Histology Male Reproductive System

Histology of
Male Reproductive System
Dr. Rajesh Ranjan

Assistant Professor
Deptt. of Veterinary Anatomy
C.V.Sc, Rewa
1
Male Reproductive System
A-Testis
B-Epididymis
C-Ductus Deferens
D-Urethra
1-Pelvic part
2-Penile part
E-Penis
G-Accessory Glands
1. Seminal vesicles
2-Prostate gland
3-Bulbouretheral gland/ Cowper’s gland
Testis
 The testis remains covered by:
 Tunica vaginalis-
 The outermost covering (peritoneal covering of the
testis and epididymis).
 It has a parietal and visceral layer. The parietal layer
remains adhered to the scrotum while the visceral
layer adheres to the capsule of the testis. The space
between the these two layers is called the vaginal
cavity.
 The layers consists of mesothelium lining and
connective tissue that blends with the underlying
connective tissue of the scrotum.
 Tunica albuginea:
 Capsule of the testis
 Consists of dense irregular connective tissue, predominantly
collagen fibers, few elastic fibers and myofibroblast.
 It has vascular layer (Tunica vasculosa) that contains
anatomizing branches of testicular artery and veins.
 The tunica albuginea gives connective tissue trabeculae called
septula testis which converge towards the mediastinum
testis.
 The septula testis divides the testicular parenchyma into
number of testicular lobules. Each lobule contains 1-4
seminiferous tubules.
 Mediastinum testis is a connective tissue area containing
the channels of rete testis, large blood and lymph vessels. In
bull it occupies the central position along the longitudinal
axis of the gonad.
Interstitial cells (Leydig cells)
The inter-tubular spaces of the testis contain loose C.T., blood and lymph
vessels, fibrocytes, free mononuclear cells and interstitial cells called
Leydig cells.
These Leydig cells are
▪Endocrine cells.
▪Have acidophilic cytoplasm.
▪Polyhedral in shape; has 1 or 2 spherical nuclei.
▪Form cords or clusters.
▪1% ram, 5% bulls, 20-30% in boars.
▪Produce testicular androgens (Testosterone)
▪In Boars they produce large amount of estrogen.
Seminiferous tubules:
▪Comprises of convoluted (tubuli contorti) and straight
tubule (tubuli recti).
▪Convoluted Seminiferous tubules are tortuous two-ended
loops.
▪Lined by stratified spermatogenic/ germinal epithelium.
▪Underlined by basal lamina.
▪Beneath the basal membrane lies the lamina propria.
▪The spermatogenic epithelium contains
▪Spermatogenic cells
▪Sertoli cells/ Sustentacular cells.
Cross section showing one Seminiferous tubule
Spermatogenic cells:
 It is arranged as complex stratified epithelium which consists of
stem cells (spermatogonia) at the base of the epithelium.
 The other cells are arranged in the order of development i.e.,
spermatogonia, primary spermatocytes, secondary spermatocytes,
spermatids and spermatozoa.
 The process of differentiation of spermatogonia to spermatozoa is
called spermatogenesis.
 Spermatogonia are immature spermatogenic cells lying on the
basement membrane of Seminiferous tubule.
 They undergo mitosis to differentiate into Type-A and Type-B cells.
 The type-A spermatogonia serves as stem cell of germinal epithelium.
 The type-B spermatogonia undergo maturation to form the primary
spermatocytes.
Primary spermatocyte:
 These are the largest germ cells occupying the middle region of
Seminiferous tubule.
 They have large rounded nucleus with coarse chromatin
clumps.
 The primary spermatocytes undergo first meiotic division to
form the secondary spermatocytes with haploid number of
chromosomes.
Secondary spermatocyte:
 These are short lived cells and intermediate in size between the
primary spermatocytes and spermatids.
 Their nuclei have less dense chromatin and undergo second
meiotic division to form the spermatids.
Spermatids:
 They are much smaller and lie in groups along the margins
of sertoli cells.
 With the formation of spermatids the first phase of
spermatogenesis i.e., spermatocytogenesis is completed.
 The second phase (Spermiogenesis) starts where the non-
motile spermatids converts into motile spermatozoa.

