The 8 parts of the male reproductive system (characteristics and functions)

Reproduction is a universal process which implies the creation of new organisms and is common to all biological life forms on the planet. For a living being to be considered as such, from the smallest cell to the most complex animal, it must be able to leave offspring in one way or another.

Bacteria reproduce by binary fission (growth and partition into two individuals from one) because, being beings unicellular, they do not have the possibility of developing male and female structures, which is why it is considered a type of asexual reproduction. As we advance in the reproductive process in living beings (and on the evolutionary scale) we we find sexual reproduction, the one that characterizes humans and most of vertebrates.

As there are two different biological sexes in our species, male (XY) and female (XX), human beings develop with different sexual organs and characters that maximize our evolutionary efficacy, that is, fertilization and pregnancy, respectively. If you want to know the 8 parts of the male reproductive system, its biological meaning and its physiological characteristics, continue reading.

• We recommend you read: "Why do men wake up with an erection?"

What is the male reproductive system?

If we talk about the male reproductive system, we are referring to the set of internal and external organs (as well as the ducts that communicate) that allow the man to have sex with the woman (again, only from a strictly biological point of view) and reproduce eventually. When fertilization occurs, the haploid reproductive cells (sperm and egg) fuse, giving rise to a diploid zygote with half the genetic information from the mother and the other half from the father.

What is the morphology of the male reproductive system?

Unlike the female reproductive system, the male is quite visible, since the penis and testicles (the two largest exponents) are almost entirely externalized. Next, we will tell you the 8 parts of this well-known but at the same time curious set of organs and ducts.

1. Penis

The penis is the organ that makes penetration possible during intercourse. It is made up of 3 different tissue layers: two cavernous sections and one spongy. The former are responsible for filling with blood during sexual intercourse, which results in the well-known erection. On the other hand, the spongy layer is found in the lower section of the penis, acting as a protector so that compression does not occur in the urethra during ejaculation and urination.

In addition to the histological section, we can differentiate several specific sections in the penis:

• Glans: is the head or tip of the penis. The urethra empties here, which is why it is the outlet for urine and semen under normal conditions.
• Body: it extends from the tip to the place of connection with the abdomen. It is shaped like a tube, which surrounds the tube of the urethra.
• Foreskin: a layer of skin that protects the glans, as it is highly sensitive to stimuli. Circumcision is a surgery in which this structure is removed.
• Bridle: a small fold of the preputial mucosa, usually V-shaped. It joins the glans with the foreskin in its anterior part.

As an interesting fact, we can highlight that the penis needs about 130 milliliters of blood to reach the state of erection. In general, the average erection of the male sexual organ is about 14 minutes on average.

2. Scrotum

The scrotum is a kind of sac or bag that contains the testicles, the epididymis and the lower part of the spermatic cord, that is, the blood vessels and the vas deferens. In addition to protecting the testicles, it is an essential structure for male fertility, since the testicles must be at a slightly lower temperature than body temperature in order to mature sperm correctly.

For this reason, patients with undescended testes or cryptorchidism (in which the scrotal sac is relatively empty) are up to 75% more likely to be infertile than the general population general. It is interesting to know that, without such a basic structure, men would become practically infertile.

3. Testicles

The testicles are ovoid bodies 4-7 centimeters long and 25 milliliters in capacity that fulfill two main functions: the production and storage of male germ gametes (sperm) and the biosynthesis and secretion of male sex hormones (testosterone).

Commonly, the left testis is slightly more hanging than the right, but both are equally capable of producing millions of sperm in a single day, despite the fact that these require 3 months of generation and maturation to present a capacity fertilizer. In general, a healthy man can ejaculate 15 to 250 million sperm at any given time.

4. Epididymis

The epididymis is a narrow and elongated tube located at the back of the testicle that connects the vas deferens to the reverse of each of them. From a functional point of view, the epididymis ducts are responsible for the maturation and activation of sperm. What's more, this tube contributes to the production of seminal plasma, with the synthesis of substances such as β-N-acetylglucosaminidase and fibronectin, both participants in sperm maturation.

5. Different conductor

It is the tube in which sperm are stored and that transports the sperm out of the scrotal conglomerate. It is located between the epididymis and the urethra, connecting them both.

6. Urethra

The urethra is extremely important in men, as it fulfills a double function: it is the part of the urinary tract that carries urine from the bladder and the part of the reproductive system where semen travels. In women the urethra is very short, while in men it runs through the entire penis until it ends at the tip of the glans.

For this reason, men are more subject to urethral diseases, especially with age and during certain activities. Some of them are urethral cancer, urethral stricture (narrowing of the opening), or urethritis (inflammation caused by infections).

7. Prostate

It is located just below the bladder and surrounds the urethra, placing it in front of the rectum. It is about the size of a walnut and its function is to generate fluids, which will be part of the semen.

It should be noted that, as we age, the prostate tends to enlarge in men, which is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia. Another very different prostate disease is the dreaded prostate cancer, which occurs in approximately 139 men per 100,000 inhabitants annually. The prostate exam prevents this worrying pathology.

8. Seminal vesicles

The seminal vesicles are located above the prostate, and its function is to produce (together with the prostate) a seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm. These glands are, under normal conditions, producers of 60% of the fluid ejected during the act of ejaculation.

It is interesting to know that the seminal vesicles are lined by a secretory epithelium, which is rich in fructose, a monosaccharide that provides sperm with an important source of nutrients until they fertilize (or not) to the ovum.

In addition to this, they also synthesize large amounts of fibrinogen and prostaglandins. Interestingly, it is believed that the latter greatly help the fertilization period through two mechanisms: they react with the female cervical mucus, in order to make it more receptive for the transport of sperm and, in addition, trigger a series of uterine contractions that "guide" the male gametes to the Ovum.

Resume

As you may have seen, the male reproductive system goes far beyond the penis and testicles. Structures as seemingly irrelevant as the scrotum are essential for reproduction because, without them, we would not be able to synthesize mature sperm with continuity and efficiency.

We take advantage of these final lines to make one last point: various pathologies can affect the male reproductive system, but prostate cancer is one of the most talked about. There is a preconception that a rectal palpation is an act that diminishes the "manhood" or "integrity" of the person who submits to it, but nothing could be further from the truth. A prostate exam on time can literally prevent the death of a person with this type of neoplasm. It is time to get rid of prejudices and know our own organs and weaknesses: as men, let us help ourselves.