Epidydimis/seminal ducts/ spermatic cord

• Epididymis

  • Long, coiled tube that connects testes to vans deferns
  • Essential for storage, maturation and transport of sperm.

  
• Epididymis parts

  Divided into 3 parts:

  1. Head (caput): wider upper part liying on superior aspect of testis. It receives sperm from efferent ductules which later converge into a single duct that continues as duct of epididymis.
  2. Body (corpus): long, coiled middle part that runs along posterior side of testis. Here sperm undergo further maturation process gaining motility and ability to fertilise egg.
  3. Tail (cauda): narrow, lower part of epididymis. It is less colied and continues into vans deferens. Serves as primary storage site for mature sperm until ejaculation

  
• Epididymis duct


  Lined with pseudostratified columnar epithelium
• Cell types in epididymis duct epithelium

  • Principal cells
  • Basal cells
• Principal cells


  • Columnar cells with sterocilia (long, non-motile microvili) that increase surface area for absorption and secretion
  • Absorb excess testicular fluid
  • Secrete substances that aid in sperm maturation
• Basal cells


  • Round cells at base of epithelium acting as sperm stem cells to replenish
• Smooth muscle


  • Surrounding duct
  • Thicker in tail, involved in strong contraction during ejaculation to propel sperm into vas deferens
• Connective tissue


  • Entire epididymis is encapsulated by fibrous connective tissue layer, provides structural support
• Functions of epididymis

  • Sperm transport: gentle peristaltic mov move sperm from testis into epididymi.
  • sperm maturatio: during transit through epididymis sperm undergo maturation including development of motility and ability to fertilize egg
  • Sperm storage: tail serve as main storage site for sperm until ejaculation.

  
• Blood supply, veins and lymphatic drainage of epididymis

  • Arterial supply: testicular artery which arise directly from abdominal aorta and descend through inguinal canal
  • Veins: venous blood drain through pampiniform plexus. Veins from pampiniform plexus coalesce to form testicular vein.
  • Right testicular vein drain into inferior vena cava
  • Left testicular vein drain into left renal vein.
• Ductus deferens aka vans deferents


  Muscular duct that transport sperm from tail of epididymis into ejaculatory duct in preparation for ejaculation.
• Path of ductus deferens: Originates in tail of epididymis→ ascend within scrotum, running post to testis and medial to epididymis → enters spermatic cord and ascend through inguinal canal as part of spermatic cord and travel through inguinal canal in ant abdominal wall → exist inguinal canal, enters pelvis and crosses external iliac vessel. Travels along lat pelvic wall. →ductus expands to form ampulla of ductus deferens (serves as reservoir for sperm)→joins duct of seminal vesicle to form ejaculatory duct that then passes through prostate gland and open into prostatic urethra
• Ductus deferens

  • 45-50cm in lenght
  • 4 anatomical parts: testicular part, funicular, inguinal and pelvic part. Ductus terminates as ampulla of ductus deferens. (Dilated portion that serves as reservoir for sperm) and then becomes continuous with ejaculatory duct.

  
• Blood supply of ductus deferens

  • Primary from artery of ductus deferens: brach of superior vesical artery (from internal iliac)
  • venous drainage: into pampiniform plexus and vesical/prostatic venous plexus
  • lymphatics: external + internal iliac nodes
• Spermatic cord

  • Bundle of fibers and tissues that form cord-like structure in male reproductive system.
  • Runs from inguinal canal down to each testicles.
• Structures contained in spermatic cord

  • Ductus deferens
  • Testicular artery
  • Pampiniform plexus: network of veins that drain blood from test and helps regulates pressure by cooling blood before reaching testis
  • Cremasteric artery and vein (A is branch of inf. epigastric) supplies cremaster muscle.
  • Artery of ductus deferens
  • Genital branch of genitofemoral nerve: motor innervation to cremaster m. Sensory innervation to parts of scrotu.
  • Autonomic n: sympathetic + parasympathetic n
  • Lymphatics: drain lymph from testis and epididymis
• Testis, epididymis and spermatic cord

  
• Testis and epididymis

  
• Testis and spermatic cord

  
• Spermatic cord is covered from within to outwards by

  • Internal spermatic fascia: derived from fascia transversalis
  • cremastric fascia: derived from internal oblique
  • external spermatic fascia: derive from external oblique aponeurosis.