Testicles

The testicle is a paired organ (right and left), located in a musculocutaneous pouch, called the scrotum, which is located in the anterior region of the perineum, just behind the penis.

Each testis has an ovoid shape, with the large axis almost vertical, and slightly flattened lateromedially, which means that it has two faces, two edges and two ends.

The faces are lateral and medial, the anterior and posterior edges, and the upper and lower extremities.

TESTICLE - GLOBAL VIEW

Source: NETTER, Frank H.. Atlas of Human Anatomy. 2nd edition Porto Alegre: Artmed, 2000.

The posterior border is occupied from top to bottom by a cylindrical formation, more dilated upwards than the epididymis.

The upper half of the posterior border of the testis properly represents the hilum of the testis, receiving the special name of the testis mediastinum.

It is through the mediastinum that the testis properly communicates with the epididymis.

SECTIONED TESTICLE

Source: NETTER, Frank H.. Atlas of Human Anatomy. 2nd edition Porto Alegre: Artmed, 2000.

The testis is surrounded by a capsule of a conjunctive nature, pearly white, called tunica albuginea.

The tunica albuginea sends into the small testicle septa known as testicular septa, which subdivide them into lobules.

In the lobes of the testes we find a large amount of long and sinuous ducts, with an almost capillary caliber, which are called convoluted seminiferous tubules.

It is in these contorted seminiferous tubules that sperm are formed.

The seminiferous tubules converge to the mediastinum of the testis and are anastomosed, constituting straight seminiferous tubules, which intertwine forming a true network (of Haller) at the level of the mediastinum.

In the mediastinum, the straight seminiferous tubules empty into ten to fifteen efferent ductules, which from the testis go to the head of the epididymis.

TESTICLE - SCHEME

Source: NETTER, Frank H.. Atlas of Human Anatomy. 2nd edition Porto Alegre: Artmed, 2000.