MALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

Male Reproductive System

All living things reproduce. Reproduction — the process by which organisms make more organisms like themselves — is one of the things that sets living things apart from nonliving things. But even though the reproductive system is essential to keeping a species alive, unlike other body systems it's not essential to keeping an individual alive.

In the human reproductive process, two kinds of sex cells, or gametes, are involved. The male gamete, or sperm, and the female gamete, the egg or ovum, meet in the female's reproductive system to create a new individual. Both the male and female reproductive systemsare essential for reproduction.

Humans, like other organisms, pass certain characteristics of themselves to the next generation through their genes, the special carriers of human traits. The genes parents pass along to their offspring are what make kids similar to others in their family, but they're also what make each child unique. These genes come from the father's sperm and the mother's egg, which are produced by the male and female reproductive systems.

Understanding the male reproductive system, what it does, and the problems that can affect it can help you better understand your son's reproductive health.

Gynecomastia

Gynecomastia is the abnormal development of large mammary glands in males resulting in breast enlargement.  The condition can occur physiologically in neonates (due to female hormones from the mother), in adolescence, and in the elderly (Both in adolescence and elderly it is an abnormal condition associated with disease or metabolic disorders). In adolescent boys the condition is often a source of distress, but for the large majority of boys whose pubescent gynecomastia is not due toobesity, the breast development shrinks or disappears within a couple of years.

Disorders

Disorders that most commonly affect the scrotum are hydroceles, an accumulation of fluid that surrounds the testicle; varicoceles, dilated veins appearing in the scrotum; and spermatoceles, sperm-filled cysts found in the head of the epididymis. Tumors or cancer of the testicle may also present as a mass in the scrotum. Hydroceles are painless fluid collections around the testis, which often go away without treatment, especially when present during the first year of life. Varicoceles are commonly associated with impaired fertility in the adult male and can be corrected through surgery so that fertility is restored or impairment prevented. Spermatoceles, unlike hydroceles, which surround the testicles, are specifically located at the head of the epididymis.

The three most common disorders that affect the scrotum, the sac beneath the penis that holds the testicles, include: 

• Hydroceles, the collection of fluid within a section of the scrotum called the tunica vaginalis;
• Varicoceles, which is an enlarged group of veins above the testicles and along the vas deferens, a blood vessel-rich cord that connects the epididymis to the prostate gland; and
• Spermatoceles, which are sperm-filled cysts at the head of the epididymis, a coil of tubes behind the testicles where sperm are stored.

 Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize (spread) from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly the bones and lymph nodes. Prostate cancer may cause pain, difficulty in urinating, problems during sexual intercourse, or erectile dysfunction. Other symptoms can potentially develop during later stages of the disease.

Rates of detection of prostate cancers vary widely across the world, with South and East Asia detecting less frequently than in Europe, and especially the United States.Prostate cancer tends to develop in men over the age of fifty. Globally it is the sixth leading cause of cancer-related death in men (in the United States it is the second) Prostate cancer is most common in the developed world with increasing rates in the developing world.However, many men with prostate cancer never have symptoms, undergo no therapy, and eventually die of other unrelated causes. Many factors, including genetics and diet, have been implicated in the development of prostate cancer