Puberty and the male reproductive system
Puberty is the stage when the reproductive organs mature. In males, the testes make sperms and testosterone; sperms travel through the vas deferens and urethra.
Changes at puberty
| In both boys and girls | In boys | In girls |
|---|---|---|
| Thick hair grows in the armpits and the genital area | Thick facial hair: moustache and beard | Breasts begin to grow larger |
| Thinner hair appears on the legs, arms and face | The voice begins to crack and becomes deeper | The skin of the nipples darkens |
| The skin becomes oily and pimples may appear | The penis may sometimes become enlarged and erect | Menstruation begins |
Why puberty happens
In childhood the body grows, but the reproductive tissues are not yet mature. In the early teenage years, at puberty, these tissues begin to mature. The changes come slowly, over months and years, and they do not happen at the same age in everyone. So two friends of the same age may be at different stages, and both are normal.
The path of sperms in the male reproductive system
- 1★Sperms are made in the two testes, which lie in the scrotum, outside the abdomen, because sperm formation needs a lower temperature than normal body temperature.
- 2The testes also make the hormone testosterone, which controls sperm formation and brings the changes of puberty in boys.
- 3Sperms are carried away from each testis by the vas deferens (sperm duct).
- 4The vas deferens joins a tube coming from the urinary bladder. This common tube, the urethra, carries both sperms and urine.
- 5The seminal vesicles and the prostate gland add secretions, so the sperms are in a fluid that makes transport easier and nourishes them.
- 6Each sperm is a tiny cell, mostly genetic material, with a long tail to swim towards the female germ cell.
★ key step
How to draw the human male reproductive system
- Draw the urinary bladder as a rounded bag at the top centre.
- Draw a seminal vesicle behind the bladder and the prostate gland around the top of the urethra, just below the bladder.
- Draw the urethra running down through the penis.
- Below, draw the scrotum as a pouch holding an oval testis.
- Draw the vas deferens as a tube looping up from the testis, over the bladder, to join the urethra.
- Label: urinary bladder, seminal vesicle, prostate gland, vas deferens, urethra, penis, testis, scrotum.
Pimples and a cracking voice are normal parts of growing up. Talking to a parent, teacher or doctor clears doubts, and a balanced diet with dal, milk, eggs or paneer supports the growth spurt of the teenage years.
2 marks: “Why are the testes located outside the abdominal cavity?” Sperm formation needs a temperature lower than normal body temperature. The scrotum keeps the testes cooler.
2 marks: “What is the role of the seminal vesicles and the prostate gland?” They add secretions, so the sperms are in a fluid that makes their transport easier and gives them nutrition.
3 marks: “List three changes at puberty seen in both boys and girls, and one change seen only in boys.” Hair in the armpits and genital area; thinner hair on legs, arms and face; oily skin and pimples. Boys only: facial hair or a cracking voice.
The sperm route is T-V-U, like a TV yoU watch: Testis → Vas deferens → Urethra. The seminal vesicles and prostate add the fluid.