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💡 A cooler workshop
Sperm are so heat-sensitive that the body keeps their factory — the testes — slightly outside, in a pouch that stays a little cooler than the rest of us.
What are the parts of the male reproductive system?
Male Reproductive System
Testes — make sperm; kept cool in the scrotum Vas deferens — carries sperm to the urethra Seminal vesicles, prostate — add fluids Penis — passes sperm into the female body
- Testes (in the scrotum) produce sperm and a hormone; the scrotum keeps them slightly cooler than body temperature.
- Sperm travel through the vas deferens , which opens into the urethra , a common passage for urine and sperm.
- The seminal vesicles and prostate add fluids to nourish the sperm; each sperm has a head with genetic material and a long tail to swim.
Important Definitions
- Testes — the two oval organs that produce sperm and a male hormone.
- Scrotum — the skin pouch that keeps the testes slightly cooler than the body, as sperm formation needs.
- Vas deferens — the long tube carrying sperm from the testes to the urethra.
- Urethra — the common passage that carries both urine and sperm out of the body.
- Seminal vesicle — a gland whose fluid nourishes the sperm and helps them stay active.
- Prostate gland — a gland that adds fluid to help the sperm move.
- Hormone — a chemical made by the body that regulates functions such as sperm production and puberty changes.
