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In lab you will learn about the regions of the male reproductive system. Your book divides these regions into the primary and secondary male reproductive organs. The primary reproductive organs are the testes; these are the organs in which the sperm are made and from which the male reproductive hormones are secreted. However, the testes certainly cannot function alone. Other organs are needed to make the sperm fully functional and to deliver the sperm to the female reproductive system (for internal fertilization). These other organs are the secondary reproductive organs. Secondary reproductive organs can be either internal or external reproductive organs. The internal male reproductive organs include the: epididymis (paired), vas deferens (paired), seminal vesicles (paired), prostate gland (only one), and bulbourethral glands (paired). The way your book is organized, it looks like "semen" is an organ, but it is not. Semen is a fluid tissue secreted by the male reproductive organs (as you will see on the semen web page). The external male reproductive organs (also secondary male reproductive organs) include the: scrotum and penis.
You will examine all of these organs on models in lab. Many of the internal secondary reproductive organs are involved in one function: production of semen. So I am explaining that more to you on the semen web page. Another topic that could be discussed here is the penile erection, but I have set up a separate web page for erections so that both male and female erections can be described. Finally, the primary male reproductive organ, the testis, is the one that secretes the male reproductive hormones; therefore, I am linking off of this web page to describe the male reproductive hormones. |
© 2006 STCC Foundation Press |
