The scrotum (scrotum) is a single reproductive organ in which the male testicles and other organs are located. Contrary to appearances, the function of the scrotum is very important - it is thanks to the scrotum that it is possible to maintain such a temperature of the male gonads at which it is possible to properly proceed with the production of male reproductive cells. How is the scrotum structured and what diseases may affect it?

The scrotum(scrotum) is an organ found in men whose counterpart in women is the labia majora. It is formed during the embryonic life from the connection of the right and left sexual shafts, and testosterone is responsible for its development in the intrauterine period.

It would seem that the scrotum is only a sac in which the testicles are located - in practice, this structure plays an important role, because thanks to it men are able to reproduce, and the structure of the scrotum is quite complicated.

Moszna: construction

The scrotum is a loose bag that extends the abdominal wall. It is located between the penis and anus. The wall of the scrotum itself, on the other hand, has a rather complicated structure - there are 3 layers of it, which are:

  • outer casing,
  • myofascial protection,
  • inner cover.

The outer sheath of the scrotum includes elements such as skin, contractile membrane and external seminal fascia. The first is an extension of the skin of the abdominal wall. However, it is typically slightly darker in color than the skin of other parts of the body. Its structure is different - sometimes it is wrinkled and sometimes smooth.

The sebaceous glands are clearly visible within the skin of the scrotum, apart from them, there are also sweat glands and hair.

The contractile membrane of the scrotum is the equivalent of the subcutaneous layer. It surrounds the entire scrotum, including it is thanks to her that the scrotum can fulfill its function.

The final element of the outer sheath of the scrotum is the outer seminal fascia, which corresponds to the subcutaneous fascia and includes the epididymis and the testicle.

There are also three structures within the myofascial sheath - they are:

  • testicular levator fascia,
  • testicular levator muscle
  • and internal seminal fascia.

Testicular levator fascia - likethe name itself suggests - it covers the same muscle and it is the equivalent of the superficial abdominal fascia.

The testicular levator muscle is involved in the occurrence of the testicular levator muscle reflex and is composed of the striated muscle. It corresponds to the transverse abdominal muscles and the inner oblique abdomen.

The internal seminal fascia, on the other hand, is a structure that corresponds to the transverse fascia and surrounds the testicle, epididymis and seminal cord.

The last scrotal sheath - the inner sheath - is also known as the serous sheath. It is created by the parietal peritoneum and from the top adjoins the spermatic cord, and also surrounds the testicle and epididymis.

It has two laminae - visceral and parietal - that fuse to form the mesentery. This is where the blood vessels and nerve fibers pass.

Moszna: content

Within the scrotum - as is commonly known - the testes are located. However, these are not the only organs present in this structure. Apart from them, in the scrotum there are also:

  • seminal cord (it consists of the vas deferens, arterial and venous vessels and nerve fibers),
  • epididymides (they are located in the upper part of the testes and their primary function is to store male reproductive cells produced within the testes - it is in the epididymides that they mature).

Moszna: blood supply and innervation

The arterial blood reaches the structures present in the scrotum through several arteries - these are the vas deferens, the nuclear artery and the levator testis artery. In addition, the scrotum is also supplied with branches originating from the vulvar arteries (external and internal).

Venous blood is drained from the scrotum through the internal vulva and saphenous veins. Lymph from the scrotal area is in turn directed to the inguinal lymph nodes.

The scrotum is not only richly vascularized, but also innervated. The nerve fibers that supply it come from the ilioinguinal, gendro-femoral, and labia nerves. The organs located in the scrotum are also reached by autonomic fibers originating from the inferior hypogastric plexus.

Moszna: functions

The fact that the testicles are located outside the abdominal cavity has a very clear justification. Well, for the proper course of the production of male sperm, a temperature of about 2.5 to 4 degrees Celsius less than the temperature inside the body is necessary.

The structure of the scrotum makes it possible to precisely regulate the temperature of the organs inside it, depending onthe surrounding conditions. When it is cold, the contractile membrane contracts, bringing the scrotum closer to the abdominal wall and reducing heat loss.

On the other hand, when the environment is extremely warm, the contractile membrane relaxes, which leads to an increase in the surface of the scrotum. This facilitates the transfer of heat from it to the environment and prevents overheating of the testicles in the scrotum.

Interestingly, scientists emphasize that the relationships described above may not be the only aspects related to why in humans and certain animals the testes are located outside the abdominal cavity, but in the scrotum.

One theory is that the presence of testicles and epididymides in the scrotum prevents abdominal pressure from acting on them. Some scientists argue that if the testicles were exposed to them, there could be an uncontrolled release of reproductive cells from them.

Moszna: diseases and their symptoms

Basically, just like any other organ in the body, the scrotum and its organs can undergo a variety of pathological processes.

Diseases of the scrotum can be both congenital and acquired. The most common of them include such units as:

  • cryptorchidism,
  • inguinal hernia,
  • testicular hydrocele,
  • varicose veins,
  • testicular cancer,
  • testicular torsion,
  • epididymitis,
  • testicular inflammation.

Although there are relatively many possible diseases of the scrotum, most of them lead to the occurrence of similar ailments.

The syndrome of symptoms that arise in their case is often referred to as acute scrotal syndrome and its symptoms include such problems as :

  • severe testicular pain,
  • swelling of the scrotum (sometimes even to a significant degree),
  • reddening of the scrotum.

The symptoms of acute scrotal syndrome usually develop suddenly and can be even severe. However, these are not the only disturbing ailments. Among the problems that should draw attention to and constitute an indication for consultation with a urologist, one can also mention the presence of palpable nodules within the testicles, the appearance of pain in the inguinal area during physical activity or the observation of blood in the semen.

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Category:

Anatomy