Reproduction Anatomy of the Penis and Spermatogenesis

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(Edited)

Hello and welcome to yet another part of the reproductive anatomy post which I started in my last StemSocial post. You can read my posts, and upvote them if you find them valuable. Also, please leave comments as they allow me to know that you really read them and also you can follow me to keep getting interesting science topics as well as other topics related to other communities I am a part of. In my last post, I discussed the anatomy of the male reproductive system, discussing the anatomy of the testes, and the ejaculatory pathway, and today I will be continuing with this anatomy of the penis,and Gametogenesis in males (spermatogenesis).


https://commons.wikimedia.org

Let me start with the Urinary bladder. If you remember that the ampulla passes through the Urinary bladder but the Urinary bladder doesn't play a role when it comes to ejaculation. That said, do you know what is called the Bulb of the penis? The bulb of the penis is the central part of the penis, located at the base of the penis and made up of erectile tissues. Slightly ahead of the bulb of the penis, is the crus of the penis, and these structures help to anchor the penis base to bones in the pelvic area, with the bulb anchoring the base of the penis to the pubic symphysis, the crus of the penis anchors the penis to the ischium of the pelvis. The crus and bulb are the roots of the penis but they are not visible. The visible part of the penis of males is the shaft of the penis.

To quickly pick on the external part, let me touch the glans penis, which is the engorged ending part of the penis. Before circumcision, the glans penis at birth is covered by a foreskin known as the prepuce (for understanding, both males and females possess prepuce. While in males it is the foreskin that is removed in some cultures or traditions while in females, the prepuce is the layer that covers the clitoris). You must have heard that the penis is made up of spongy tissues. Within the penis, there are three segments of the penis with two tissues which are the Corpora cavernosa (two tissues) and the Corpus spongiosum, and these tissues receive blood during erections. A male erection occurs when the spongy tissue is filled with blood. The Curpos Carvinosum receives about 90% of the blood that will be distributed during erection and the corpus spongiosum receives about 10% of the blood during an erection since it is smaller. The Corpus Spongiosum is responsible for preventing the compression of the urethra during erection so ejaculation can occur. Compression of the urethra will prevent the semen from exiting the external urethra orifice. Talking about letting semen out of the urethra. During the process of sexual intercourse, there is some form of slimy release in the penis which some people refer to as Pre-cum but I will refer to it as pre-ejaculation. Pre-ejaculation doesn't house any sperm, it is a secretion from the Bulbourethral gland which is rich in mucoprotein helping to lubricate the distal urethra and neutralize the acidity or the urethra caused by urine to enable the sperm cells to function properly and live longer.


https://commons.wikimedia.org

After explaining the penis, let me quickly run through spermatogenesis. Spermatogenesis discusses how sperm cells are made which begins from the primordial germ cell. Both spermatogenesis and Oogenesis are known as Gametogenesis which is the synthesis of gamete. The process of developing a zygote during fertilization. A zygote is made up of 2 gametes which are the sperm cell and the egg. With spermatogenesis it occurs in the testis. On the periphery of the seminiferous tubules are cells known as spermatogonium, which come from primordial germ cells and are precursors to sperm cells. The spermatogonium matures (spermatogenesis) to become the primary spermatocyte that begins begin to move toward the lumen of the seminiferous tubules. The primary spermatocyte which is a diploid cell undergoes meiotic division 1, dividing into 2 daughter cells known as secondary spermatocytes with a reduced chromosome number making them Haploids. As they mature, they get closer to the lumen of the seminiferous tubule. The secondary spermatocyte undergoes meiotic division 2 dividing into daughter cells known as spermatids. The Spermatid differentiates in a process known as spermiogenesis into spermatozoa which are matured sperm cells. These sperm cells are held in the lumen of the tubule and they go to the epididymis where they are stored. Sperm cells have a head known as the acrosome which penetrates the egg and causes fertilization. It also possesses a tail for movement (flagella) which is not active until ejaculation occurs and they help them swim to the eggs. The sperm cells contain enzymes and pro-nucleus DNA which is what it needs to create a zygote at its end. The female gamete is responsible for most of the structures needed for a zygote to be formed. The female gamete provides its DNA, cytoplasm, and organelles (mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, chromosomes, and so on).

Conclusion

You can tell that this is quite easy to understand and follow, but the reproductive anatomy and system aren't complete without the female reproductive anatomy, Oogenesis, discussing the pathway of sperm and egg cells in fertilization, and Folliculogenesis.



Reference



https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10095/

https://rbej.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1477-7827-1-107

http://www.uwyo.edu/wjm/repro/spermat.htm

https://teachmeanatomy.info/pelvis/the-male-reproductive-system/penis/

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/ask-experts/can-you-get-pregnant-from-pre-cum-im-hearing-different-stories



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I know that most men are largely unaware of the conformation of their reproductive system, much less wonder what this process of gametogenesis is like that you very well explain.

Not to mention the role of the prostate in the ejaculation process.

What you say about the most important participation of the female gamete in the process of creating a human being, an embryo, is true. In general, the spermatozoon only contributes what is the DNA, at least half of the genetic load, but the rest is done by the female gamete.

Good post, very well explained, particularly I learned some new things, and I also refreshed others. Thank you

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