Environmental influences on male reproduction

Simulated drought influences reproduction in male prairie voles.

The environmental factors that arrest breeding in prairie voles during the middle of the breeding season are unknown. The role of water availability on reproductive function was examined by limiting water intake to 50% of ad lib water consumption for 10 weeks. At autopsy, testicular, epididymal and seminal vesicle masses were reduced in water restricted males as compared to animals with ad lib ...

Deteriorating trends in male reproduction: idiopathic or environmental?

Recent reports portend deterioration in male reproductive health in several human populations. Similar trends might exist in domestic animals, but data are not available because of the inherent nature of animal husbandry practices - culling of the reproductively inefficient food- and fiber-producing animals at an early age. Although the causes for this deterioration are unknown, a variety of en...

Alcohol's effects on male reproduction.

The male reproductive system consists of the hypothalamus, the anterior pituitary gland, and the testes. Alcohol can interfere with the function of each of these components, thereby causing impotence, infertility, and reduced male secondary sexual characteristics. In the testes, alcohol can adversely affect the Leydig cells, which produce and secrete the hormone testosterone. Studies found that...

Influences of clonality on plant sexual reproduction.

Flowering plants possess an unrivaled diversity of mechanisms for achieving sexual and asexual reproduction, often simultaneously. The commonest type of asexual reproduction is clonal growth (vegetative propagation) in which parental genotypes (genets) produce vegetative modules (ramets) that are capable of independent growth, reproduction, and often dispersal. Clonal growth leads to an expansi...

Social Influences on Reproduction in Pine Voles