

Back 10

1. Support cells

2. Make up the true epithelium of the seminiferous tubules

Front 11

What is the span of the Sertoli cells?

Back 11

1. Base to apex of seminiferous epithelium

Front 12

What is the morphology of Sertoli cells?

Back 12

1. Euchromatic nucleus

2. Well-expressed nucleoli

Front 13

What types of junctions do Sertoli cells form?

Back 13

1. Occluding and adherens

2. Can be disassembled and reassembled based on need

Front 14

What is the function of Sertoli cells?

Back 14

1. Nourish germ cells

2. Germ cell movement and differentiation

3. Structural support for epithelium

Front 15

How do Sertoli cells contribute to germ cell differentiation?

Back 15

1. Spermatids become elongated through passive stretching by Sertoli cells

2. Occurs during movement from basal compartment to adluminal compartment

Front 16

What is the blood-testis barrier?

Back 16

1. Barrier formed by Sertoli cells

2. Formed between blood and maturing sperm cells

3. Leads to the seminiferous tubule being an "immunologically privileged site"

Front 17

What do Sertoli cells secrete?

Back 17

1. Adrogen-binding protein

2. Production of ABP stimulated by FSH

3. Necessary to maintain high concentration of testosterone within the seminiferous tubule

Front 18

How do Sertoli cells participate in phagocytosis?

Back 18

1. Phagocytize residual bodies and degenerated germ cells

Front 19

What are the phases of spermatogenic cell development?

Back 19

1. Spermatogonial phase

2. Spermatocyte phase

3. Spermatid phase

4. Mature sperm

Front 20

What happens during the spermatogonial phase?

Back 20

1. Precursor cells divide mitotically to clone more spermatogonia cells

2. Nucleus is round or oval-shaped

Front 21

What are type A dark spermatogonia?

Back 21

1. Ovoid nuclei

2. Basophilic dark granular chromatin

3. Precursor cells that produce new Ad cells and Ap cells

Front 22

What are type A pale spermatogonia?

Back 22

1. Ovoid nuclei

2. Lightly-staining granular chromatin

3. Derived from Ad cells

4. Connected by thin cytoplasmic bridges that exist until the very last stages of spermatid maturation

Front 23

Into what do Ap cells differentiate?

Back 23

1. Type B spermatogonia

Front 24

What are type B spermatogonia?

Back 24

1. Spherical nuclei

2. Dark clumps of chromatin

3. Divide into primary spermatocytes

Front 25

What happens to spermatocytes during the spermatocyte phase?

Back 25

1. Undergo meiosis

Front 26

What are primary spermatocytes?

Back 26

1. Derived from type B spermatogonia

2. Arrested in prophase I of first division of meiosis

3. Lasts up to 22 days

Front 27

What are secondary spermatocytes?

Back 27

1. Spermatocytes in meiosis II

2. Derived from primary spermatocytes

3. Result in haploid spermatids

Front 28

What occurs during the spermatid phase?

Back 28

1. Extensive cell remodeling

2. Spermatids become mature sperm

Front 29

What are the phases within the spermatid phase?

Back 29

1. Golgi phase

2. Cap phase

3. Acrosome phase

4. Maturation stage

Front 30

What occurs during the golgi phase?

Back 30

1. Accumulation of proacrosomal granules

2. Centrioles migrate to posterior pole and form axoneme

Front 31

What occurs during the cap phase?

Back 31

1. Acrosomal vesicle spreads around nucleus to form acrosomal cap

Front 32

What occurs during the acrosome phase?

Back 32

1. Spermatid changes its orientation so that head is embedded into Sertoli cell

2. Developing flagellum points toward lumen

Front 33

What happens to the cell morphology during the acrosome phase?

Back 33

1. Nucleus and cell flatten

2. Nucleus and acrosomal cap migrate anteriorly

3. Manchette is formed--- extends from posterior end of acrosome to posterior end of cell

4. Neck region is formed, connecting nucleus to flagellum, forming one piece

5. Mitochondria migrate posteriorly and line up around initial part of axoneme to form middle piece of tail

6. Manchette disappears

Front 34

What occurs during the maturation stage?

Back 34

1. Excessive cytoplasm is removed to form residual bodies

2. Residual bodies are consumed by sertoli cells

3. Cytoplasmic bridges are broken

Front 35

What are the characteristics of the head of the sperm?

Back 35

1. Head covered by acrosome

2. Contains nucleus

Front 36

What are the characteristics of the neck of the sperm?

Back 36

1. Centrioles are found here

Front 37

1. What are the characteristics of the tail of the sperm?

Back 37

1. Middle piece contains spiral mitochondria wrapped around outer dense fibers

2. Principal piece is longest segment of tail--- axoneme covered with outer dense fibers

3. End piece not covered by out dense fibers

Front 38

What is the optimum temperature for spermatogenesis?

Back 38

1. 35 C

2. Due to pampiniform plexus

Front 39

What happens in cryptorchidism?

Back 39

1. Undescended testes

2. Normal body temperature inhibits spermatogenesis