Reproduction

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The male sex organs

The penis is easier to see than the vulvar. It hangs away from the body. Often a foreskin covers the glans of the tip of the penis. If it is not present, it usually means that the foreskin was removed when the boy was still a baby in an operation called a circumcision. The two testicles, hang beneath the penis in a sac called the scrotum. The scrotum protects the testes and makes sure that the temperature is right for the making of sperm.

Internal male genitals

The internal male genitals are: the testes, the epididymides, the vasa deferentia, the seminal vesicles, the prostate gland, and the Cowper’s glands.

The two testes sit in the scrotum. They are oval-shaped and it is here that the sperm and male sex hormones are made. They are very sensitive to touch and pressure. The hormone called testosterone, is responsible for the development of the male sexual characteristics such as pubic and armpit hair, and muscles.

The epididymides are the two, coiled tubes in the testes. This is where the sperm develops and is stored until they are released during ejaculation.

The vasa deferentia are the paired tubes that carry the mature sperm from the epididymides to the urethra.

The seminal vesicles are a pair of special sacs that makes about 60% of the fluid that makes up the semen in which sperm are transported. This fluid provides nourishment for sperm.

The prostate gland is a walnut-sized, glandular structure that makes about 30% of the fluid that makes up semen.

The male genitals are present in the body at birth, but they're not sexually active until adolescence. At puberty the testes, penis and scrotum begin to grow. The genitals are mature when the testes produce functional sperm. Every day a man makes between 50 and 500 million sperm.