The Genital Organs

Differentiation
By: E. Suryadi
Faculty of Medicine GMU

Introduction
At

fertilization the genetic sex of an embryo is

determined, there is no morphological indication
of sex until the 7th week, when the gonads begin
acquire sexual characteristics.

This

period of early genital development is

referred to as indifferent stage organs.

How

the genital organs differentiation process?

And what are the influence factors?

Genital Organs
Ovarium

Testis

Tuba

Epididymis

uteri
Uterus
Vagina
Clitoris
Labium minor
Labium major

Ductus

deferens
Seminal gland
Prostate gland
urethra
penis
scrotum

 Embryonic

structure genital organ

Male genital organ

Female genital organ

Embryonic structure
Indifferent

gonad
Mesonephric tubulus
Mesonephric duct
Paramesonephric duct
Urogenital sinus
Phallus
Urogenital folds
Labioscrotal swelling

The indifferent Gonads

Gonadal

development is the first indicated

during the fifth week when a thickened area of
coelomic epithelium.
It develops on the medial aspect of urogenital
ridge and then becomes gonadal ridge
Soon finger-like epithelium cords, called primary
sex cords, grow into the underlying
mesenchyme.
The indifferent gonad now consists of an outer
cortex and an inner medulla

Origin of The Germ Cell

Primordial

germ cell (PGC) can be found on

the posterior wall of the Yolk sac near the
origin of the allantois
They are large size and clear cytoplasm
PGC reach the gonads by migration
(amoeboid movement) around the wall of the
posterior gut and then through the dorsal
mesentery to the gonadal ridge.
During migration is guided by laminin and
fibronectin (Matrix Extra- Cellular)
A chemotactic influence from the gonads
guides the final stage of the migration

The Multiplication of The

Germ Cell By Mitosis
The

number of PGC increases

- during their migration from a few
hundred to a few thousand
- after they have settled down in the gonad,
from a few thousand to about 7 million
Mitotically active germ cell:
- in female are called oogonia
- in male are called spermatogonia
The pattern of mitotic activity of oogonia and
spermatogonia is different

Sex Determination
Genetic

sex is established at fertilization

Gonadal sex is determined by the sex
chromosome ( X or Y )
The Y chromosome has a strong testis
determining effect on the medulla of indifferent
gonad. Absence of a Y chromosome results in
formation of an ovary
The gonads then determine the type of sexual
differentiation that occurs in the genital ducts
and external genitalia.

Development of testes
In

embryos with a Y chromosome the

primary sex cords condense and extend
into medulla of gonad.
Here they branch and their ends
anastomose to form the rete testis.
The prominent sex cords, called
seminiferus
Soon lose their connections with the
germinal epithelium because of the
development of a thick fibrous capsule
called tunica albuginea

 The

seminiferus cords develop into the

seminiferus tubules, the tubuli recti and the rete
testis and in the seminiferus tubules become by
mesenchyme which give rise to the interstitial
cells (Leydig cell)
The walls of the seminiferus tubules are
composed of two kinds of cells: sustentacular
cells of Sertoli derived from germinal epithelium
and spermatogonia derived from the primordial
germ cells.

Development of Ovaries
In

embryos lacking a Y chromosome,

gonadal development occurs very slowly
After tenth week the characteristic cortex
begins to develop.
The primary sex cords do not became
prominent in the gonads of female
embryos and then they degenerate.
During the fetal period, secondary sex
cords called cortical cords extend from the
germinal epithelium into the underlying
mesenchyme

 At

about 16 weeks, the cortical cords

begin to break up into isolated cell cluster
called primordial follicles. They consist
oogonium, surrounded by a single layer of
flattened follicular cells
During fetal the flattened follicular cell
change become cuboid , and the
structure is called a primary follicle

Development of The Genital Ducts

The

Indifferent Stage consist two pairs of

genital ducts: ductus mesonephridicus
(Wolffian ducts) dan ductus
paramesodephridicus (Mullerian ducts)

Chromosome Y

In Chr Y laid the SRY gene ( for sex-determining region

of the Y chromosome), which is located in the testisdetermining region.
At sixth week SRY protein is produced so that :
1. serltoli precursor aggregate into cords become
tubulus seminiferus sertoli cell produce Mullerian
inhibitory factor and
2. mesenchymal cells of the gonadal ridge begin to
differentiate inti Leydig Leydig cells produce
testosteron
Mullerian inhibitory factor and testosteron influence the
development of the genital duct and the genital external
to differentiate in the male direction.

Penis

Tuberculum genitale
Genital swelling

Scrotum
Prostat

Urethral endothelium
Y chromosome

Indifferent
gonad

Dihydrotestosteron

Testis
Determining
Leydig cells
factor
Testis
Sertoli cells

5-alfa
reductase
Testosterone
Androgen
Binding
Factor

Mullerian
Inhibiting Factor
Mullerian
Duct

Degenerates

Germ cells

Wolffian
Duct

Epididymis
Vas deferens
Seminal vesicle
Spermatozoa

Male derivative

Indifferent structure

Female derivative

testis

gonad

ovary

Spermatozoa

Primordial germ cells

Ova

Seminiferus tubulus
(sertoli cells)

Sex cords

Follicular cells

Efferent ductules

Mesonephric tubules

Epoophoron

Epididymal duct,
ductus defferens

Mesonephric (Wolffian)
duct

Degenerates (ligament
teres)

Degenerates

Paramesonephric
(Mullerian) duct

Uterine tubes, uterus,

part of vagina

Bladder, protastic
urethra

Early urogenital sinus

Bladder, urethra,
vestibular gland

Lower urethra

Definitive urogenital sinus

vestibule

Penis

Genital tubercle = phallus

clitoris

Floor of penile urethra

Urogenital fold

Labia minora

Scrotum

Genital swellings

Labia majora