Lecture Notes

Inside the scrotum are the male reproductive glands, or gonads, which are called the testicles, or testes. The testes have two major functions: sperm production and hormone production. Each testis is about one and a half inches long and one inch in diameter. Each testis weighs about one ounce and is olive shaped. As the male ages, the testes decrease in size and weight. The left testicle generally hangs slightly lower than the right one. Within the scrotal sac each testicle is suspended by a spermatic cord. The spermatic cord contains nerves, blood vessels, and a vas deferens. Within each testicle are about 1,000 seminiferous tubules. These tightly, tiny compressed tubes are about one to three feet long. Within the tubes, spermatogenesis, the production of sperm, takes place.