This site is designed to support and expand the Hillendale Health Curriculum.
	Learning about how your body grows and develops and how to take care of your body is an important part of Hillendale Health class. The following information deals with the changes that occur to a boy's body especially the reproductive system as boys go through puberty. Find information by reading the information below or click on the contents button to look for answers to specific questions.

Male Reproductive System What are the testicles and scrotum? The testicles and scrotum grow and develop during puberty ( testicle diagram). The scrotum is a sac of loose skin that holds the testicles. The testicles will begin to produce sperm cells. What are sperm cells? Sperm cells are unbelievably tiny. Four to five hundred million sperm cells will fit on one teaspoon. Now that's what I call microscopic! When viewed under a powerful microscope you can see that sperm cells are shaped like a tadpole (sperm diagram). The testicles can produce millions of sperm cells each day. Sperm cells are the father's contribution to making a baby. When a sperm cell from the father joins with an egg cell from the mother a new life begins. testicles scrotum ejaculation sperm cells semen What is an ejaculation? During puberty a boy will begin to have ejaculations. An ejaculation is when semen is ejected from the tip of the penis. The semen carries the sperm cells out of a male's body. What is semen? Semen is a milky white fluid that carries the sperm cells out of a man's body. About a teaspoon of semen comes out of the penis during an ejaculation. You can see the semen but you cannot see the hundreds of millions of sperm cells that come out in the teaspoon of semen. In order for a male to ejaculate, he must first have an erection. Although ejaculations follow an erection, a male will have many erections that are not followed by ejaculations. In fact, most erections are not followed by an ejaculation. How do the sperm cells get out of the body? During an ejaculation the sperm cells move from the epidymis (storage chamber) up through a thin tube called the vas deferens. Once in the vas deferens, the sperm move into the seminal vesicles. The seminal vesicles are small sac-like structures that contain a special fluid. (Male Reproductive System Diagram). Once the sperm mix with this fluid called semen, they become active and swim around. Sperm cells can whip their tails back and forth and move by themselves. The sperm cells then move on through the prostate gland into the urethra. The prostate gland contributes a thin, milky fluid that makes up the largest part of the semen. The semen carries the sperm through the urethra and out the tip of the penis. Small muscles in the penis contract and squeeze the semen through the urethra and out of the body. When semen is ejected from the penis it will amount to about a teaspoonful of fluid. Amazingly there are about 400-500 million sperm cells in one teaspoon of semen. Table of Contents When do ejaculations happen? Can semen and urine mix during an ejaculation? Puberty | Contents | Glossary | Phys Ed | Health | Site Map | HES Index | Being Born Male Reproductive System | Female Reproductive System | Review