ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY TEST 6A
What are male gametes called?
sperm
Leydig cells ________.
secrete testosterone
Which hypothalamic hormone contributes to the regulation of the male
reproductive system?
gonadotropin-releasing hormone
What is the function of the epididymis?
sperm maturation and storage
Spermatogenesis takes place in the ________.
seminiferous tubules
Briefly explain why mature gametes carry only one set of chromosomes.
A single gamete must combine with a gamete from an individual of the opposite sex to
produce a fertilized egg, which has a complete set of chromosomes and is the first cell
of a new individual.
What special features are evident in sperm cells but not in somatic cells, and how
do these specializations function?
Unlike somatic cells, sperm are haploid. They also have very little cytoplasm. They have
a head with a compact nucleus covered by an acrosome filled with enzymes, and a mid-
piece filled with mitochondria that power their movement. They are motile because of
their tail, a structure containing a flagellum, which is specialized for movement.
What do each of the three male accessory glands contribute to the semen?
The three accessory glands make the following contributions to semen: the seminal
vesicle contributes about 60 percent of the semen volume, with fluid that contains large
amounts of fructose to power the movement of sperm; the prostate gland contributes
substances critical to sperm maturation; and the bulbourethral glands contribute a thick
fluid that lubricates the ends of the urethra and the vagina and helps to clean urine
residues from the urethra.
While anabolic steroids (synthetic testosterone) bulk up muscles, they can also
affect testosterone production in the testis. Using what you know about negative
feedback, describe what would happen to testosterone production in the testis if
a male takes large amounts of synthetic testosterone.
Testosterone production by the body would be reduced if a male were taking anabolic
steroids. This is because the hypothalamus responds to rising testosterone levels by
reducing its secretion of GnRH, which would in turn reduce the anterior pituitary's
release of LH, finally reducing the manufacture of testosterone in the testes.
What are the female gonads called?
ovaries
Where does fertilization of the egg by the sperm typically occur?
uterine tube
Why do estrogen levels fall after menopause?
There are no follicles left to produce estrogen.
, Follow the path of ejaculated sperm from the vagina to the oocyte. Include all
structures of the female reproductive tract that the sperm must swim through to
reach the egg.
The sperm must swim upward in the vagina, through the cervix, and then through the
body of the uterus to one or the other of the two uterine tubes. Fertilization generally
occurs in the uterine tube.
Identify some differences between meiosis in men and women.
Meiosis in the man results in four viable haploid sperm, whereas meiosis in the woman
results in a secondary oocyte and, upon completion following fertilization by a sperm,
one viable haploid ovum with abundant cytoplasm and up to three polar bodies with little
cytoplasm that are destined to die.
Endometriosis is a disorder in which endometrial cells implant and proliferate
outside of the uterus—in the uterine tubes, on the ovaries, or even in the pelvic
cavity. Offer a theory as to why endometriosis increases a woman's risk of
infertility.
Endometrial tissue proliferating outside of the endometrium—for example, in the uterine
tubes, on the ovaries, or within the pelvic cavity—could block the passage of sperm,
ovulated oocytes, or a zygote, thus reducing fertility.
What controls whether an embryo will develop testes or ovaries?
Y chromosome
Without SRY expression, an embryo will develop ________.
female reproductive structures
The timing of puberty can be influenced by which of the following?
genes, stress, & amount of body fat
Explain how the internal female and male reproductive structures develop from
two different duct systems
The internal reproductive structures form from one of two rudimentary duct systems in
the embryo. Testosterone secretion stimulates growth of the male tract, the Wolffian
duct. Secretions of sustentacular cells trigger a degradation of the female tract, the
Müllerian duct. Without these stimuli, the Müllerian duct will develop and the Wolffian
duct will degrade, resulting in a female embryo.
Explain what would occur during fetal development to an XY individual with a
mutation causing a nonfunctional SRY gene.
If the SRY gene were not functional, the XY individual would be genetically a male, but
would develop female reproductive structures.
