Introduction
The male reproductive system relies on the action of many different hormones or chemicals, produced by numerous body glands and go into systemic blood circulation. A few of these hormones, called “tropic” hormones, cause other hormones to launch. Other hormones have direct impacts upon organs or body systems, emotions and production of semen. Unlike women, men do not experience cyclic hormone fluctuation throughout the month– rather, their hormone levels stay fairly constant throughout their reproductive years.
Three hormones in male reproductive system
LH
Luteinizing hormone (LH) is a hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland and in the male causes the synthesis and secretion of testosterone and androgen.
FSH
Follicle-stimulating hormone promotes both the production of androgen-binding protein by Sertoli cells and the development of the blood-testis obstacle.
GnRH
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is a trophic peptide hormone accountable for the release of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) from the anterior pituitary.
Hormones Involved in Male Reproductive System Review
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone
Something of a “master” hormone, according to the textbook “Human Physiology,” Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) is a tropic hormone produced by a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. While GnRH isn’t really directly responsible for male sexual habits or attributes, it nevertheless proves extremely important, due to the fact that it causes the release of two other hormones of the male reproductive system.
Follicle-Stimulating Hormone
Produced in a part of the brain called the anterior pituitary, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) proves active in both male and female reproductive systems. The name comes from the hormone’s action in women– males don’t produce follicles– but the same hormone responsible for development of a fully grown egg in women stimulates the production of sperm in the testes of men. FSH is launched in reaction to the stimulation of the anterior pituitary by GnRH.
Luteinizing Hormone
Like FSH, luteinizing hormone (LH) is launched by the anterior pituitary in reaction to the action of GnRH. Also like FSH, LH is produced by women as well and called for its action in the female reproductive cycle– men don’t experience luteinization, which is the release of a mature egg from the ovary during ovulation. In men, LH causes the interstitial cells of the testes to produce the hormone testosterone.
Male reproductive system and Testosterone
Made in the testes, testosterone gets in systemic blood circulation in reasonably consistent concentrations in a healthy, reproductive-age male. This hormone produces and keeps the secondary sexual characteristics of the male– improved musculature, facial and body hair, thickened larynx and deepened voice and augmentation of the genitals. It’s likewise responsible for the sex drive and works with FSH to stimulate the production of sperm. The Cleveland Clinic notes that while low testosterone levels in aging men add to loss of sex drive and some secondary sexual attributes, hormone replacement causes enhanced risk of prostate cancer and atherosclerosis.
Inhibin
The hormone inhibin is produced by cells in the testes that are accountable for monitoring the health and maturation of sperm. If sperm levels are high, making nutrients for the developing sperm scarce, the testes launch inhibin. The inhibin travels through the blood stream to the brain, where it prevents the secretion of GnRH. In the absence of GnRH, FSH and LH levels fall and sperm production slows. This is among the significant mechanisms where male hormones are preserved at relatively continuous concentration.
