Formed by the set of organs involved in producing sperm and depositing it into the genital passages of the female, the male genitalia include:- Two gonads, the testicles, which have two different functions: an exocrine function in producing gametes (spermatogenesis, or sperm production), and an endocrine function in producing hormones (secretion of testosterone, the male hormone that is the basis for the secondary sexual characteristics, spermatogenesis, and male sexual activity);- The sperm passages, or excretory ducts, of the gonads (vas deferens and urethra), which nourish the sperm (spermatozoa + semen), store it (thanks particularly to the secretions of auxiliary glands including the epididymis and prostate), and send it to the portion involved in mating;- A portion involved in mating, the penis. During mating or coitus, the penis deposits sperm into the genital passages of the female (insemination).- The testicles are globular and located below the anus (2 g).- The yellowish, bilobed prostate surrounds the urethra. Cats do not have seminal vesicles.- The penis is short, curved backward, and ends in a conical glans covered with tiny erectile barbs with a cornified tip that become rigid during ejaculation and disappear after castration.
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