BIO 12D Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Pseudostratified Columnar Epithelium, Efferent Ducts, Rete Testis
15 May 2020
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
L and r testes each have own set of ducts. Ducts store and transport sperm as they mature and pass out of body. Series of tubes: seminiferous tubules, straight ducts, rete testis, efferent ductule, epididymis, ductus deferens. 12-15 connect rete testis to epididymis: lined w/ both ciliated columnar epithelia that propel sperm toward epididymis and nonciliated columnar epithelia that absorb excess fluid secreted by seminiferous tubules, drain into epidiymis. The epididymis is a comma-shaped structure composed of an internal duct and an external covering of connective tissue. Its head lies on the superior surface of the testis, while the body and tail are posterior to the testis. Internally, the epididymis contains a long, convoluted duct of the epididymis, which is approximately 4 to 5 meters in length: lined w/ pseudostratified columnar epithelium that contains sterocilia (long microvilli) Sperm must reside in the epididymis for a period of time to become mature and fully motile.
