What are the general knowledge of male reproductive physiology

  The male reproductive organs are divided into two parts: the internal and external reproductive organs. The male internal reproductive organs include the testes, epididymis, vas deferens, ejaculatory ducts, seminal vesicle glands, prostate gland and urethral bulb gland; the external reproductive organs include the scrotum and penis. The sperm produced by the testes are transported through the epididymis and vas deferens and mixed with the slightly alkaline fluid secreted by the seminal vesicle glands, prostate and urethral bulb glands to form a thick, milky semen.  The testes are a pair of ovoid entities, usually larger on one side than the other and with the right side slightly higher than the left. The testes are about 4-5 cm in diameter and 2-3 cm in transverse diameter. Each side of the testicle weighs about 10-15 grams. The physiological roles of the testes: ① produce sperm; ② synthesize androgens. The role of androgens is multifaceted, mainly promoting male embryonic development and maintaining male secondary sexual characteristics; regulating the spermatogenesis process and promoting spermatozoa; promoting the development and growth of the epididymal spring; maintaining normal libido and sexual intensity; and also promoting anabolism.  The epididymis is a continuation part of the testes. The epididymis is not a mere sperm channel and container, but mainly provides a suitable microenvironment for the maturation of sperm, as the sperm produced by the testes are not fully mature and do not have the ability to fertilize the egg. The spermatozoa produced by the testes are not fully mature and do not have the ability to fertilize an egg. Only when they are “catalyzed” by the epididymal fluid do they undergo a series of changes and mature.  The spermatic cord is a round-shaped cord that hangs near the testes and epididymis and serves to hold the testes and epididymis in place.  The vas deferens is a continuation of the epididymal duct, which starts from the epididymal duct and ends at the ejaculatory duct, with a total length of about 40 cm, divided into the epididymal, scrotal, inguinal, retroperitoneal and potbelly segments. The vas deferens is a channel for transporting semen to the anterior urethra, and the fructose contained in the secretion of the abdomen of the jug is an energy source for sperm activity, and the abdomen of the jug is also a place for storing sperm and accumulating lubricating fluid secreted by the duct, which is the second storage place for sperm.  The seminal vesicle is one of the accessory sex glands, about 4 to 5 cm long and 1.5 to 2.4 cm wide, between the bladder and rectum. It is an alkaline gelatinous fluid containing proteins that not only dilutes semen, but also neutralizes acidic substances in the vagina and uterus. The other function of the seminal vesicles is to promote the temporary coagulation of semen after it has been ejaculated into the vagina so that it does not flow out quickly.  The prostate gland has a longitudinal diameter of 3 cm, a transverse diameter of 4 cm, an anterior and posterior diameter of 2 cm and weighs 20 grams. It is located below the neck of the bladder and wraps around the prostate part of the urethra. The prostate gland secretes 0.5 to 2 ml of viscous fluid every day, milky white and alkaline, and is also a component of semen, accounting for about 13 to 32% of an ejaculation, which is discharged before the seminal vesicle fluid during ejaculation, and also has the role of liquefying semen to facilitate sperm movement.  The testicles are the “factory” for sperm production, and the testicles are the “workshop” for sperm production in the varicocele. The total weight of a man’s two testicles is about 20 to 40 grams, and each gram of testicular tissue produces 10 million sperm per day, for a total of about 200 to 400 million sperm per day. The process of sperm production requires two very demanding conditions: one is nutrition, spermatogenic cells divide and evolve into sperm, requiring large amounts of nutrients, especially protein; the other is low temperature, sperm growth must have low temperature, requiring the temperature in the scrotum to be at least 1 to 1.5 ℃ lower than the body temperature, and the temperature in the testes to be 0.5 to 1 ℃ lower, otherwise, sperm growth will be halfway. The spermatozoa produced from the varicocele are still very delicate and naive, and they do not yet have the ability to move and fertilize. Therefore, it has to stay in the epididymis for some days, and under the microenvironment of the epididymis, it helps the spermatozoa to make further processing, so that they can gradually mature and gradually gain the ability to move and fertilize. This process is called functional maturation of spermatozoa. All in all, it takes about 74 days for the spermatozoa to be produced in the varicocele, and then about 16 days for them to enter the epididymis for further maturation, making a total of about 90 days for them to develop into spermatozoa capable of fertilization.