The testes are two glandular organs suspended from the inguinal region by the spermatic cord. The spermatic cord is made up of sheets of fascia derived from the abdominal muscles and contains the ductus or vas deferens, spermatic artery and veins, Iymph vessels, and autonomic nerve fibers. Each testes is about the shape and size of a small egg and is attached to an overlying structure called the epididymis. It is covered by fibrous tissues which sends incomplete partitions into the central portion of the gland, dividing it into communicating cavities. In these cavities are winding tubules surrounded by blood vessels and supported by interstitial tissue. The seminiferous tubules provide for production of spermatozoa, and the interstitial or Leydig cells produce testosterone. These tubules intertwine and join together in a meshwork of exiting small ducts called the rete testis and finally all unite in the epididymis.
The epididymides are long bilateral narrow bodies that lie upon the superior portions of the testes and are composed of 15 to 20 tortuous tubules which eventually open into a single convoluted tubule. These tubules contain smooth muscle cells in their walls and are lined with mucous membrane, They connect the testes with the seminal ducts and serve as areas for final maturation of the spermatozoa.
(figure available in print form)
FIGURE 1-1. MALE REPRODUCTIVE TRACT
