CORE TOPIC: PAGE 1 of 4
Spermatogenesis

In both male and female, the gonads produce hormones as well as gametes. The testes produce the steroid hormone testosterone. The production of testosterone is controlled centrally by a single hypothalamic releasing hormone GnRH. GnRH stimulates the basophils of the anterior pituitary to produce the gonadotrophic stimulating hormones FSH and LH. These two protein hormones control the production of testosterone by the interstitial tissue of the testes.

The male gametes are produced by a process known as spermatogenesis. Testosterone initiates spermatogenesis at puberty and controls its rate throughout life. Spermatogenesis can be described in three stages.

  • Spermatocytogenesis

  • Meiosis

  • Spermiogenesis

    Spermatogenesis is sensitive to temperature change and various chemical stimuli. In virtually all mammals, the testes are maintained two degrees below the core body temperature; a rise in temperature results in a fall in the rate of spermatogenesis. The low temperature is acheived by the testes lying outside the body cavity in the scrotum. In addition, the arterial blood entering the testes is cooled by inimate contact with a copmlex arrangement of veins which acts as a counter current heat exchange mechanism.

    Spermatogenesis
    Page 1
    Page 2 ->

    Tutorial Navigator:
    Core Supplementary Material on Spermatogenesis
    Previous Topic

    Next Topic     		Seminiferous tubule (MP) Spermatogenesis (VHP) Sertoli cells diagram
    Sertoli cells (VHP) Spermatozoa -
    Return to Male Reproductive System Main Index