Male Reproductive System

• Testis

  The testis (plural testes) makes sperm. The testes start to make sperm between the ages of 12 and 14. This is the age of sexual maturity (puberty) in boys.

  Along with making sperm, other changes take place in a boy's body at puberty. These include:

  • Enlargement of the penis and testes
  • A rapid growth spurt
  • Enlargement of the voice box (larynx, or Adam's apple), causing the voice to deepen
  • Growth of hair on the body.

  Each sperm cell is tiny and they are produced in huge numbers by the testes.
• Scrotum

  The scrotum is a sac in which the testes are held. The scrotum holds the testes outside the body, allowing them to be kept at a temperature just lower than body temperature. This allows sperm to be made successfully.
• Penis

  The sperm ducts join a tube called the urethra. Sperm pass through this tube, which is located in the centre of the penis.

  The penis allows semen to pass out of the male body and into the body of the female.
• Sperm Ducts


  • Two sperm ducts carry sperm from the testes to the penis.
  • A number of glands are located beside the sperm ducts.
  • These glands produce a liquid called seminal fluid.
  • The mixture of sperm and seminal fluid is called semen.