THE MALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM: I

ALBERT S. BERKOWITZ, PH.D. FALL 1994

HISTOLOGY 1994 - Male Reproductive System Laboratory - I

The male reproductive system consists of the 2 testes, an excurrent duct system, a group of accessory glands, and the penis.

Slide 17 and 116, Human Testis:
Examine these slides. Identify the tunica albuginea, a thick fibrous capsule, partially surrounding the testis. Note vessels in and under the capsule which constitute the tunica vascularis. At los magnification, you can recognize the numerous profiles of seminiferous tubules. Do the seminiferous tubules perform an exocrine or an endocrine function? This tissue is not well preserved, hence the various stages of spermatogenesis are not readily apparent. You should be able to identify some of the germinal epithelium, such as spermatogonia, primary spermatocytes, spermatids and spermatozoa. You can also identify an occasional Sertoli cell. In the area between the seminiferous tubules note the clusters of interstitial cells of Leydig. What is the function of these cells?

In one area of the slide you can identify the mediastinum of the testis. On some slides you can see sites where the excurrent duct system of the male reproductive system begins. Such connections are areas where seminiferous tubules drain into the first portion of the duct system, the tubuli recti. Tubuli recti are short straight tubules, generally lined by a simple cuboidal to columnar epithelium which drain into the rete testis of the mediastinum.

The rete testis are epithelial lined spaces surrounded by large amounts of connective tissue. The simple epithelium ranges from low cuboidal to columnar. Rete testis will eventually drain into the ductuli efferentes which are probably not apparent in this slide.

Slide 117, Monkey Testis:
This slide shows the monkey testis and epididymis which will be covered next lab. In some of the slides you may be able to again see the region of mediastinum. Try to find the tubuli recti and the rete testis.

Slide 21, Immature Monkey Testis:
If you compare this slide with slide 17 you will note that the seminiferous tubules in the immature state are made up of spermatogonia and Sertoli cells. Note that the Leydig or interstitial cells are predominantly fibroblastic in nature.