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Testis: anatomy, location and function

The testis is the male gonad that produces sperm and testosterone. It produces sperm in seminiferous tubules and testosterone in Leydig cells.

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Highlighted in the model: Testis. 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.

Testis at a glance

What it is
The testis is the male gonad that produces sperm and testosterone.
Location
It lies in the scrotum, suspended by the spermatic cord, with the left usually lower than the right.
Function
It produces sperm in seminiferous tubules and testosterone in Leydig cells.
Body system
Reproductive · paired (left and right)
FMA ID
FMA7212 (Foundational Model of Anatomy)

Key facts

  • Covered by the tunica vaginalis and a tough capsule, the tunica albuginea.
  • Sperm production needs a temperature about 2 to 3 degrees C below core body temperature.
  • Blood supply is the testicular artery from the abdominal aorta (about L2).

Clinical relevance

Testicular torsion is a surgical emergency. Testicular cancer is the most common solid cancer in men aged about 15 to 35.

Structures next to the testis

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

References

  1. Foundational Model of Anatomy: Testis (FMA7212). 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.