The Male Reproductive System

Study Guide

                                                                         
The reproductive system is a system of sex organs that work together with the primary purpose of sexual reproduction, thus producing new life.

 

I. MALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM:

A). External male reproductive organs:
Testes also called testicles –

  • Male external reproductive organ
  • Male gonad
  • Two oval-shaped male reproductive organs
  • Located/contained in the scrotum
  • Function: produce sperm and testosterone

Scrotum

  • Male external reproductive organ
  • Muscular sac
  • Contracts – moving the testicles closer to the body for warmth and relaxes – moving the testicles farther away from the body for cooling
  • Contains and protect the testicles
  • Located between the penis and the anus
  • Temperature control center for the testicles. Scrotum helps keep the temperature of the testes slightly lower than that the body to ensure normal sperm  development. Excessive heat can damage the sperm thus leading to low sperm count.

Penis

  • Male external reproductive organ used for sexual intercourse
  • Passage of urine through the urethra
  • 3 parts: root, body (shaft), glans
  • Circumcision, surgical removal of the foreskin (prepuce) for cultural, religious, and medical reasons.

B). Internal reproductive organs or accessory organs:
Epididymis

  • Coiled tube located at the back of the testicles where it collects sperm from the testicles and passes it on to the vas deferens
  • Holds sperm for maturation processes
  • 3 parts: the head (caput), the body (corpus), the tail (cauda)

Vas Deferens

  • Also called ductus deferens is a muscular tube
  • Transports sperm from epididymis to urethra during ejaculation

Ejaculatory Duct

  • Each are formed from the junction of the two other accessory organs of reproductive system, the vas deferens and the duct of seminal vesicle
  • Transport sperm from vas deferens to urethra during ejaculation
  • Can be found on each side of prostate gland

Urethra

  • Tube that serves two functions: as a passageway for urine from the bladder and for semen from the ejaculatory duct during ejaculation
  • During ejaculation the flow of urine is blocked from the urethra, allowing only semen to be expelled at orgasm.

Prostate

  • Small structure, about the size of a walnut, that is located below the urinary bladder, in front of the rectum and surrounding the urethra
  • Secretes fluid that nourishes sperm.

Seminal Vesicles

  • Also called seminal gland
  • Feeds and nourishes the sperm with its sugar- rich fluid, which energize the sperm to move towards the egg.
  • Its fluid comprises most of the man’s semen and sperm

Bulbourethral glands

  • Also referred as Cowper’s gland
  • Consists of two small pea sized glands located below the prostate gland.
  • Produces a clear, lubricating alkaline fluid
  • Helps to neutralize acidity caused by drops of urine in the urethra before ejaculation

 

ABNORMALITIES OF MALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM:

BALANITIS:

  • Inflammation of the glans penis (head of the penis) possibly due to poor hygiene, physical trauma and infection caused by bacteria, virus, STD, or fungus.
  • Mostly affected are uncircumcised men.
  • Can be relieved with topical medications as prescribed.

Symptoms include:

  1. Pain and tenderness of the head of the penis.
  2. Redness and rashes on the penis head.
  3. Discharges with foul smell.
  4. Itching on the penis head.

Balanoposthitis:
• Balanitis that also involves the foreskin (for uncircumcised men).

BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERTHROPHY (BPH) –

  • Also known as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, common in older men.
  • Benign swelling/ enlargement of the prostate gland
  • BPH can obstruct the flow of urine.

Symptoms include

  • Frequent urge to urinate, especially at night
  • Difficulty urinating
  • Leaking and dribbling of urine.

Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) – the surgical procedure to cure BPH.

CHLAMYDIA

  • Infection that can affect the penis through sex (sexually transmitted disease)
  • Early stage is asymptomatic.

Symptoms:

  • Discharge from the penis
  • Painful urination
  • Burning and itching around the meatus
  • Testicular pain

CHORDEE

  • Abnormal curvature of the head of the penis, a congenital condition (present from birth).
  • The penis usually curves downward.
  • Treatment: surgery

CRYPTORCHIDISM

  • Other names: empty scrotum; undescended testes;
  • One or both testes are not located in the scrotum where they should be normally.
  • A common birth defect that can also occur later in life.
  • Treatment: surgery

Possible Complications

  • Infertility later in life
  • Testicular cancer

EPIDIDYMITIS

  • Inflammation of the epididymis
  • Signs and symptoms: pain in the scrotum or testicles; low grade fever
  • Causes: STD’s, UTI’s,
  • Treatment: oral medications as prescribed by your physician, such as antibiotics, pain and anti-inflammatory medications

ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

  • Referred to as impotence
  • Sexual dysfunction with the inability to achieve or keep an erection during sexual intercourse.
  • Causes include: Atherosclerosis, medications, chronic illnesses, alcohol abuse, and fatigue

GONORRHEA

Can be transmitted through:

  • Sexual contact with an infected person.
  • By contact through infected bodily fluids,
  • A mother could transmit the infection to her child during childbirth.

