Spermatogenesis
Read the following passage carefully and answer the given questions.
As you are aware, humans are sexually reproducing and viviparous. The reproductive events in humans include formation of gametes (gametogenesis), i.e., sperms in males and ovum in females. Male reproductive system is composed of a pair of testes, the male sex accessory ducts, accessory glands, and external genitalia. Each testicular lobule contains one to three highly coiled seminiferous tubules in which sperms are produced. Each seminiferous tubule is lined on its inside by two types of cells called male germ cells (spermatogonia) and Sertoli cells. The male germ cells undergo meiotic divisions finally leading to sperm formation, while Sertoli cells provide nutrition to the germ cells. The regions outside the seminiferous tubules called interstitial spaces, contain small blood vessels and interstitial cells or Leydig cells. The male sex accessory ducts include rete testis, vasa efferentia, epididymis and vas deferens. The male accessory glands include paired seminal vesicles, a prostate and paired bulbourethral glands. Secretions of these glands constitute the seminal plasma which is rich in fructose, calcium and certain enzymes.
In the testes, the process of spermatogenesis takes place in:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Seminiferous tubules
Spermatogenesis is the making of sperms from the male germ cells (spermatogonia). The germ cells line the inside of the seminiferous tubules, so the process takes place there.
(1) Seminiferous tubules — Correct. They are the highly coiled tubules of each testicular lobule, in which the sperms are produced.
(2) Seminal vesicles — Incorrect. They are accessory glands. Their secretions form part of the seminal plasma, and they do not make sperms.
(3) Rete testis — Incorrect. It is a duct. The seminiferous tubules open through it into the vasa efferentia.
(4) Epididymis — Incorrect. It is a duct that lies along the testis and leads to the vas deferens. Sperms are carried through it. They are not made there.
Note: The passage is taken from NCERT. NTA has put lines of the NCERT text together to make it. Most CUET (UG) questions come straight from NCERT, so study the book line by line, including figures and their titles.