Male Reproductive System

Abstract Much of the work of the pathologist in understanding male reproductive toxicity comes from trying to understand the initial site of toxicant action – that is, distinguishing the initial effects from the follow-on events. These changes can happen because of, or completely independent of, initial impacts on male reproductive hormones. Fortunately, the patterns of response and the holistic evaluation of a wide variety of different but complementary data allow for considerable confidence in assigning an initiating site of action. This chapter will review the anatomy and physiology as well as successful strategies for understanding toxicities in this complicated and sublime multi-organ system.