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A Day in the Life of the Epididymis

The epididymis is an 18-foot long, tightly coiled, almost microscopic, sperm-filled tubule that could fit into a pen cap. It sits on top of, and wraps behind, the testicle. Sperm pass from the testicle into the epididymis and, over about 12 days, get rubbed, shined and gassed up for the big day.

At the end of this trip, sperm are ready to fly, prepared to meet an egg, anywhere, anytime. However, until ejaculation occurs, some 200 million sperm are kept in check within the epididymis just waiting to be set free...

Sounds funny, but passage of sperm through the epididymis is a lot like going through puberty. A lot of serious functionality is acquired during this time that…

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 The Epididymis

Spermatozoa in the unobstructed testis are not motile and are incapable of fertilizing ova. Spermatozoa become functional gametes only after they migrate through the epididymis and undergo an additional maturation process, thereby acquiring the capacities for both progressive motility and fertility.

Articles of Interest

Conversations Between the Testis and the Epididymis (The Testis Does All the Talking)

Certainly the testis talks to the epididymis via androgens since they play an important role in this whole process. However, we suspect that the testis can also talk to the epididymis via luminal fluid factors originating from the testis during development of the epididymis.

Disorders Of Epididymis

Anatomically, it is a coiled tube like structure that is closely linked to testes and is responsible for carrying and storing sperms. Any injury, infection or inflammatory lesion of epididymis should be treated with great concern as poorly managed cases may permanently affect male fertility.

Epididymal Cyst

There are several dozen tubules which connect the testis to the epididymis. One of these tubules may become blocked. When that occurs, a cyst forms in the epididymis. The cyst usually contains clear fluid. This is called an "epididymal cyst". When the cyst contains a few sperm cells, this is called a "spermatocele". These epididymal cysts and spermatoceles are benign, which means they are not cancerous. They do not interfere with sexual function. They do not have any impact on a man’s erectile or reproductive ability.

Epididymis

Sperm move from the seminiferous tubules within each testis, through the rete testis and the efferent ductules, to the epididymis, and hence to the vas deferens. Passage through the epididymis contributes to sperm maturation. The columnar epithelial cells lining the epididymis absorb testicular fluid, secrete a variety of factors for sperm cell maturation and maintenance, and remove damaged sperm and residual bodies.

The human epididymis: its function in sperm maturation

Spermatozoa acquire their fertilizing ability and forward motility properties during epididymal transit. Our knowledge of gamete physiology is based on studies conducted in laboratory and domestic species; our knowledge of these processes in humans is limited.

The Immune Characteristics of the Epididymis and the Immune Pathway of the Epididymitis Caused by Different Pathogens

The epididymis is an important male accessory sex organ where sperm motility and fertilization ability develop. When spermatozoa carrying foreign antigens enter the epididymis, the epididymis shows “immune privilege” to tolerate them. It is well-known that a tolerogenic environment exists in the caput epididymis, while pro-inflammatory circumstances prefer the cauda epididymis.

The Role of the Epididymis and the Contribution of Epididymosomes to Mammalian Reproduction

It is well-established that testicular spermatozoa are immature and acquire motility and fertilization capabilities during transit throughout the epididymis. The epididymis is a duct-like organ that connects the testis to the vas deferens and is comprised of four anatomical regions: the initial segment, caput, corpus, and cauda. Sperm maturation occurs during epididymal transit by the interaction of sperm cells with the unique luminal environment of each epididymal region.

The Testes and Epididymis

The testes and epididymis are paired structures, located within the scrotum. The testes are the site of sperm production and hormone synthesis, while the epididymis has a role in the storage of sperm.

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KenHub

The epididymis is an essential component of the male reproductive tract. It is a site of sperm storage and maturation until the time of their discharge to the ductus deferens (vas deferens).

Labster Theory

Although the epididymides are continuous with and in contact with the testis, they are separate organs. The epididymides are elongated structures that lie on the outer surfaces of the testes. The epididymis is the organ that supports sperm maturation and storage.

Radiopaedia

"Epididymis" derives from the Greek έπιδιδυμίς (έπί "upon" + δίδυμος "testis"). Δίδυμοι (meaning "twins") was an older term for both testes and ovaries. Galen originally used the term to refer to what we now call the tunica, and used the term "parastates" ("standing beside") for what we call the epididymis. Herophilos may have been the first to use it in the current sense.

The Human Protein Atlas

The epididymis is a highly coiled, tubular structure that plays an important role in sperm maturation, storage and transport. The epididymal glands are surrounded by concentric layers of fibromuscular tissue rich in smooth muscle cells with blood vessels and nerves in the adjacent supporting stroma. The epididymis is usually divided into three regions: Head, body and tail. What is shown in this section is the head region of the epididymis. The differences between the regions are mostly the thickness of the epithelium and smooth muscle walls.