The scrotum is a fibromuscular cutaneous

sac, located between the penis and anus. It

is dual-chambered, forming an expansion
of the perineum. The scrotum contains
three major (paired) structures:
 Testis – the site of sperm production.
 Epididymis – situated at the head of
each testicle. It functions as a storage reservoir for
sperm.
 Spermatic cord – a collection of muscle fibres,
vessels, nerves and ducts that run to and from the
testes.
 There are also muscle fibres located within the
scrotum. The dartos muscle is a sheet of smooth muscle, situated immediately underneath theScrotal skin. It acts to help
septum
regulate the temperature of the scrotum, by wrinkling the skin – this decreases surface area, reducing heat loss.
 The cremaster muscle is the thin fascial muscle of the spermatic cord made of skeletal muscle. It is also referred to as
cremaster fascia or simply the cremaster. Its action is to retract the testes, important in thermoregulation and
spermatogenesis. It is derived from the internal oblique muscle and aponeurosis. The cremaster is innervated by
sympathetic and somatic fibres of the genital branch of the genitofemoral nerve.
The penis can be anatomically divided into three parts:
 Root – the most proximal, fixed part of the penis. It is located in the superficial perineal pouch of the pelvic floor, and is
not visible externally. The root contains three erectile tissues (two crura and bulb of the penis), and two muscles
(ischiocavernosus and bulbospongiosus).
 Body – the free part of the penis, located between the root and glans. It is suspended from the pubic symphysis. It is
composed of three cylinders of erectile tissue – two corpora cavernosa, and the corpus spongiosum.
 Glans – the most distal part of the of penis. It is conical in shape, and is formed by the distal expansion of the corpus
spongiosum. This contains the opening of the urethra, termed the external urethral orifice.
The dartos muscle is the thin rugated fascial muscle of the scrotum made of smooth muscle. Hence it is also referred to as
dartos fascia or simply the dartos. It forms from the subcutaneous tissue of the scrotum and base of the penis and attaches
to the scrotal skin and fibrous midline septum between the testes.
The expressed prostatic secretion of most normal men is alkaline
(mean pH 7.31),also there is alkaline seminal vesicular components.
Histology 1 Septa 2 Seminiferous tubule
5 Efferent ductules 6 Rete testis
Tunics and mediastinum
Each testis is suspended in an outpouching of the peritoneal cavity.
This cavity, like the rest of the peritoneum, is lined by a serosa
consisting of mesothelial cells supported by fibrous connective tissue.
Around the testis, the parietal peritoneum is named tunica vaginalis
while the visceral peritoneum is named tunica albuginea. Both of
these tunics consist of fibrous connective tissue with a thin surface of
mesothelium.
The thickened posterior portion of the tunica albuginea, called the
mediastinum, receives the blood vessels, lymphatics, nerves, and
ducts which serve the testis. Fibrous septa extend from the
mediastinum into the body of the testis.
The bulk of each testis consists of seminiferous tubules embedded in relatively sparse interstitial tissue.
Sperm cells are produced by the tubules, while hormones are produced by endocrine cells (Leydig cells)
within the interstitium. Tubules are surrounded by a thin layer of contractile myoid cells.
Unlike the tubules in a typical exocrine gland, each seminiferous tubule forms a tightly coiled loop, nearly a
meter in length, which opens at both ends into the rete testis.
Although such organization into loops is unique, the resulting appearance in tissue section is typical for a
tubular gland -- lots of round or oval slices across tubules, with occasional tangential sections of the
epithelium. A few hundred tubules comprise one testis. Thin connective tissue septa, arising in the
mediastinum, separate tubules into lobules.
Seminiferous tubules are lined by a complex epithelium which is most easily understood as consisting of two
very different cell populations, Sertoli cells and germ cells.
Sertoli cells are support cells. These cells form what is essentially a simple columnar epithelium. Each
Sertoli cell rests on the basement membrane and extends to the lumen. The Sertoli cells create the
environment in which germ cells carry out the fundamental reproductive function of gamete production.
Intercellular junctions near the base of adjacent Sertoli cells create the blood-testis barrier. Spermatogonia
lie on the "blood" side of this barrier. As these cells begin mitosis, spermatocytes must cross the barrier;
thus this barrier undergoes constant remodelling during spermatogenesis.
Male germ cells comprise a unique cell population which continually produces new male gametes, or
spermatozoa, in the process called spermatogenesis. Germ cells at all stages of meiosis are found
embedded within the epithelium of the seminiferous tubules.

