Monday, March 9, 2009

Sexual and Reproductive Problems

A man's reproductive organs are responsible for producing the male sex hormone testosterone, and for the manufacture and storage of sperm. The organs are mostly outside the body and consist of the penis and the testes or testicles.

The penis is largely made up of three groups of spongy tissue, with a network of blood vessels and nerves. When a man is sexually stimulated the spongy tissue fills with blood and the penis becomes erect. The average length of an erect penis is 6in/15cm, although its size bears no relation to sexual potency. A cylinder running along the underside of the penis holds a muscular dual-purpose tube called the urethra, which carries urine from the bladder or semen from the testes to the tip of the penis.

The testicles are egg shaped glands supported by the scrotum, a loose sac of skin. Inside each testicle are hundreds of tubules, and it is in these that the manu­facture of sperm takes place. Hundreds of millions of sperm are produced every day. The testicles also contain cells which manufacture testosterone, the hormone responsible for male characteristics such as body hair and deep voice, and for male pattern fat distribution.

Attached to the back of each testicle is the epididymis, a comma-shaped structure 1in/2.5cm long, consisting of a cluster of tiny tubules that collect sperm from the testicles. The sperm mature within the epididymis over two to three weeks, and are stored there until they are ready to be ejaculated. Just before ejaculation, sperm are transported from the epididymis, through a long duct called the vas deferens, toward the base of the bladder. The prostate, a small chest nut-shaped gland that is situated at the base of the bladder and surrounds the urethra, produces secretions that mix with seminal fluid.

Erections are controlled by nerve centers in the brain that react to erotic stimulation. What is sexually stimulating differs from man to man. Expectations and confidence also playa large part: in a highly competitive society, many men have unrealistic sexual expectations and equate sexual performance and penis size with success. Stress and anxiety about performance are common reasons for impotence.

By : Alien
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com