Male Reproductive System

Front 1

symphisis pubis

Back 1

midline cartilaginous joining the left and right pubic bones

Front 2

corpora cavernosa

Back 2

either of two masses of erectile tissue forming the bulk of the penis

Front 3

glans penis

Back 3

the rounded head (or tip) of the penis

Front 4

vas ductus deferens

Back 4

there are two of these ducts and their purpose is to carry ejaculatory sperm out of the epydemis

Front 5

gonads

Back 5

gamete-producing glands

Front 6

median septum

Back 6

the separation between the two testes

Front 7

tunica albuginea

Back 7

connective tissue that surrounds each testis

Front 8

seminiferous tubules

Back 8

the area where the spermatozoa are produced

Front 9

rete testis

Back 9

the network of canals that the sperm run through

Front 10

efferent ductules

Back 10

the area that the rete testis empties into

Front 11

dartos

Back 11

one of the muscles of the scrotal wall that responds to temperature changes and moves the position of the testes within the scrotum

Front 12

cremaster

Back 12

one of the muscles, attached to the spermatic cord, that responds to temperature changes and moves the position of the testes within the scrotum

Front 13

spermatic cord

Back 13

a group of structures that go through the inguinal canal to the testis

(the structures include the vas deferens, arteries, veins, lymphatic vessels, and nerves)

Front 14

semen

Back 14

the combination of secretions from the seminal vesicles, prostate gland, and bulbourethral glands with sperm

Front 15

Cowper gland

Back 15

two bulbourethral glands, each approximately the size of a pea, which are located inferior to the prostate

Front 16

urethra

Back 16

a 20-cm long S-shaped tube that connects the urinary bladder and ejaculatory ducts to the outside of the body

Front 17

meatus

Back 17

the end of the urethra

Front 18

prepuce

Back 18

a retractable fold of skin at the tip of the penis, also called foreskin

Front 19

circumcision

Back 19

the removal of the prepuce

Front 20

balanitis

Back 20

inflammation of the glans penis

Front 21

benign prostatic hyperplasia

Back 21

a condition in which the prostate gland is enlarged two to four times its normal size -- often occurs with aging

(this term is very often called “benign prostatic hypertrophy” or BPH)

Front 22

cryptorchidism

Back 22

undescended testicle

(this is a condition that occurs during fetal development - failure to correct it before puberty generally causes the affected testicle to atrophy and can lead to an increased chance of malignancy)

Front 23

epididymitis

Back 23

inflammation of the epididymis

Front 24

hydrocele

Back 24

a cystic mass of the spermatic cord, testicle, or both that consists of fluid between the two layers of the tunica vaginalis

Front 25

hypospadias

Back 25

a malformation of the urethra in which the opening is located on the undersurface of the penis instead of the tip

Front 26

epispadias

Back 26

a malformation of the urethra in which the opening is located on the upper surface of the penis instead of the tip

Front 27

orchitis

Back 27

inflammation of the testicle -- this is usually accompanied by epididymitis

Front 28

phimosis

Back 28

the inability of the foreskin to be retracted from the glans penis

Front 29

paraphimosis

Back 29

the inability of the foreskin, once retracted, to be replaced back over the glans penis

Front 30

priapism

Back 30

persistent, abnormal penile erection that is not accompanied by either sexual desire or excitation and causes serious pain and tenderness

Front 31

prostatitis

Back 31

inflammation of the prostate

Front 32

spermatocele

Back 32

a spermatic cyst

(this occurs adjacent to the epididymis and usually contains sperm. If it is large, it looks like a “third testis”)

Front 33

torsion

Back 33

the term torsion means literally a twisting or turning about an axis -- testicular torsion is the most common use of this term, however, and applies specifically to a twisting of the spermatic cord

(the condition runs in families, and if it is not corrected the affected area can become gangrenous within hours)

Front 34

varicocele

Back 34

a collection of large veins, usually occurring in the left scrotum and described as feeling “like a bag of worms” -- it is present in the upright position, but empties in the supine position