Spermatogonia . .
.. Secondary spermatocytes ...
Primary
spermatocytes
are theone
stem cells.. Spermatids ...
divide more
.of thewithout
germ cell
time, are the product of the final meiotic division. are found near the lumen of the tubule.
population. divide
are cells
further DNA
in the have small round nuclei. undergo an elaborate process of maturation (called
mitotically toto
first stage in
replication, spermiogenesis) to become spermatozoa.
produce
meiosis, primary
produce during
spermatocytes as
which DNA have
spermatids.
well as more
replicates
relatively large
twice.
Spermatozoa ...
are highly
specialized, motile
cells, each with a
single large
flagellum. form by
maturation (i.e.,
without further cell
division) from
spermatids. have
very small, highly
condensed, oval to
conical nuclei. (The
shape of entire
sperm cells, with
long flagella, is not
evident in tissue
sections.) are found
near the lumen of
the tubule.
Spermatogonia are the Primary spermatocytes are cells in the
stem cells of the germ first stage in meiosis, during which DNA Secondary spermatocytes
cell population. divide replicates twice. divide to produce divide one more time, without
mitotically to produce secondary spermatocytes. further DNA replication, to
primary spermatocytes produce spermatids. are
as well as more found at mid-levels within the
spermatogonia. are tubular epithelium (like
found at the base of primary spermatocytes).
the tubular epithelium.
Testosterone-secreting Leydig cells also called "interstitial cells," occur in clusters within the interstitial tissue
(stroma) of the testis. Leydig cells may be recognized not only by their location within the testicular
interstitium but also by their round nuclei and extensive acidophilic cytoplasm.
Ovary
The outside (peritoneal) surface of the ovary is covered by mesothelium; a simple cuboidal-to-columnar
mesothelium (focally pseudostratified). This mesothelium is sometimes unhelpfully called "germinal
epithelium" although it does not contain germ cells. The bulk of the ovary, both cortex and medulla, consists
of stroma. Interspersed in the stroma are follicles, which contain oocytes. The outer portion of the ovary is
called the cortex. The inner portion is called the medulla.
Embedded in the stroma of the ovarian cortex are many follicles (numbering several hundred thousand).
Each follicle contains a single oocyte surrounded by granulosa cells. Granulosa cells are separated from the
surrounding stroma by a basement membrane. All of the follicles (and oocytes) that a woman will ever have
are present in the ovary at birth.
During each monthly cycle, a few follicles are activated by follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) from the
pituitary and begin progressing toward ovulation, through stages called primary follicles, secondary follicles,
and tertiary or Graafian follicles. Typically only one follicle completes the process in each cycle. Other
follicles which had begun the process of maturation then degenerate, appearing temporarily as atretic
follicles.
Most easily recognized are primordial follicles, which have a single layer of thin (squamous) granulosa cells
around the oocyte, and Graafian follicles , which include a fluid-filled space or antrum. Primary follicles have
one or more layers of cuboidal granulosa cells. Secondary follicles are larger (with more granulosa cells)
and with surrounding stromal tissue organized into internal and external thecal layers. Note that any mature
(Graafian) follicle is so large that an arbitrary section is unlikely to include the oocyte, or even the cumulus
oophorus, even though such features are always shown in textbook pictures.
During follicle maturation, the granulosa cells proliferate to form many layers around the oocyte. A boundary
layer, the zona pellucida, appears between the oocyte and the granulosa cells. Stromal cells surrounding
the follicle differentiate into the theca interna and the theca externa. Cells of the theca interna become
cuboidal steroid-producing cells (containing lipid droplets, extensive smooth endoplasmic reticulum, and
mitochondria having tubular cristae). Androgen from thecal cells is processed to estrogen in granulosa cells;
the estrogen then enters circulation via blood vessels which form in the theca. Cells of the theca externa
have no known endocrine function.
Eventually the layers of granulosa cells split apart to form a fluid-filled space called the antrum. At this stage
it is called a tertiary or Graafian follicle. The mass of granulosa cells which continue to surround the follicle is
called the "egg-bearing hill" or cumulus oophorus.
At ovulation, the follicle ruptures to release the oocyte, (with its associated "crown" of attached granulosa
cells, the corona radiata. Following ovulation and under the influence of luteinizing hormone, the ruptured
follicle reorganizes into a specialized endocrine structure called the corpus luteum ("yellow body"). The
cuboidal granulosa cells enlarge and form ill-defined cords around vascular spaces (a process representing
rapid growth of a temporary endocrine organ). These granulosa lutein cells assume a characteristic steroid-
secreting appearance, with lipid droplets, extensive smooth endoplasmic reticulum, and mitochondria having
tubular cristae. Thecal lutein cells are less obvious, smaller cuboidal cells associated with the fibrous septa
of the corpus. The granulosa lutein cells secrete progesterone to maintain the uterus in a receptive phase
and, if implantation occurs, continue to secrete progesterone through pregnancy.