Male Anatomy and How It Works?

Compared to the female sexual anatomy, the male anatomy is noticeably straightforward and uncomplicated. The details of the male reproductive system are easier to understand because a major part of the system is externally visible. The chief mating organs, the penis and the scrotum, which contains the testicles, protrude outside the body, so their anatomy is much more pronounced. Unlike the females who have a limited supply of eggs, the male body can produce sperm throughout life. The one feature that is slightly complicated is the journey of the sperm, from the testicles where it is produced, to the penis, where it forms the ejaculate. Once the sperm reaches the female reproductive tract, it fertilizes the egg to form an embryo, which ultimately results in live birth.

Male Anatomy 

                       
To understand the functioning of the male reproductive system, one has to have a basic knowledge of the different organs comprising the male sexual anatomy. The male organs include:

• Penis – The Penis is the external cylindrical male reproductive organ, which gets inserted into the female’s vagina during sexual intercourse and releases the semen. The average length of the penis, when not erect, is close to 4 inches. It is a highly erectile organ and, when erect, its’ length is anywhere between 5-7 inches. The penis has two parts, the shaft and the glans. The glans, which forms the tip of the penis, is covered by foreskin. It encloses the common opening, through which both the urine and the semen are released. The shaft, which forms the main body, consists of the corpora cavernosa and corpora spongiosum. There are large spaces found between these tissues which get filled with blood during sexual arousal, making the penis erect. The corona is the ridge that lies between the shaft and the glans and is an extremely sensitive structure.

• Scrotum – This pouch of skin, which protrudes downwards, is located at the base of the penis. The scrotum contains the sperm producing centers, the testicles. The scrotum “hangs” downwards because the sperm cannot be produced at body temperature; they need a temperature 3-4 degrees lower than that.

• Testicles – Testicles are oval shaped, paired structures present inside the scrotum. They contain the seminiferous tubules, which are responsible for sperm production. Besides that, they also produce the chief male hormone, testosterone. The testicles develop inside the abdomen initially, but descend downwards towards the latter part of fetal life.

• Prostate Gland – This sexual gland is found at the bottom of the urinary bladder and pours its secretions into a part of the urethra. It releases an alkaline fluid, which is an ingredient of the seminal fluid. The seminal fluid later forms the semen, when it combines with the sperm.   

• Seminal Vesicle – These glands are present on the hind side of the urinary bladder and release a fluid, which forms nearly 70% of the seminal fluid, while 30% is contributed by the Prostate Gland.

• Epididymis – This is a long tube situated close to each testicle. It receives the sperm right after they have left the testicles. It is here that the sperm are temporarily stored for 2-10 days, while they attain maturity and motility.

• Vas Deferens – This muscular tube like structure connects the epididymis and the urinary bladder. It receives the sperm from the epididymis and transfers them to the urethra. 

• Ejaculatory Duct – This duct is formed by the union of the vas deferens and the duct of the seminal vesicle. It is here that the sperms mixes with the seminal fluid and forms the semen. The ejaculatory duct opens into the urethra.

• Urethra – The urethra originates at the urinary bladder and extends till the tip of the penis. In men, it performs the dual function of releasing both the semen and the urine out of the body. It possesses a ring of muscles, which prevent the backflow of semen during ejaculation.

Male Reproductive System- Functioning

The male reproductive system is mainly concerned with the production of sperm and its transport into the female’s vagina. It is also responsible for the secretion of testosterone, which brings about various sexual changes in a man during puberty. This hormone enlarges the scrotum and the penis during the initial stages of puberty. It also modifies the hair distribution pattern over the body resulting in growth of facial and pubic hair. A man’s voice also deepens, thanks to this hormone.

The event that truly marks the arrival of puberty is the production of the male gametes, sperm. Once puberty has been attained, the recently produced testosterone transforms the cells of the seminiferous tubules into specialized sperm producing cells, the sertoli cells. These cells then undergo a series of changes to finally form the sperm. This maturation process takes about 70 days and is aided by certain hormones like testosterone and minute quantities of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and leutinizing hormone (LH).

