The sex glands of the human body perform a number of important functions: they determine the physiological characteristics of the sex and are responsible for reproduction. They are characterized by a mixed type of secretion, as they produce both sex cells and specific hormones. Female and male gonads have some features. Nevertheless, the regulation of the activity of the glands is carried out by gonadotropic hormones of the pituitary gland.
Male gonads . The male gonads are represented by the testes, which produce sperm (germ cells), as well as androgens (specific male hormones).
Spermatogenesis processes occur in the so-called Leydig cells. Sperm formation occurs almost continuously - starting from puberty and ending with the age of 50-60 years (these are individual data), when the testes atrophy and their physiological activity slowly fades. Sex cells mature in the epididymis.
The male sperm consists of a head, neck, tail and flagellum, with which it can move. On the head of the cell there is a so-called acrosome, which contains enzymes that destroy the egg shell. In the female vagina, the sperm can be active up to 6 days.
As for sex hormones, the most important is testosterone, the production of which is regulated by the pituitary luteinizing hormone . This hormone is of great importance in the development of the male body, as it is responsible for:
- enlargement and active development of the genitals during puberty;
- male type of hair growth;
- change in tone of voice;
- active muscle growth and development;
- bone formation;
- the appearance of attraction to people of the opposite sex;
As you can see, the male sex glands perform quite important functions. For example, in violation of spermatogenesis, a person is not able to produce offspring. And with a lack of sex hormones, the so-called eunuchoidism develops - a man has fat deposition on his chest, hips and buttocks, body parts grow disproportionately, the genitals remain underdeveloped, there is no sexual desire, psychological deviations develop.
Female gonads . The gonads of women are represented by the ovaries, in which the eggs mature and the female hormones are synthesized : estrogens and progesterone. Each female ovary consists of two balls: stroma and cortical substance.
Follicles with ovaries at different stages of maturation are located in the cortex. And if in men the sperm formation process goes on throughout life, then in women all germ cells are laid even during embryonic development. In a month, only one egg matures, which breaks the follicle and moves along the fallopian tube. A yellow body forms at the site of the follicle , which then turns into white, and subsequently a small scar remains in place of the outgoing egg.
The sex glands in women also produce specific hormones: progesterone and estrogens. Estrogens perform a number of functions:
- responsible for the increase in external and internal genital organs during puberty;
- form a female type of hair growth;
- accelerate the development of mammary glands;
- inhibit bone growth in length;
- stimulate the synthesis of fats, which are then deposited on the chest, abdomen, hips and buttocks - these are the features of the female physique;
Progesterone is secreted by the corpus luteum. Its main function is to prepare the uterine endometrium for the introduction of a fertilized egg. This hormone also affects the mammary glands, causing them to swell.
If a woman’s sex glands are not working properly, then this is fraught with infertility, delayed sexual development, and psychological trauma.