Sustantacular cell (Sertoli cell ):
• Irregularly outlined tall columnar cells rest on basal
lamina.
• Have oval or pear-shaped nuclei and located in the
broad basal portion of the cell and contains large
nucleoli.
• Form hemidesmosomes with the basal lamina.
• Looses its mitotic activity during puberty.
• A cross section of somniferous tubule has about 20
evenly spaced sustantacular cells.
• Adjacent sertoli cells have lateral tight junctions.
• This form a basal and an apical compartment forming
blood-testis barrier.
Sertoli cells
Basement membrane:
 Present beneath the epithelium and contains club shaped
projections that extend into the basal infoldings of sustentacular
cells and spermatogonia.
Lamina propria:
 Made up of collagen and elastic fibers, fibroblasts, lymphocytes and
monocytes. These lymphocytes and monocytes never invade the
tubular epithelium.
 It also contains 1-5 layers of peritubular cells just beneath the
basement membrane that contains actin filament bundles and are
capable of contraction.
Tubuli recti:
 Lining epithelium varies from simple cuboidal (proximal part) to
simple columnar (distal part) in bull.
Rete Testis:
• It is irregular anastomsing channel surrounded by vascular
connective tissue of the mediastinum,
• Lined by simple cuboidal to columnar epithelium, some have
microvilli.
• Elastic fibers and contractile cells are present beneath the
epithelium.
Ductuli efferenti:
 The rete testis is connected to the ductus eipdidymis by 8-25
ductuli efferenti.
 They are gathered in small lobules and lined by patches of
nonciliated cuboidal cells alternate with ciliated columnar cells.
 Houses lymphocytes in their basal area.
1. Ductuli efferenti
Ductus Epididymis:
 Divided into a head, body & tail.
 Surrounded by loose connective tissue covered by the visceral
layer of tunica vaginalis.
 Long & tortuous.
 Lined by pseudo stratified columnar epithelium with
stereocilia.
 The epithelial height as well as the length of stereocilia
decreases from head to tail region.
 The smooth muscle thickness increases from head to tail region.
 The epithelium contains some specific cell types like polygonal
basal cells and principal cells.
Ductus Deferens:
 From the epididymis the ductus deferens, a straight tube with a
thick muscular wall, continues towards the prostatic urethra
and empties into it.
 It is characterized by a narrow lumen and a mucosa with
longitudinal folds, covered along most of its extent by pseudo
stratified columnar epithelium with stereocilia.
 The lamina propria is rich in elastic fibers and the thick
tunica muscularis consists of longitudinal inner and outer
layers separated by a circular layer. The abundant smooth
muscle produces strong peristaltic contractions that participate
in the expulsion of the spermatozoa during ejaculation.
Urethra:
 The histological details include the basic four layers:
 Tunica mucosa: The epithelium is transitional but
changes to stratified squamous at the external urethral
orifice.
 Tunica submucosa: It is a connective tissue layer and has
cavernous spaces that are typical of erectile tissue.
 Tunica muscularis: It has inner and outer longitudinal
and a middle circular layer of smooth muscles as in bladder
but towards the external urethral orifice, it acquires an
external layer of skeletal muscle called Urethralis
muscle.
 Tunica serosa/ adventitia: is a fibrous layer.
Penis:
 The main component of the penis are the erectile tissues and
the urethra, surrounded by tunica albuginea and skin.
 The erectile tissues are corpus cavernosum penis placed
dorsally and corpus cavernosum urethrae (corpus
spongiosum) located ventrally and surrounds the urethra.
 At its end it dilates, forming the glans penis.
 Trabeculae arise from the tunica albuginea and enters the
erectile tissues.
Accessory sex glands:
Seminal vesicle:
 Compound tubular/ tubulo-alveolar gland.
 Glandular epithelium is pseudo stratified columnar with few
spherical basal cells.
 The intralobular and main excretory duct is lined by simple
cuboidal epithelium in bull and stratified columnar in equines.
 Lamina propria is highly vascularised loose connective tissue
which gives trabeculae that divides the glands into number of
lobules.
 Tunica muscularis and adventitia is also present.
Prostate gland:
 Histologically prostate consists of parenchyma (tubulo-alveolar
glands) and a characteristic fibro muscular stroma.
 The glandular parenchyma is formed by irregular prostatic
alveoli with wide lumen.
 Secretory lining of alveoli varies from cuboidal to columnar
depending upon activity.
 The lumen contains spherical prostatic concretions or corpora
amylacea which are formed by condensation of prostatic
secretions.
 The fibro muscular stroma supports the parenchyma and is
made of smooth muscle fibers mixed with connective tissue
fibers running in different directions.
 The fibro elastic capsule surrounding the prostate is rich in
smooth muscle. Septa from this capsule penetrate the gland and
divide it into lobes.
Bulbourethral gland:
 Compound tubulo-alveolar gland in bull, stallion and ram,
compound tubular gland in boar, cat and bucks and absent in
dogs.
 Glandular epithelium is simple columnar with occasional basal
cells.
 The collecting duct has simple cuboidal to columnar
epithelium.
 The intraglandular duct has pseudostratified columnar
epithelium.
 The bulbourethral duct is lined by transitional epithelium.
 The gland is covered by fibro elastic capsule containing
striated muscle.
Assignment:
 A well labelled histological representation of male
reproductive system with key histological differences
among species in practical note book.
Thanks!

Histology Male Reproductive System

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Histology Male Reproductive System

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Histology Male Reproductive System

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Histology of

Male Reproductive System

Dr. Rajesh Ranjan

 With the formation of spermatids the first phase of

spermatogenesis i.e., spermatocytogenesis is completed.

 The second phase (Spermiogenesis) starts where the non-

motile spermatids converts into motile spermatozoa.

You might also like