Reproductive System
stAem Associate Professor V
Department of Morphoph ysiology and Pharmacology
College of Veterinar y Science and Medicine
Central Luzon State University
Gonadogenesis
•The reproductive system is composed of the testes, penis,
and accessory glands in male and ovaries, uterus and
vagina and vulva in female
• The primordia of both male and female reproductive
systems develop in the so- called indefferent stage of
devt.
•The primary germ cells that develop within the gonads
arise from the epiblast during gastrulation in birds and
yolk sac splanchnopleure in mammals
•The 1st indication of gonad formation is a swelling on the
mesial side of the mesonephros called- gonadal ridge
The ridge coalesce with the cords
of epith, cells from the
mesonephric tubules and
degenerating glomerular
capsules to form clusters and
small vesicles that incorporate
primordial cells
• These epithelial components
form the gonadal cord
(primitive sex cords)
•If the embryo is to become a male ( Y
chromosome) , a male gonad develops in
the medullary region of the of the gonadal
ridge
•cords become the
•The gonadal cords form solid tubes which
spermatogonia in
at birth become patent and form the
seminiferous tubules • the definitive testis
•These tubules are arranged in loops that • the mesonephric
are connected to the duct system, both are tubules
derivatives of
•The primary germ cells in the gonadal
•If the embryo is to become a
female, the epith. gonadal cords
break up into many small clusters
called follicles
•Most cell clusters are located
peripherally (cortex) in the ovary
and cell clusters deep in the
medulla of the ovary degenerate
Formation of the duct system
1. The original mesonephric
duct persists even after
the mesonephric
tubules regress.
2. A second duct system, the
Mullerian or
paramesonephric
ducts, develops parallel.
3. If XX, the mesonephric duct
regresses completely
and the Mullerian ducts
develop into oviducts,
uterus, and proximal
vagina.
Formation of the duct system
4. If XY, testosterone
stimulates
mesonephric duct to
form the epididymis,
vas deferens, and
seminal vesicle;
Mullerian ducts
regress in response
to anti- Mullerian
duct
•INTERNAL DUCTS
•In male, some parts of the
mesonephros will give rise to the
ffg.
❖Some mesonephric tubules that
fused with the gonadal cords form
Internal ducts
the efferent tubules
❖Mesonephric duct closely
associated with the testis becomes
the epididymis
❖Caudal part of the mesonephric
duct forms the ductus deferens
•In female, the
paramesonephric ducts
become the ffg;
✓Fallopian tubes
✓Horn,body and cervix of the
uterus
✓Part of the vagina
•Types of Uterus
➢Duplex (A)- has 2 uteri,
characteristic of marsupials
➢ Bipartite (B)- the body of the
uterus is partitioned, found in
some rodents and small
ruminants
➢Bicornuate (C )-horns of the
uterus are most prominent,found
in pig,dog
➢Simplex (D) body is
prominent,found in man
External Genitalia
•The
•, formation of the external
genitals also occur during the
indifferent stage where the
mesoderm adjacent to the
cloacal membrane creates a
series of swellings:
✓Genital tubercle mesodermal
swelling at the cranioventral end ✓Genital swelling-
of cloaca mesodermal swellings
located peripheral to the
✓Urogenital fold fold lateral to urogenital folds
the cloaca
•Fates of primordial structure in male
✓Genital
•, tubercle
Apex becomes glans penis
▪Remaining part – body of
penis
✓Urogenital fold fuse to
form the penile
✓ urethra
•Fates of primordial structure in male
•,
✓Genital swelling become
the scrotum which
shift cranially,
closely apposed to the genital
tubercle in
✓ ox dog, horse and
✓Cat and pig –remains
beneath the anus
•Fates of primordial structures
in female
✓Genital
•, tubercle become the
clitoris
✓Urogenital fold become the labia or
lips of the vulva
✓Genital swellings disappear in
most species
▪ In most mammals this canal
closes, forming the tunica
vaginalis.
3. Ovaries descend as well, but come t
to rest in the pelvic cavity.
Descent of the Gonads
Descent of testis in the inguinal canal occurs at:
▪ 106 dys in bull
▪ 70 dys in boar
▪ Near birth in stallion
▪ 3-4 dys post natal in dog
▪ At 35 dys testes are in the scrotum in dogs post
partum
❖Cryptorchidism –failure of the testis to descend in
the scrotum
Descent of the Gonads
▪ Both gonads arise high up
on the body wall associated
with the mesonephros, but
then migrate posteriorly
related to differential
growth.
Descent of the Gonads
▪ The testes pass down the
posterior body wall, behind
the peritoneum, coming to lie
in the forming scrotal
pouches.
▪ Covering the front of each
testis is the processes
vaginalis, an extension of the
peritoneal membrane.
Mammary glands
•In both sexes , develop from a pair of linear ectodermal
ridge – mammary ridges which are visible on the
ventrolateral surface of the trunk between the levels
of the limbs
•Length of ridges varies-
• carnivores and swine reaches from axilla to the
inguinal region, whereas in
•ruminants and horse- limited only in the inguinal
region
Th an k you !
