Pcc - Bio 233 - Week 6 Lecture (Christie) - Reproductive System

Front 1

What shortcut does Professor Christie suggest for determining if an organ is considered external or internal?

Back 1

If you can't put a finger on it, it's considered internal (most of the time)

Front 2

What is the function of the testes? Are they internal or external?

Back 2

Make sperm/hormones (Testosterone)
Internal

Front 3

What is the function of the epididymis? Is it internal or external?

Back 3

Mature sperm (sperm school, 2 weeks long)
Internal

Front 4

What is the function of the scrotum? Is it internal or external?

Back 4

Hold testes/temperature control - External

Front 5

What is the function of the vas defrens? Is it internal or external?

Back 5

Transport sperm. Internal

Front 6

What is the function of the seminal vesicles? Are they internal or external?

Back 6

Make seminal fluid/semen (Semen is the fluid transporting sperm, NOT actual sperm).
Internal

Front 7

What is the function of the prostate gland? Is it internal or external?

Back 7

Activates sperm/helps make fluid.
Internal

Front 8

What is the function of the bulbourethral gland? Is it internal or external?

Back 8

Neutralizes acidity, provides buffer, secretes fluid (not exactly known).
Internal

Front 9

What is the function of the penis? Is it internal or external?

Back 9

Sperm delivery, sexual intercourse.
External

Front 10

What is the function of the corpus cavernosa? Is it internal or external?

Back 10

2 primary vessels in the penis, containing arteries which expand upon arousal, crushing veins, preventing blood from leaving. Erectile tissue, makes erection.
External

Front 11

What is the function of the corpus spongiosum? Is it internal or external?

Back 11

Single vessel in the penis, holds urethra open, so that ejaculation is possible - erectile tissue, makes erection.
External

Front 12

What is the function of the ovaries? Are they internal or external?

Back 12

Make eggs and hormones (estrogen, etc)
Internal

Front 13

What is the function of the fallopian (uterine) tubes? Are they internal or external?

Back 13

Egg highway, transport egg to uterus
Internal

Front 14

What is the function of the uterus? Is it internal or external?

Back 14

Gestation, site of pregnancy, menstruation
Internal

Front 15

What is the function of the cervix? Is it internal or external?

Back 15

Gatekeeper, lets things in and out (open during delivery, ovulation, menstruation - closed all other times)
Internal

Front 16

What is the function of the vagina? Is it internal or external?

Back 16

Birth canal, passage for baby, penis, intercourse.
Considered both internal and external, depending on reference

Front 17

What is the function of the vestibular glands? Are they internal or external?

Back 17

Lubrication for external entrance
External

Front 18

What is the function of the labia majora/minora? Are they internal or external?

Back 18

Protection, sign of arousal
External

Front 19

What is the function of the clitoris? Is it internal or external?

Back 19

Sexual arousal/sensitivity
External

Front 20

The seminal vesicles, prostate gland, and bulbourethral glands are considered to be "accessory glands" because they do not directly make sperm. What do these glands do, and why is it necessary?

Back 20

Secrete semen to carry sperm

Front 21

Describe the male orgasm process

Back 21

1. Emission - glands secrete fluids as sperm pass by (moved by smooth muscle contraction in the vas defrens)
A. first would be seminal vesicles (make fructose to feed sperm, buffer to countreact acidity in the vagina and penis, clotting agent to cause sperm to stick where they land, immune suppressor (for female system to avoid being killed by her system)
B. Next is the prostate, which gives the sperm activator - swim signal, buffer, and time delayed clot buster (works after approx 10 minutes) so that sperm can swim to eggs after being stuck in the landing zone
C. Last would be the bulbo-urethral gland, which secretes mucus to clean out the urethra
2. Ejaculation - semen and sperm leave through peristalsis

Front 22

What purpose does the blood/testis barrier (membrane) serve?

Back 22

Present to prevent immune system from killing own sperm, since they do not have the full genetic signature of the father

Front 23

Where does ovulation occur?

Back 23

The ovaries

Front 24

Where does conception/fertilization occur?

Back 24

Falopian (uterine) tubes

Front 25

Where does pregnancy occur?

Back 25

Uterus

Front 26

What does it mean when your text says that "the clitoris is homologous to the penis and the labia are homologous to the scrotum"?

Back 26

They are the same type of structure - the male sex matures from the female type structure during maturation in the womb (starting around 10 weeks). Both start out as female structures (Default)

Front 27

What organs of the female are considered part of the vulva? What about the perineum?

Back 27

The vulva is the external genitalia of the female (labia majora/minora, clitoris, and vestibular glands) - Perineum is considered the vulva plus anus (and bits in between)

Front 28

What is considered to be part of the vaginal vestibule?

Back 28

Only the inside of the labia minora (entranceway), the vagina oriface, clitoris, and urethra

Front 29

What is spermatogenesis? Describe the process

Back 29

The act of making sperm.
Meiosis makes sperm.
2n mother cells (stem cells or spermatogonim) undergo meiosis
Makes 4 cells from every mother cell - makes haploid cells (single n), called sperm/gametes - process takes about 2 weeks.
Males start producing sperm at puberty and continue until death
Produce around 100 million+ per day if healthy (not a testable fact)
Testosterone controls this process

Front 30

Describe the hormone cascade that regulates sperm production

Back 30

Male hypothalamus makes GnRH (gonadotropin releasing hormone), which goes to the anterior pituitary
Anterior pituitary makes FSH (folicle stimulating hormone) to make sperm (mnemonic: FSH makes fish) in testes, LH (leutenizing hormone) to make testosterone in testes (to mature sperm)
This process is controlled by negative feedback:
When level of testosterone in the body is high, LH production is lowered, if too low, LH increases to compensate
When sperm count is high, FSH production is lowered, if too low, more FSH. This is signaled by Inhibin production as sperm are produced.