8 



Dorothy Price and Richard Pannabecker 



days 



post coitum 



17.5 



-21.5 



Fig. 1. Diagrammatic representation of reproductive tracts explanted at 

 17+ days. A: tract at the time of explantation ; B, C, D, E, F: tracts cultured 

 for 4 days. B: with both testes present the seminal vesicles and prostate 

 glands developed. C : without testes the Wolffian ducts retrogressed, no seminal 

 vesicles appeared but a few prostatic buds developed. D : with one testis (left 

 in place or detached and replaced) the results were as in B in 5 out of 6 explants. 

 E: with one testis, placed at a greater distance from the opposite side of the 

 tract, the Wolffian duct on the gonadless side retrogressed somewhat and the 

 seminal vesicle was lacking or smaller in 8 out of 9 explants. F: with no 

 testes but with testosterone micropellets added to the clot, the Wolffian 

 ducts were retained and the seminal vesicles and prostatic buds developed as 



in B and D. 



M : Mullerian duct ; W : Wolffian duct ; S : seminal vesicles ; P : prostate. 



Seminal Vesicles 



The development of seminal vesicles proved to be related to 

 the age of the tract at the time of explantation as well as to 

 the presence of hormone. In explants with testes, no seminal 

 vesicles developed in tracts cultured at 15+ days; large 

 dilatations with only a slight indication of a free seminal 

 vesicle tip appeared in 9 out of 24 explants cultured at 16 + 

 days; well-developed glands were found in 18 out of 19 

 explants of 17+ day-old tracts cultured when dilatations were 

 present in the Wolffian ducts (Fig. 2, A), and within four days 

 of culture they reached a length, in the best cases, equal to 



