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Male Plumbing

Hormonal Control in Males

Pituitary Gland: The Hormone Boss

Located at the base of the brain, the pituitary gland makes two important hormones that control the male reproductive system:

FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone):
Starts the process of making sperm in the testes. (See meiosis – special cell division.)
LH (Luteinizing Hormone):
Triggers Leydig cells in the testes to make testosterone, the main male hormone.

📌 If the pituitary gland doesn’t work properly, a male may not be able to make sperm and could be infertile. The male will not be able to produce sperm and have kids.

The Hormonal Role of Testosterone

Around 8 weeks after fertilization, testosterone helps develop the male sex organs.
During puberty, it causes:
- growth of facial, armpit, and pubic hair
- Muscle growth
- Bone growth
- Deepening of the voice

🧍‍♂️External Structures

Penis

Used for urination and sexual intercourse.

Foreskin

Covers the tip (glans) of the penis.
Can be pulled back.
Sometimes removed in a surgery called circumcision.

Scrotum

A pouch of skin behind the penis.
Holds the two testes (plural of testis).
Keeps testes cooler than body temperature — important for sperm production.

How the scrotum works:

Cremaster muscles pull the testes closer when it’s cold.
Muscles relax when it’s warm to keep testes cooler.
Sweat glands help with temperature control.

⚙️ Testicles and Sperm Production ⚙️

What’s in a Testicle?

Each testicle contains a testis and an epididymis. "Testicle" is the general term for the whole structure.

Sperm is made in the seminiferous tubules. See meiosis.
FSH from the pituitary gland starts the process of making sperm. (spermatogenesis}
- - Meiosis. is the special kind of cell division that produces sperm cells with half the number of chromosomes. See meiosis.
LH from the pituitary gland causes the Leydig cells to produce Testosterone.

📌 Testes first form in the abdomen before birth, then move (or “descend”) into the scrotum through the inguinal canal. This canal can be a weak spot — sometimes a hernia happens here.