Treatment: antibiotics for you and your partner as prescribed by your physician.
Symptoms:

  • Discharge from the penis
  • Painful and burning sensation during urination
  • Sore throat like pain related to pharyngeal gonorrhea (due to oral sex)

HERPES

  • Or herpes simplex virus
  • Contagious viral infection
  • Sexually transmitted disease caused by 2 types of virus

Two types

  1. Herpes Simplex Type 1 (HSV1) – causes sores and blisters around the mouth, lips and surrounding area.
  2. Herpes Simplex Type 2 (HSV2) – causes sores and blisters around the genitals and rectum area.

Treatment: no cure is available for herpes but medications are available as prescribed by your physician to relieve the symptoms.

HYDROCELE

  • Is a fluid-filled sac surrounding a testicle that causes the swelling of the scrotum.
  • In newborns, most hydroceles disappear with no treatment within the first year of life.
  • Hydrocele can develop later in life due to inflammation, infection or injury within the scrotum.

Treatment: needed only when the hydrocele causes pain or when obstructing the blood flow or when they increase in size.

  • Surgery called hydrocelectomy
  • Needle aspiration

HYPOSPADIAS

  • A birth defect of the penis in which the urethral opening is not on the tip of the penis but can be on the underside of the penis.
  • Treatment: Surgery.

ORCHITIS

  • Inflammation of the testicle

PRIAPISM

  • Painful erection that persists for more than four hours even without sexual stimulation.
  • Can lead to erectile dysfunction if not given medical attention.

Causes:

  • Use of illegal drugs like cocaine and marijuana
  • Some anti-depressant medications such as: bupropion (Wellbutrin), trazodone (Desyrel), Fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline and lithium
  • Some psychotic medications such as: clozapine, thorazine, risperidone (risperdal) and olanzapine (zyprexa)
  • Blood conditions like sickle cell anemia and leukemia

Treatment:

  • Apply ice pack
  • Surgery
  • Aspiration
  •  Medications

PROSTATE CANCER

  • Most common cancer among men
  • Prostate cancer usually occurs in older men.
  • Most prostate cancers grow slowly

Symptoms for advanced prostate cancers. Early stage of prostate cancer usually has no symptoms (asymptomatic)

  • Difficulty in urinating
  • Frequent urges to urinate, especially at night
  • Loss of bladder control
  • Leaking and dribbling of urine
  • Blood in urine and sometimes in semen
  • Erectile dysfunction or impotence
  • Painful ejaculation
  • Painful and burning urination
  • Swelling in legs or pelvic area
  • Numbness or pain in the hips and lower extremities

Treatments:

  • Surgery
  • Chemotherapy
  • Radiation.
  • Cryotherapy
  • Hormonal therapy

Screening test:

  • Digital rectal exams (DRE)
  • Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA)

SYPHILIS

  • Caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum
  • Highly contagious disease which is a curable with early diagnosis and treatment
  • Route of transmission: contact with an infected person’s sore during sexual activity that can include anal and oral sex
  • Infected pregnant women can transmit the disease to her baby called congenital syphilis.

Stages of Syphilis:
1). Early syphilis ( Primary stage)

  • One or more small and painless sores called chancre in the genitals or around the mouth.
  • Sores appears about three weeks after exposure
  • Chancre usually heals without treatment within few weeks

2). The secondary stage

  • Rashes all over the body including the palms of the hands and soles of the feet
  • Muscle pains, fever, sore throat and swollen lymph nodes
  • Symptoms may go away within few weeks without treatment

3). Latent syphilis.

  • Syphilis disease moves to the latent stage when the patient has not been treated and shows no symptoms. The latent stage may last for years.
  • Signs and symptoms may not recur, or the infection may develop to the tertiary stage.

4). Tertiary syphilis (late)

  • Infected person who don’t receive treatment will develop complications such as paralysis, dementia, blindness, impotence, deafness, and heart and brain problems.

Treatment:

  • Penicillin (first drug of choice and preferred antibiotics to all stages of syphilis and to infected pregnant woman)
  • Doxycycline (if allergic to penicillin)
  • Tetracycline (if allergic to penicillin)