Reproductive System

Male Reproductive System

Testes
Also called gonads
2 of them
Suspended in a sac called the
scrotum
Produce sperm
Located outside the body
where the temperature is lower
and wont kill the sperm
Produces testosterone, male
hormone
Testosterone is responsible for
secondary sex characteristics
such as deeper voice, facial
hair, larger muscles, and body
hair

Epididymis
Sperm leave the testes and
enter the epididymis
Tightly coiled tube, 20
feet long
Located in the scrotum,
just above the testes
Function
Store sperm until it
matures
Produce fluid which
becomes part of semen

Vas Deferens
Function
Receives sperm from the
epididymis
Temporarily stores sperm

Extends from the

epididymis into the
abdominal cavity
Tube that is cut during a
vasectomy, the procedure
to produce sterility in
males

Seminal Vesicles
2 small tubes located
behind the bladder
Function
Produce a thick,
yellow, rich in sugar
that nourish the sperm
This fluid composes a
large part of the semen

Ejaculatory Ducts
2 short tubes
Carry sperm and fluids
known as semen
through the prostate
gland into the urethra

Prostate Gland
Doughnut shaped
Located below the bladder
Produces an alkaline secretion
that increases sperm motility
and neutralizes the acidity of
the vagina
During ejaculation, the
prostate gland
Contracts causing the expulsion
of semen
Closes off the urethra,
preventing urine passage
through the urethra

Cowpers Gland

2 small glands located

below the prostate
gland
Secrete a mucous-like
fluid that serves as a
lubricant for
intercourse and an
alkaline fluid to
decrease the acidity of
the urine residue in
the urethra

Urethra
Tube that extends
from the bladder,
through the penis, to
the outside of the body
Carries semen and
urine
5-7 inches long in
male

Penis

External male reproductive

organ
Enlarged structure on the end of
the penis glands penis
This is covered by the prepuce
or foreskin
The foreskin is removed in a
procedure called circumcision
Penis is made of spongy,
erectile tissue
Functions
When erect, male organ of
copulation/intercourse
Provides for the elimination of
urine from the bladder

Diseases

Prostatic Hypertrophy
Enlargement of the prostate
gland
Common in men over 50
years old
Causes

Benign, due to inflammation

Tumor
Change in hormonal activity
Malignant (cancerous)
condition

Treatment
Prostatectomy
TUR trans urethral resection
Radiation

Testicular Cancer
Cancer of the testicles
Frequent in men 20-35
Highly malignant and
spreads quickly
Treatment
Orchiectomy, radiation

ACS
American Cancer Society
Recommends STE
Self testicular exam

Self Testicular Exam

STE should start at age 15
Examine each testicle
after a warm shower,
exam each testicle
separately, gently roll
between fingers and
thumb to feel for lumps,
nodules or extreme
tenderness
Also check for any signs
of swelling or change in
appearance

Female Reproductive System

Ovaries
Female gonads
2 small almond-shaped glands,
located in the abdominal cavity,
attached to the uterus by
ligaments
Contains thousands of small sacs
called follicles
Each follicle contains an
immature egg or ovum
Produce the hormones estrogen
and progesterone
Responsible for the secondary
sex characteristics breasts,
hips widen, body hair

Ovulation
The maturing and
release of an egg every
Occurs every 28 days
If egg is not fertilized,
the body sheds the
lining of the uterus
and menstruation
occurs

Fallopian Tubes

2 of them
5 inches in length
Attached to the upper part
of the uterus
Function

Move the ovum from the

ovary to the uterus
Cilia and peristalsis keep the
ovum moving
Site of fertilization, the
union of the egg and sperm

Uterus
Hollow, muscular, pear-shaped
organ
3 parts
Fundus top
Body middle
Cervix narrow bottom

Function
Organ of menstruation
Allows for the development and growth
of the fetus
Contracts during birth to aid in the
expulsion of the fetus

Layers
- endometrial
- If fertilization does not occur, this
lining deteriorate, resulting in
menstruation

Vagina
Muscular tube that connects
the cervix to the outside of the
body
Function
Passageway for menstrual flow
Receives sperm and semen from
the male
Female organ of copulation
Birth canal during delivery of the
infant

Bartholins Glands
2 small glands on either side
of the vaginal opening
Secretes mucous for
lubrication during intercourse
<>

Vulva
Collective name for the
external female genitalia
Includes
Mons pubis - pad of fat
Labia majora outer folds of
tissue covered with pubic
hair
Labia minora inner folds
of tissue
Perineum area between the
vagina and anus

Breasts
Mammary glands
Contain lobes that surface
at the nipples
Function
Secrete milk lactate after
childbirth

Diseases
Female Reproductive System

Breast Tumors
Benign or
American Cancer
Society recommends
SBE
Self Breast
Examination every
month for adult
females at the end of
menstruation

SBE

Mammograms
ACS recommends a
baseline test between
35-40

Treatments

Lumpectomy
Simple mastectomy
Radical mastectomy
Radiation
Chemotherapy

Cancer of the Cervix

Detected by a PAP
smear
Treatment
Hysterectomy
Removal of cervix
and uterus

Endometriosis
Growth of endometrial
tissue outside the
uterus
Can occur during
surgery, through the
fallopian tubes, blood
and lymph

PMS Premenstrual Syndrome

Group of symptoms
that appear 3-14 days
before menstruation
Cause unknown
Related to hormonal
changes or
biochemical imbalance