A typical sperm consists of the following parts: a head, a middle piece and a tail. The tip of the sperm is covered by an acrosome cap, which contains hormones for breaking through the egg. The head is where the genetic information is stored while the tail is primarily used for traveling through the male and female bodies.

The sperm passes through a channel of small tubes and ducts before it reaches the epididymis. It is stored here for 2-10 days during which the process of maturation is completed. The maturation process enhances its motility and makes it capable of fertilization. The matured sperm then reaches the vas deferens, where it combines with the secretions from the seminal vesicle. This fluid now enters the ejaculatory duct, which runs through the prostate gland. Therefore, the secretions of the prostate also mix with the fluid, thus forming the semen.

The ejaculatory duct finally leads into the urethra, which terminates at the tip of the penis. The semen, which is a white milky fluid, is dispelled through a small opening at the tip of the penis when the man reaches orgasm. This process is referred to as ejaculation. Every time a man ejaculates, nearly 500 million sperm reach the female’s vagina, out of which only one fertilizes the egg. After the sperm passes through the cervix and the uterus, it reaches the fallopian tubes. This is the precise area where fertilization occurs and an embryo is formed. This embryo gets implanted into the female’s uterus and, if all goes well, a baby is born within nine months.

Anomalies of the Male Reproductive System

Now that we have a basic idea about the structure and functioning of the male reproductive system, we are in a better position to understand its anomalies. These anomalies can turn into major causes of infertility.   Infertility can be due to anatomical, functional, genetic or even unexplained causes. Some of the common reproductive irregularities in males are:

• Varicocele – This anomaly is found in nearly 16% of the infertile males. A dense network of blood vessels exists in and around the testicles. If these blood vessels swell and expand, it results into a condition referred to as varicocele. The affected blood vessels might damage the testicles. Their expansion also increases the temperature in the testicles, thus hampering sperm production.

• Low Sperm Count – This condition is medically referred to as Oligospermia. It can arise due to a variety of causes, ranging from anatomical to environmental. The common causes include an obstruction in the duct system, which carries the sperm, infected semen and frequent exposure to high temperatures. Excessive smoking and alcohol consumption can also lead to low sperm counts.

• Cryptorchidism – This condition results when the testicles fail to descend downwards, even after birth. The good news is that it can be corrected through surgery. Doctors usually advise that the surgery should be carried out as soon as the baby is a year old.

• Testicular Torsion – In this rather uncommon condition, one of the testicles twists around and the blood supply to this testicle is cut off.

• Epididymitis – A man affect by this ailment has an inflamed epididymis. It is usually caused by an infection or is an outcome of a sexually transmitted disease (STD). It can lead to pain and swelling in the testes.

• Inguinal Hernia – The contents of the abdomen protrude into the groin area and hang as a pouch outside the body. It can be corrected through surgery.

• Hypogonadism – This is genetic disorder under which the testes fail to develop at all, leading to permanent infertility.

• Hydrocele – In a few cases, some fluid might accumulate in the membranes surrounding the testicles. This fluid might be toxic and thus, might cause infection. It can also lead to swelling and pain in the testicles.

Apart from these causes, several other factors can also lead to infertility. Testicular Cancer is one such cause. Chemotherapy can check the spread of cancer and should be recommended as soon as the cancer is diagnosed. Hormonal imbalances can also cause a lot of problems in males. Any injuries sustained earlier might also adversely affect your fertility chances.

Daily lifestyle also has a pronounced effect on your reproductive system. Excessive consumption of cigarettes, smoking, drugs or steroids can have detrimental consequences. Even prescribed drugs used to treat arthritis or high blood pressure can hamper your fertility. Therefore, one must maintain extra caution when it comes to drugs and medications.

It’s a common misconception that only females contribute to infertility. But in nearly 40% of the cases, it’s the men who are infertile. Men need to be more aware of the factors that might damage their reproductive system and make conscious efforts to avoid them. The ability to reproduce is a miraculous gift and every possible step must be taken to safeguard it.