Sperm and ova are similar in terms of ________.
chromosome number
Although the male ejaculate contains hundreds of millions of sperm, ________.
most do not reach the oocyte
As sperm first reach the oocyte, they will contact the ________.
corona radiata
Fusion of pronuclei occurs during ________.
fertilization
Sperm must first complete ________ to enable the fertilization of an oocyte.
capacitation
What are male gametes called?
sperm
Leydig cells ________.
secrete testosterone
Which hypothalamic hormone contributes to the regulation of the male
reproductive system?
gonadotropin-releasing hormone
What is the function of the epididymis?
sperm maturation and storage
Spermatogenesis takes place in the ________.
seminiferous tubules
Briefly explain why mature gametes carry only one set of chromosomes.
A single gamete must combine with a gamete from an individual of the opposite sex to
produce a fertilized egg, which has a complete set of chromosomes and is the first cell
of a new individual.
What special features are evident in sperm cells but not in somatic cells, and how
do these specializations function?
Unlike somatic cells, sperm are haploid. They also have very little cytoplasm. They have
a head with a compact nucleus covered by an acrosome filled with enzymes, and a mid-
piece filled with mitochondria that power their movement. They are motile because of
their tail, a structure containing a flagellum, which is specialized for movement.
What do each of the three male accessory glands contribute to the semen?
The three accessory glands make the following contributions to semen: the seminal
vesicle contributes about 60 percent of the semen volume, with fluid that contains large
amounts of fructose to power the movement of sperm; the prostate gland contributes
substances critical to sperm maturation; and the bulbourethral glands contribute a thick
fluid that lubricates the ends of the urethra and the vagina and helps to clean urine
residues from the urethra.
While anabolic steroids (synthetic testosterone) bulk up muscles, they can also
affect testosterone production in the testis. Using what you know about negative
feedback, describe what would happen to testosterone production in the testis if
a male takes large amounts of synthetic testosterone.
Testosterone production by the body would be reduced if a male were taking anabolic
steroids. This is because the hypothalamus responds to rising testosterone levels by
reducing its secretion of GnRH, which would in turn reduce the anterior pituitary's
release of LH, finally reducing the manufacture of testosterone in the testes.
What are the female gonads called?
ovaries
Where does fertilization of the egg by the sperm typically occur?
uterine tube
Why do estrogen levels fall after menopause?
There are no follicles left to produce estrogen.
, Follow the path of ejaculated sperm from the vagina to the oocyte. Include all
structures of the female reproductive tract that the sperm must swim through to
reach the egg.
The sperm must swim upward in the vagina, through the cervix, and then through the
body of the uterus to one or the other of the two uterine tubes. Fertilization generally
occurs in the uterine tube.
Identify some differences between meiosis in men and women.
Meiosis in the man results in four viable haploid sperm, whereas meiosis in the woman
results in a secondary oocyte and, upon completion following fertilization by a sperm,
one viable haploid ovum with abundant cytoplasm and up to three polar bodies with little
cytoplasm that are destined to die.
Endometriosis is a disorder in which endometrial cells implant and proliferate
outside of the uterus—in the uterine tubes, on the ovaries, or even in the pelvic
cavity. Offer a theory as to why endometriosis increases a woman's risk of
infertility.
Endometrial tissue proliferating outside of the endometrium—for example, in the uterine
tubes, on the ovaries, or within the pelvic cavity—could block the passage of sperm,
ovulated oocytes, or a zygote, thus reducing fertility.
What controls whether an embryo will develop testes or ovaries?
Y chromosome
Without SRY expression, an embryo will develop ________.
female reproductive structures
The timing of puberty can be influenced by which of the following?
genes, stress, & amount of body fat
Explain how the internal female and male reproductive structures develop from
two different duct systems
The internal reproductive structures form from one of two rudimentary duct systems in
the embryo. Testosterone secretion stimulates growth of the male tract, the Wolffian
duct. Secretions of sustentacular cells trigger a degradation of the female tract, the
Müllerian duct. Without these stimuli, the Müllerian duct will develop and the Wolffian
duct will degrade, resulting in a female embryo.
Explain what would occur during fetal development to an XY individual with a
mutation causing a nonfunctional SRY gene.
If the SRY gene were not functional, the XY individual would be genetically a male, but
would develop female reproductive structures.
Sperm and ova are similar in terms of ________.
chromosome number
Although the male ejaculate contains hundreds of millions of sperm, ________.
most do not reach the oocyte
As sperm first reach the oocyte, they will contact the ________.
corona radiata
Fusion of pronuclei occurs during ________.
fertilization
Sperm must first complete ________ to enable the fertilization of an oocyte.
capacitation
