PAETS OF THE TESTICLE. 445 



THE TESTICLES. 



The testes, or principal reproductive glands (StSu^or, opxi^), are suspended 

 obliquely in the scrotum by means of the cord and membranes already 

 described ; they are usually placed at unequal heights, tliat of the left 

 side being lower than the other. They are of an ovoid form, but are 

 slightly compressed laterally, so that tliey have two somewhat flattened 

 sides or faces, an upper and a lower end, an anterior and a posterior 

 border. They are about an inch and a half long, an inch and a quarter 

 wide from back to front, and nearly an inch thick from side to side. 

 The weight of each varies from three-quarters of an ounce to an ounce, 

 the left being often a little the larger of the two. 



The front and sides of the testicle, together with the upper and the 

 lower ends, are free, smooth, and closely invested by the tunica vaginalis. 

 The posterior border is attached to the spermatic cord, and it is here 

 that the vessels and nerves enter or pass out. When the testis is sus- 

 pended in its usual position, its upper end is directed obliquely forwards, 

 and outwards, as well as upwards, whilst the lower, which is rather 

 smaller, has the opposite direction. It follows from this that the pos- 

 terior or attached border is turned upwards and inwards, and the outer 

 flattened face slightly backwards. 



Attached to the posterior border of the gland, and resting also on the 

 neighbouring portion of its outer face, is placed a long narrow body, the 

 epididymis, winch forms part of the excretory apparatus of the testicle, 

 and is principally composed of the convolutions of a long tortuous canal 

 or efferent duct, to be presently described. Its upper extremity, con- 

 siderably larger than the lower, projects forwards on the upper end of 

 the testis, and is named the liead or globus major ; the lower, which is 

 more pointed, is termed the tail, or globus minor ; whilst the intervening 



Fig. 318. — Transteese Section thkough the Fig. 3jS. 



Right Testicle and the Tunica Vaginalis (from 

 Kolliker). e J J A. , ^^ 



a, connective tissue enveloping the parietal layer of m j^Me^sjw.j^'' <^ 



the tunica vaginalis ; b, tliis layer itself : c, cavity of >(r\^^^S?^ ^^Vv 



the tunica vaginalis ; d, reflected or visceral laye (/ /^^jS^ST' ^ag^^ a. 



adhering to e, the tunica albuginea ; /, covering of ,j f ^Kkjj^SS^^ ' ^'^ 



epididymis [fj) on the right or outer side ; li, medias- ,^ / 'J^^^^^^^HV V 



tinum testis ; /, branches of the spermatic artery ; ,1% Jj |,^^^^^^^^Bi| ^ '^ 



spermatic vein ; I, vas deferens ; m, small artery of i| i^^^^^^^HH] ''^ t 



the vas deferens ; ??, lobules of the testis ; o, septa or \ l^^^^^^^H/ ^i 



processes from the mediastinum to the surface. ^~ V' I^^^^^^^V/ ";^" s 



portion is named the body. The convex "^ \^^Hi^/ 



surface of the epididymis and the thin an- X/j™^\/^ 



terior border are free, and covered by the ar*'«*=«»*^ 



tunica vaginalis. The concave surface, or that directed towards the 

 testis, except at the upper and lower ends, is also free, and invested by the 

 same tunic, which here forms the digital pouch between the epididymis 

 and the outer face of the testicle, and nearly surrounds the epididy- 

 mis, except along its posterior border, which is united to the gland by 

 a duplicature of the serous membrane, containing numerous blood- 

 vessels. At its upper and lower extremity, the epididymis is attached 

 to the testicle by fibrous tissue aud a reflection of the tunica vaginalis, 

 the gbbus major also by the eflferent ducts of the testicle. 



