Cross Section of the Testis

The tunica albuginea is the dense, white, inelastic tissue immediately covering the testis, beneath the visceral layer of the tunica vaginalis. The septa extends from the tunica albuginea into the testicle, dividing the testes into lobules. The posterior surface of the tunica albuginea is reflected into the interior of the gland to form the incomplete septum known as the mediastinum of the testis.

Each lobule is composed of many seminiferous tubules that open, via tubules (tubuli recti), into dilated spaces called the rete testes in the mediastinum. These, in turn, communicate via efferent ductules in the epididymal head.

Testicle and Epididymis, Cross Section