MEN’S INTERNAL SEX AND REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS AND SPERM PRODUCTION: TESTES. EPIDIDYMIS
The penis and scrotum are connected to the internal reproductive organs and structures. The internal organs and structures are responsible for making and moving sperm. Sperm are the reproductive cells in men. It takes two reproductive cells, or gametes, to unite and begin the long, complex process of making a new individual. One cell has to come from the male and one from the female. When a sperm meets a female reproductive cell, the egg, or ovum, they can unite. This is called fertilization.
Testes
The testes are the ball-shaped glands inside the scrotum. Within each testis is a network of thin tubes, 750 feet long. These tubes are tightly coiled. They are called the seminiferous tubules. Sperm are formed inside these tubes. The name for the process of making sperm is spermatogenesis. Men’s bodies make sperm all their lives, from puberty on. New sperm develop every minute. The supply never ends.
In between the seminiferous tubules are cells that produce male sex hormones. Hormones are chemicals that influence the changes in our bodies. Hormones also direct the work of glands and organs. If a hormone is found in greater quantities and has greater importance to the reproductive process in the male body than in the female body, it is categorized as a male sex hormone. Another name for male sex hormone is androgen. Testosterone is the major androgen that stimulates the production of sperm.
Epididymis
On top of each testis is another highly coiled tube. This tube is called the epididymis. When sperm are nearly mature, they move into each epididymis. Here, the sperm mature and gain the ability to swim. Mature sperm are stored in the epididymis until they are forced out of the body at the peak moment of sexual excitement. This is called ejaculation. This process is also called emission. At this point, boys and men usually have an orgasm, which is a very pleasurable feeling that may involve the whole body.
An orgasm is an uncontrollable release of tension that has built up in the body during sexual activity. This can happen during sex play, such as masturbation or intercourse, or during erotic fantasy. Orgasm does not always occur with ejaculation, and ejaculation does not always occur with orgasm.
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