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What Does It Do?

A Reproductive Primer

By Kelly Burgess

Unlike the female reproductive system, males have reproductive organs located both inside and outside the body. The penis, which is the organ used for sexual intercourse, has two parts, the shaft and the glans. The penis becomes erect when a male is sexually stimulated. While females have separate tubes for sexual activity and urination, males have only one, the urethra, which runs the length of the penis. Semen and urine leave the body through the urethra via a small opening in the tip of the penis. They cannot leave the body at the same time; in other words, there is no urine in semen.

The testicles hang below the penis, along with the epididymis, in a pouch of skin called the scrotum. The testicles produce and store millions of tiny sperm cells. They also play an important role in producing the hormone testosterone, which stimulates the production of sperm. The epididymis and vans deferens make up the duct system that helps deliver semen, the fluid that contains the sperm. Inside the body are the seminal vesicles and prostate gland, which provide fluids that lubricate the duct system. They are located beside the bladder.

Males are born with a foreskin, a fold of skin at the end of the penis covering the glans, but it is often removed within a few days after birth. This procedure is called circumcision. It is not medically necessary, but there is a strong cultural bias toward circumcision in the United States.

In the male, sperm is constantly produced and is stored in the vas deferens. When a man is sexually stimulated, the sperm mixes with seminal fluid to become semen. During intercourse, this fluid is expelled into the woman's vagina, where it travels to the uterus. If it penetrates a healthy egg, conception may occur.

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