Testis and epididymis
The paired testicles are the production factory of sperm. In a healthy young man, almost 130 million of the little swimmers are produced here every day. There is a reason why this important part of the male anatomy is not well protected in the abdomen, but is located in the scrotum: the body temperature of 37 °C is too warm for the sperm cells. They prefer it a few degrees cooler, which the scrotum can offer them. This is why they are stored here until further use. From the scrotum, the sperm enter the epididymis, which sits on top of the testicles like a crooked cap. Here they continue to mature and wait for the next ejaculation.
Seminal vesicles
The paired seminal vesicles (seminal glands) are sinuous glands about five centimeters long, located between the urinary bladder and the rectum. Their secretion, which they release into the vas deferens, accounts for about 60 percent of the ejaculated semen volume. It consists largely of a viscous fluid that is slightly alkaline (basic). This allows it to neutralize the acidic environment in the male urethra and female abdomen. This is important because high acidity would inactivate and kill sperm.
Prostate
The prostate is a chestnut-shaped gland the size of a golf ball. It sits below the urinary bladder in front of the rectum and surrounds the urethra, which means that the urethra passes directly through the prostate. When the sperm shoot through it during sexual intercourse, the prostate gives them a packed lunch – a milky, slightly acidic secretion that contains, among other things, citric acid, various protein-splitting enzymes and the antibiotic seminal plasmin. The sperm can use the citric acid to produce energy. The protein-splitting enzymes such as PSA – as mentioned above – make the sperm that has clumped together after ejaculation liquid again. And seminal plasmin kills bacteria that naturally thrive in sperm and in the female abdomen.
Cowper glands
Diseases of the internal genital organs
Important diseases of the internal genital organs in men are:
Symptoms in the area of the internal genital organs.
In men, symptoms that may indicate disorders and diseases of the internal genital organs include:
- Urinary retention
- Impotence
- Itching in the genital area
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Pain during urination
- Abdominal pain
Anatomy and function of the genital organs
Learn more about the structure and function of the male internal sex organs here:
