THE MALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS. 



207 



CHAPTER XII. 



FIG. 249. 



THE MALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS. 

 THE TESTICLE. 



THE testicle is a highly-developed compound tubular gland. The 

 parenchyma of the organ is enclosed within a fibrous capsule of 

 especial thickness and strength, the tunica albuginea, which 

 becomes greatly thickened on the posterior aspect of the testicle 

 to form a dense connective-tissue 

 mass, the mediastinum, or the 

 corpus Highmori. 



From the mediastinum stout 

 fibrous septa radiate to the pe- 

 riphery, thus dividing the organ 

 into a number of irregular pyram- 

 idal compartments or lobules, 

 in which the seminiferous tubules 

 are contained. The tunica albu- 

 ginea consists of a dense fibrous 

 felt- work of bundles of fibro-elastic 

 tissue ; the looser, inner layers sup- 

 port numerous blood-vessels, con- 

 stituting the tunica vasculosa. 

 The outer surface of the albuginea, 

 through the greater part of its 

 extent, is covered by the visceral 

 layer of the tunica vaginalis, 

 which supplies a serous investment 

 to much of the testicle, as well as 

 to a portion of the epididymis. 



The testicle lies behind and out- 

 side the serous sac, the latter be- 

 coming invaginated by the testicle 



during its descent into the scrotum ; that part of the posterior bor- 

 der of the testicle included between the reflected folds of the tunica 

 vaginalis is devoid of serous covering, and affords a position for the 

 entrance and escape of the blood-vessels, the ducts, the lymphatics, 

 and the nerves. 



Diagram illustrating the course and the rela- 

 tions of the various constituents of the testicle 

 and the epididymis : a, tunica albuginea ; m , 

 the mediastinum ; t, convoluted, s, straight, por- 

 tions of seminiferous tubules ; r, rete testis ; e, 

 vasa efferentia ; c, coni vasculosi ; te, tube of 

 epididymis ; vd, vas deferens ; va, vas aberrans ; 

 p, paradidymis. 



