The Reflexology Manual by Pauline Wills

Author:Pauline Wills
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Holistic Health/Bodywork
Publisher: Inner Traditions/Bear & Company
Published: 2012-07-27T00:00:00+00:00

Testes and vas deferens

The male sex glands or testes lie in the scrotal sac, just below the abdomen. This vulnerable position is necessary because the formation of spermatozoa requires a temperature slightly lower than that found in the abdomen. Each gland is attached to the body by a single spermatic cord composed of the vas deferens, or sperm duct, and a number of nerves and blood vessels.

The endocrine part of the testes are composed of clumps of cells that secrete the male hormone, testosterone. They also produce small amounts of the female hormone called oestrogen. The testes are under the control of the hypothalamus and the anterior pituitary gland, and do not develop until puberty.

The sperm that each testicle produces remains in a coiled tube, the epididymis, for approximately three months. After this time the sperm, now mature, passes into the vas deferens and seminal vesicles for storage. There, it swims in the seminal fluid, the volume of which depends on adequate testosterone. If the sperm is not ejaculated with the seminal fluid, it will disintegrate and be reabsorbed into the body.

Prostate

The prostate gland comprises three major lobes, which surround the urethra at the point where it leaves the bladder. It is intimately associated with the lower urinary tract.

If it becomes enlarged in later life, it can press on the urethra, eventually closing it and making it impossible to pass urine. When this occurs, surgical intervention is needed. The lobes of the prostate are tubular, with muscles that squeeze their secretions into the urethra, particularly during sexual intercourse.

The main disorders that can affect the prostate are enlargement, infections and growths. These can be helped by working the reflex to this gland.

Ovaries, uterus and fallopian tubes

The two ovaries and the uterus which lie in the lower part of the abdomen are the main female organs of reproduction. The ovaries, part of the endocrine system, are located on either side of the uterus, and each is connected to it by a small tube called the fallopian tube. Like the testes, the ovaries have two functions: to produce ova, or female egg cells, and to produce hormones that change a girl’s body into that of a woman and prepare the uterus for pregnancy. The ovaries waken to activity at puberty through stimulation by the gonadotropins – the hormones secreted by the pituitary gland. In turn, the developing ovarian follicle secretes oestrogen responsible for enlarging the breasts, and for the uterus, the vagina and the rest of the genital tract, at puberty. Halfway through the menstrual cycle another hormone, prompted by the rising levels of oestrogen, is secreted by the pituitary gland. Under its influence, the developing ovum is released from the ovary, causing the vacated follicle to secrete progesterone. This hormone changes the lining of the uterus in preparation for the eventual reception of a fertilized egg.

The uterus, into which the fertilized ovum becomes embedded, is a hollow, pear-shaped organ about 10 centimetres (4 in) long, lying between the urinary bladder and the rectum.

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