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No arrangement/organization
Structures
1. Mesorchium
a. Peritoneum that suspends testis to dorsal
body wall
Mesorchium
b. Between layers of tubes of vas deferens
2. Tunica Albuginea
a. Outer connective tissue
b. Covers testis
c. Known as intertubular connective tissue or
Seminifer
septula
ous
d. Tough tissue; extends into substance of testis
e. Partitions into many compartments containing
Tubules
seminiferous tubules
Tunica Albuginea
3. Seminiferous Tubules
a. Coiled tubule containing spermatogenic cells
b. Also has sertoli cells nurse cells; nutritional;
going to gonadal layer
c. Tubule connected to vas deferens
d. Spermatogenic cells may undergo
maturation
Primary
e. Cells going through a particular stage found
Spermatocyte
in a culture/group within the tubule
4. Spermatocyst or Cell Nest or Follicular Cyst
a. Cluster of similar cells undergoing same
stage of devt
Cysts of
b. Surrounded by follicle cells
Spermatogonia
c. Spermatocyst = primary spermatogonium +
associate follicle
Secondary
d. Spermatocyst forms gonia of the second
Spermatocyte
and third order which undergo maturation
to form SPERMATOZOA
e. Cyst wall eventually breaks down
f. Spermatocysts mature independently of
one another
Spermatogo
g. Each seminiferous tubule may contain
nia
Spermatoz
cysts in different stages of maturation
oa
5. Spermatogonia
a. Closely packed cells with granular nucleus
b. Heavily stained; not a perfect circle, different shapes
c. Primary spermatozoa fastened to walls of seminiferous tubule
d. Gonium invested by follicle cells
e. Residual spermatozoid source of germ cell proliferation
f. Active spermatogenesis
i. Short season in summer
ii. Begins rapid succession of mitosis
iii. Daughter cells from spermatogonial divisions retain follicle cells
1. Eventually become sperms
g. Millions of sperms from frog come from small number of gonia by repeated mitosis, maturation
and spermatogenesis
Secondary Spermatocyte
Spermatogonia
h. Seminiferous tubules
i. Do not contain permanent population of sperm cells
ii. Sperm cells evacuated at time of each spawning
6. Primary Spermatocytes (6,7,8 early spermatids perfect circles)
a. Very large cells
b. Irregular, large and vesicular nuclei
c. Meiotic prophase can be discerned
d. Divides to form haploid secondary spermatocytes
e. Middle not stained
f. You should see chromosomes; biggest
Primary Spermatocytes
7. Secondary Spermatocytes
a. Haploid; result of first meiotic division
b. Half the size of primaries
Spermati
c. Stain half; darkly stained but white at sides
d
Spermato
(cytoplasm)
d. Lie toward lumen of tubule
zoa
e. Clearly visible cytoplasm
8. Spermatids
a. Condensed nucleus
b. Closely packed you shouldnt see any white
c. Cluster of granules
d. Metamorphosis of spermatids to spermatozoon
i. Inner of 2 spermatid centrioles passes into nucleus while the other one gives rise to
the tail-like flagellum
9. Spermatozoa
a. Average at 0.30 mm
b. Elongated solid staining head
c. Anterior acrosome pointing outward to seminiferous tubule
d. Tail is a gray filamentous extension of head
e. Groups into 25 to 40 cells for external sources of nutrition
f. Columnar type basal cell known as sertoli cells
i. Sertoli cells; source of nutrition for sperm heads
10. Sertoli or Sustentacular Cell
a. Nurse cell; supplying nutrients to sperm
b. Was associated with the primary spermatogonia and spermatocytes as follicle cells
c. When the tails of immature sperms grow out and follicular cysts (spermatocysts burst open
into lumen of seminiferous tubule)
i. Each bursted follicle cell attracts a bundle of sperm and transforms into a goblet
shape nurse cell
d. Frog sperms attach through winter, as long as 6 months
i. When detached, theyre stored in the mesonephric tubules and in different ducts
ii. In the mesonephric tubules they die agad
11. Interstitial Cells
a. Small clusters of cells interspersed with intertubular connective tissue
b. Undetermined if these cells secrete male sex hormone in the frog
12. Ova
a. Egg cells seen between seminiferous tubules of some male individuals
b. Male organ OVITESTIS
HISTOLOGY OF MOUSE TESTIS (chick testis also applicable here)
STRUCTURES
-
Seminiferous tubules
o Structures found in seminiferous t.
Small blood vesses filled with red-stained
erythrocytes
P. Spermatocytes
Clumps of cells with conspicuous nuclei
that contains blue-stained chromatin
Interstitial cells/Leydig cells
S. Spermatocytes
o Produce testosterone
Connective tissue cells with elongated
nuclei
Sertoli Cells
o Nurse/sustentacular cells
o Only somatic cell in seminiferous tubule
o Spaced at regular intervals against basement membrane and around seminiferous tubules
Near spermatogonia
Have distinct outlines and large,oval
With indented nuclei with compound nucleoli
Surrounded by spermatozoa
Functions as:
Form blood-testes barrier
Nutrients and other
substances do
Spermatogonia
not directly reach cells
Determines which substances reach the
germ cells
Leydig Cells
Spermatogonia are outside bloodtestes barrier
Spermatids
P. Spermatocytes
Produce antigen-binding proteins
Necessary for spermiogenesis
o Two types of Sertoli Cells
Active Sertoli Cells
Normal function of supporting
spermatozoa
Pyramidal shape with apex towards lumen and nucleus perpendicular to tubule
wall
Inactive (resting) Sertoli Cells
Polygonal in shape
Nucleus is parallel to wall of tubule
Spermatogenic Cells
o Arranged in a layer
BASEMENT
o Vary in number with the phase of spermatogenic
MEMBRANE
activity
Does not take place in simultaneously in
all tubules
o The spermatogenic cells are:
GONIAL LAYER
Spermatogonia
Primary spermatocytes
Secondary spermatocytes
Spermatids
LUMEN
Spermatozoa
Spermatogonia
o Most primitive of the male sex cells
o Some undergo meiosis; progenies are translocated as
they
mature
Translocation mediated by sertoli cells
o Circumferential zones of more advanced cells inside zones
of less
advanced cells
o Criteria to identify spermatogonia
Rests on basement membrane and interrupted at intervals by sertoli cells
Gonial layer rapid mitosis (thin layers)
Nuclei is small, compared to spermatids
o 3 types of spermatogonia ***Near basement membrane except big triangular cells (sertoli)
1. TYPE A Spermatogonia
a. Chromatin appears fine and evenly dispersed
b. Single prominent chromatin nucleolus
o
o
o
o
o
ACTIVE
c. Ger
m
cell
line
Type B S. Spermatogonia
Chick Testis