Question

Read the following statements and choose the correct option based on the cells and the function associated with them in humans.
Statement 1: The primary spermatocytes undergo meiosis to form spermatozoa.
Statement 2: Interstitial cells or Leydig’s cells provide nutrition to the spermatogenic cells.

• A. Both the statements are true
• B. Statement 1 is true but statement 2 is false
• C. Statement 1 is false and statement 2 is true
• D. Both the statements are false.

Answer 1

The correct option is B Statement 1 is true but statement 2 is false

The male reproductive system includes a pair of testes along with accessory ducts, glands and external genitalia. Testis lie outside the abdominal cavity in a thin pouch of skin called the scrotum. The scrotum helps in maintaining the low temperature of testes by 2-2.5 degree than the normal internal body temperature. Each testis has testicular lobules which normally contain 1-3 highly coiled seminiferous tubules. Seminiferous tubules are found inside the testicular lobules where spermatogenesis takes place. The seminiferous tubules are lined by a complex stratified epithelium which contains two distinct types of cells, spermatogenic cells or male germ cell that divide mitotically and eventually develops into spermatogonia, which further accumulates cytoplasm and doubles its size to go to the maturation divisions to form spermatids which eventually differentiates into spermatozoa, and the second type of cells are Sertoli cells or nurse cells. They are large, tall columnar cells that provide nutrition to the male germ cells or spermatogenic cells.
Leydig cells are ‘interstitial’ cells (as they lie in between the tubules). They have a pale cytoplasm because they contain many cholesterol lipid droplets. The Leydig cells make and secrete androgens (testosterone) during puberty.