Nursing Preparation Study Guide

Nursing Preparation Study Guide

8.4.2 Components • Testes: Male gonads that secrete sex hormones; shaped like a flattened egg. The testes hang within the scrotum. • Spermatozoa: Male gamete; sperm. • Seminal glands: Secretes the fluids of accessory glands. • Prostate gland: Surrounds urethra like a doughnut, and secretes fluids that nourish and protect sperm. • Scrotum: A fleshy pouch suspended posterior to the base of the penis; it contains the testes. • Epididymis: A coiled tube bound to the posterior border of each testis. It has a head, a body, and a tail. The epididymis receives spermatozoa from the efferent ductules. It monitors and adjusts the composition of the fluid produced by the seminiferous tubules, protects and stores spermatozoa and facilitates their maturation, and acts as a recycling center for damaged spermatozoa. • Vas deferens: Begins at the tail of the epididymis and ascends through the inguinal canal; peristaltic contractions in this layer propel spermatozoa and fluid along the duct. • Urethra: A passageway from the body; in males, it carries urine and semen out of the body. • Semen: Mature spermatozoa are mixed with the secretions of accessory glands. • Penis: Part of the external male genitalia; a tubular organ through which the distal portion of the urethra passes. It functions in both the reproductive system and urinary system by introducing semen into the female’s vagina during sexual intercourse and by conducting urine to the exterior, respectively. The penis can be divided into three regions: the root, the body, and the glans. • Ovaries: Female gonads. • Ovum: Female gamete. • Uterus: The muscular organ that houses the developing offspring. • Uterine tubes: A hollow, muscular tube measuring roughly 13 cm (5.2 in.) long. Each uterine tube is divided into three segments: infundibulum with its fimbriae, the ampulla, and the isthmus. Fertilization typically occurs near the boundary between the ampulla and isthmus of the uterine tube. A nutrient-rich environment with lipids and glycogen are provided by the uterine tube. • Vagina: An elastic, muscular tube extending between the cervix and the vestibule, a space bounded by the female external genitalia. • Mammary glands: Specialized organs of the integumentary system controlled by hormones of the reproductive system and by the placenta. • Androgens: A class of male hormones. • Testosterone: During development, this is the most prominent male hormone necessary for masculinization of reproductive structures. • Estrogens: A class of primary hormones of the reproductive system; stimulates muscle and bone growth and maintains female secondary sex characteristics, such as body hair distribution and the location of adipose tissue deposits. • Progesterone: One of the primary steroid hormones of the female; necessary for pregnancy.

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