The testes are the paired male gonads, oval organs about 4-5 cm long that hang in the scrotum. They produce sperm in coiled seminiferous tubules and make testosterone in the Leydig cells between those tubules. Hanging outside the body keeps them 2-3 degrees cooler than core temperature, which sperm production needs.
| Location | In the scrotum, suspended by the spermatic cord, the left usually hanging slightly lower than the right |
|---|---|
| Parts | |
| Nerve Supply | Testicular plexus (sympathetic, T10-T11); Genital branch of the genitofemoral nerve (coverings) |
| Blood Supply | Testicular artery; Artery to the ductus deferens; Cremasteric artery |
| Venous drainage |
|
| Lymphatic drainage |
|
Produces sperm (spermatogenesis) and secretes testosterone, which drives male sexual development and maintains libido, muscle and bone.
Sudden severe testicular pain in a boy or young man is testicular torsion until proven otherwise and needs surgery within hours to save the testis. Testicular cancer is the most common solid cancer in men aged about 15-35 and usually appears as a painless lump, so self-examination is encouraged. Because the testis develops near the kidney and descends, its pain can be felt in the lower abdomen and its lymph drains to nodes beside the aorta, not to the groin.
Twisting of the testis on its spermatic cord, cutting off blood supply and causing sudden severe pain and swelling; a surgical emergency.
A germ cell tumour presenting as a painless firm lump, highly curable when found early.
Failure of the testis to reach the scrotum, raising the risk of infertility and cancer, usually corrected surgically in infancy.
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