Read the passage below and answer the following question.
The male reproductive system is located in the pelvis region. The testes are situated outside the abdominal cavity within a pouch called scrotum. The testis is covered by a dense covering. Each testis has about 250 compartments called testicular lobules. Each lobule contains one to three highly coiled seminiferous tubules. Each seminiferous tubule is lined on its inside by two types of cells called male germ cells and Sertoli cells. The regions outside the seminiferous tubules are called interstitial spaces. Leydig cells synthesise and secrete testicular hormones called androgens. The male sex accessory ducts include rete testis, vasa efferentia, epididymis and vas deferens. The seminiferous tubules of the testis open into the vasa efferentia through rete testis. The vasa efferentia leave the testis and open into epididymis located along the posterior surface of each testis. The epididymis leads to vas deferens that ascends to the abdomen and loops over the urinary bladder. Secretions of accessory glands constitute the seminal plasma which is rich in fructose, calcium and certain enzymes. The secretions of bulbourethral glands also helps in the lubrication of the penis.
What are the male germ cells that line the inside of the seminiferous tubules called?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Spermatogonia
The inner lining of each seminiferous tubule has two kinds of cells: the male germ cells and the Sertoli cells. The male germ cells are the immature cells called spermatogonia. They are diploid, multiply by mitosis and some of them, the primary spermatocytes, enter meiosis. Secondary spermatocytes, spermatids and finally spermatozoa are the later stages formed from them, so they are not the lining cells themselves.
NCERT Extract:
The Male Reproductive System – “… Each 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 (Figure 2.2). The male germ cells undergo meiotic divisions finally leading to sperm formation, while Sertoli cells provide nutrition to the germ cells.”
Gametogenesis – “In testis, the immature male germ cells (spermatogonia) produce sperms by spermatogenesis that begins at puberty. The spermatogonia (sing. spermatogonium) present on the inside wall of seminiferous tubules multiply by mitotic division and increase in numbers.”
