Question

Write about the accessory glands of the male reproductive system.

Answer 1

The male accessory sex glands add secretions to sperm to form semen. Their secretions nourish and support sperm, help them move, and protect the passage through which they travel. The glands are:

1. Seminal vesicles: These are a pair of coiled glands near the base of the urinary bladder. Their ducts join the vas deferens to form the ejaculatory ducts. They secrete a slightly alkaline fluid containing fructose, which provides energy for sperm, as well as other substances that support sperm movement.
2. Prostate gland: This single gland surrounds the urethra just below the urinary bladder. It adds a milky fluid to semen; this fluid contains nutrients such as citrate and helps nourish and activate sperm.
3. Cowper’s glands (bulbourethral glands): These paired, pea-sized glands lie below the prostate. They release mucus-like alkaline fluid into the urethra before sperm pass through it. This fluid lubricates the urethra and helps neutralise traces of acidic urine.

Together, these secretions form much of the fluid portion of semen and help sperm survive and travel through the male and female reproductive tracts.