In a man, the two vasa deferentia are tied and cut so that no sperm can pass…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
In a man, the two vasa deferentia are tied and cut so that no sperm can pass. The testes, the glands and the other ducts are left alone.
- Does his body go on making sperms?
- Does his body go on making the male hormones?
- Can he still ejaculate a fluid? Give your reason.
- Will the fluid contain sperms?
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
A testis has about lobules, and each lobule holds to seminiferous tubules. The scrotum keeps the testes to below the temperature inside the body. Sperm route: seminiferous tubule, rete testis, vasa efferentia, epididymis, vas deferens, ejaculatory duct, urethra. Leydig cells make androgens. Sertoli cells feed the germ cells.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. (a) Yes. The germ cells of the seminiferous tubules go on making sperms. The sperms cannot leave, and they are broken down in the body.
Step 2. (b) Yes. The Leydig cells make androgens, and the hormones go into the blood, not through the ducts.
Step 3. (c) Yes. The glands join the system after the vas deferens, so they still add their fluid. The seminal plasma is still ejaculated.
Step 4. (d) No. The sperms are held back by the block, so the fluid has the seminal plasma only.
Answer: (a) yes; (b) yes; (c) yes, the glands lie after the block; (d) no.
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