| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Scrotum | Pouch of skin that holds the testes, located outside of the pelvic cavity; neccessary for sperm production |
| Scrotal septum | Divides the scrotum (internally) into two sacs each containing a single testis |
| Dartos muscle | Part of the septum; is responsible for scrotal wrinkling; reduces heat loss |
| Cremaster muscle | Raises and lowers the testis in response to tempeterature changes; lower body temp required for production |
| Spermatic cord | A mass of blood vessels and nerves that suspend the testes |
| Tunica vaginalis | Outer membrane that covers the testes |
| Tunica albuginea | Inner membrane; extends inwards and divides testes into a series of compartmental lobules |
| Seminiferous tubules | Tightly packed coiled tubules that are found within each lobule of a testicle; site of sperm production |
| Spermatogenic cells | Cells within the seminiferous tubules that produce sperm |
| Sertoli cells | Tightly joined together lining the tubules forming a blood-testis barrier |
| Blood-testis barrier | Prevents an immunes response against the spermatic cell's surface antigens, which are recognized as "foreign" by the immune system |
| Leydig (interstitial) cells | Cells that occupy the space between tubules; produces testosterone |
| Rete testis | A tube in the middle of a testis to which all seminiferous tubules converge` |
Combine with other sets
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