Human Male Reproductive System Explained
Male Reproductive System
The internal reproductive organs are those that are in the abdominal cavity or pubic area. External bodies are therefore out of this, although covered by fabric or leather. In humans, the reproductive system produces, stores, nourishes, and releases reproductive cells (in the case of the male apparatus, sperm).
Internal Organs
- Epididymis
The epididymis, also called *gavón*, is a long, narrow tube located on the upper back of the testicle. The vas deferens connects the back of each testicle. It represents the crowding meeting and seminiferous ducts. It distinguishes a head, body, and tail that continues with the vas deferens. It is approximately 5 cm long by 12 mm wide. It is present in all male mammals.
- Vas Deferens
The vas deferens are part of the male anatomy of some species, including humans. They are a pair of muscular tubes surrounded by smooth muscle, each approximately 30 cm long, which connect the epididymis to the ejaculatory ducts, mediating sperm travel between them.
During ejaculation, the smooth tubes constrict, sending the semen to the ejaculatory ducts and then to the urethra, where it is expelled outside. Vasectomy is a method of contraception in which the vas deferens are cut. A modern variation, which is also popularly known as vasectomy but does not include cutting the tubes, is to place a material that obstructs the passage of semen through them.
One consequence of cystic fibrosis is the absence of the vas deferens, leaving 100% of men who suffer from it infertile.
- Seminal Vesicles
They secrete a viscous alkaline liquid that neutralizes the acidic environment of the urethra. Normally, the liquid contributes around 60% of semen. The seminal vesicles are adrenal glands producing about 3% of the volume of seminal fluid located in the pelvic excavation, behind the bladder, in front of the rectum, and just above the base of the prostate, with which they are joined at the bottom.
- Ejaculatory Duct
The ejaculatory ducts are part of the male anatomy; each male has two of them. They begin at the end of the vas deferens and terminate in the urethra. During ejaculation, semen passes through these channels and is then expelled from the body through the penis.
- Prostate
The prostate is a glandular organ of the genitourinary system, exclusively male, chestnut-shaped, located in front of the rectum, below and out of the bladder. It contains cells that produce some of the seminal fluid that protects and nourishes sperm cells in semen.
- Urethra
The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body during urination. The function of the urethra is excretory in both sexes and also has a reproductive function in humans, allowing the passage of sperm from the seminal vesicles, which lead to the prostate, to the outside.
- Bulbourethral Glands
Bulbourethral glands, also known as Cowper’s glands, are two glands located below the prostate. Their function is to secrete an alkaline fluid that lubricates and neutralizes the acidity of the urethra before the passage of semen in the ejaculate. This fluid may contain sperm (usually drawn), so the practice of withdrawing the penis from the vagina before ejaculation is not an effective contraceptive method.
Parts of the Penis
- Corpus Spongiosum
The corpus spongiosum is the smallest of the three columns of erectile tissue found inside the penis (the other two are the corpora cavernosa). It is located at the bottom of the penis.
Its function is to prevent the urethra (the tube that expels both semen and urine) from being compressed during erection. When the penis is erect, the corpus spongiosum contains only 10% of the blood; the corpora cavernosa absorb 90% of it.
The glans (also known as the head of the penis) is the last portion and the widest part of the corpus spongiosum; it has a conical shape.
- Corpus Cavernosum
The corpora cavernosa are a couple of columns of erectile tissue located on the top of the penis, which fill with blood during erections.