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Epididymis: anatomy, location and function

The epididymis is a coiled tube on the posterior testis where sperm mature and are stored. It matures, stores and transports sperm toward the deferent duct.

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Highlighted in the model: Epididymis. Click any part to read about it, or switch off “Highlight topic” to see the whole body. 3D data: BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0; meshes simplified and recoloured. The model is an adult male.

Epididymis at a glance

What it is
The epididymis is a coiled tube on the posterior testis where sperm mature and are stored.
Location
It lies along the posterior border of the testis within the scrotum, with a head, body and tail.
Function
It matures, stores and transports sperm toward the deferent duct.
Body system
Reproductive · paired (left and right)
FMA ID
FMA18257 (Foundational Model of Anatomy)

Key facts

  • About 6 m of tightly coiled tube.
  • Lined by pseudostratified columnar epithelium with stereocilia.

Clinical relevance

Epididymitis is a common cause of scrotal pain.

Structures next to the epididymis

The nearest named structures in the 3D model, measured from the centre of each part:

References

  1. Foundational Model of Anatomy: Epididymis (FMA18257). EMBL-EBI Ontology Lookup Service.
  2. OpenStax. Anatomy and Physiology 2e, §27.1 Anatomy and Physiology of the Testicular Reproductive System. Rice University, 2022.
  3. Mitsuhashi N. et al. (2009). BodyParts3D: 3D structure database for anatomical concepts. Nucleic Acids Research 37, D782–D785. Data © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0.

Related anatomy

Explore the whole body in the interactive 3D human anatomy model, or browse the A–Z list of human structures.