The human body has a rather complex structure, especially with regard to the reproductive system. What function does the testicle perform in men, and what are the diseases of these organs dangerous?
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What is a testicle in men
Many people will probably be interested in the question: what is this “testicle”?
The term "testicle" (from lat. Testiculus - testicle) refers to the male testicles - an important part of the reproductive system of the stronger sex.
Did you know? In ancient times, the presence of both testicles in a man was considered a kind of symbol of masculinity. Moreover, these organs were considered literally sacred to the stronger sex - swearing to tell the truth exclusively, the man touched his testicles.
Anatomy, structure and functions of the male glands
The testicles are placed in the cavity of the scrotum, while they are isolated from each other and covered with special membranes, including the seminal canals, up to 75 cm long. Sperm maturation occurs here, which then pass into the appendages and are secreted by ejaculation.
It is interesting! The total length of the seminiferous tubules can be 500 m.
The cords move smoothly into the vas deferens (testis or, as it is also called, the gonad). Connected with the bladder, the testis crosses the prostate and expands closer to the channel for urination.
Note! Seed channels occupy about 70% of the total volume of testicles. The remaining 30% is occupied by interstitial tissue, consisting of capillaries in the connective tissue.
The body supplies the testicles with blood, which allows you to maintain a suitable temperature. Characteristically, the temperature of the male testicles is slightly lower than the temperature of the rest of the body (by 1.5 degrees). On the surface of the scrotum, where the skin is very thin, these figures are even lower (almost 3 degrees).
The testes perform 2 main functions. Firstly, they carry out the process of spermatogenesis (sperm maturation). Sex hormones of men responsible for the development of primary and secondary sexual characteristics are also formed here.
Genital diseases and disorders
Paired male sex glands, also called testicles, can be susceptible to a number of diseases. This, in turn, can complicate the intimate life of a man and the state of his health in general. The most common problems in the male reproductive system are feminization syndrome, genital atrophy, and testicular cancer.
Feminization syndrome
Testicular feminization syndrome is called congenital pathology in men. For this disease, loss of sensitivity to male hormones - androgens is typical. A man looks like a woman, although in fact he is a representative of the stronger sex.
With moderate insensitivity, outwardly, the boy is no different from peers, but only until puberty. After that, he may encounter a lack of sperm and, as a result, infertility.
Severe feminization syndrome is diagnosed in newborn boys with the so-called "false male hermaphroditism." In this case, the child has testes, and testosterone levels are normal. But the remaining external genitalia are formed according to the female type. An adult patient develops secondary female sexual characteristics (the figure is formed according to the female type, the mammary glands are enlarged, etc.).
Genital Atrophy
Testicular atrophy is a disease manifested in a decrease in the external genitalia of the male organs. Their small sizes cause disturbances in the process of spermatogenesis and further reproduction functions.
Note! Congenital malformations of the male reproductive system are not atrophy. A similar diagnosis takes place exclusively in a situation of a degenerative process that occurs on an initially properly developing organ.
The basic causes of the development of atrophy of the gonads include:
- Disturbed blood flow in the testicle area. Often occurs with atherosclerotic vascular lesion, which complicates the normal neuroregulation of the reaction of the male genital organs.
- Genital surgery and injuries.
- Inflammatory testicular diseases. Inflammation provokes not only a deterioration in nerve conduction, but also complicates capillary blood flow.
Often, problems with the vessels provoke the occurrence of hydrocele (dropsy of the testicle) and varicocele of the testicles. Often, these pathologies occur against the background of other past diseases and are complicated by the subsequent occurrence of testicular atrophy.
Testicular cancer
Cancer of testicles is called a malignant tumor that develops in the tissues of the testis. The main risk group for the disease are men aged 20-40 years. The likelihood of pathology increases in representatives of the stronger sex, in whom cryptorchidism, undescended testis, was diagnosed in childhood.
Note! Testicular cancer is a rare occurrence and accounts for 3 cases out of 100,000.
Like other oncological diseases, testicular cancer is distributed at the stage of:
- 1st stage. It is characterized by the absence of metastases;
- 2 stage. It affects the retroperitoneal lymph nodes;
- 3 stage. Damage to the lymph nodes and tracking of metastases in other organs (lungs, liver, brain) are observed.
1 and 2 stages of the disease, depending on the characteristics of the course, can be treated with chemo and radiation therapy. The most dangerous is the last stage of the disease, when the disease affects other organs.The prognosis of the disease largely depends on the speed of treatment initiated.
Changes during sperm maturation
For the maturation, growth of sperm and gaining their ability to fertilize male cells, a certain time is required.
The scrotum with the testicles inside it is localized outside the rest of the body. It is for this reason that male cells form at a temperature that is lower than in the peritoneum. Changes in the required temperature can reduce the reproductive abilities of men and reduce the number of produced germ cells.
The testicles can be compared without any exaggeration with a kind of conveyor: male genitals work without stopping. By the time when a part of the produced cells is already coming off the conveyor belt, the next batch of cells is approaching, and another batch is just beginning to emerge. For each stage of development of male cells, a certain rhythm, speed of movement is characteristic. All these subtleties are thought out by nature itself, and a person cannot accelerate or slow down anything. The formation of complete sperm takes about 72 days.
Interestingly, at the end of the formation, not all cells have an ideal shape. So, some sperm may lack a flagellum, others become owners of an underdeveloped head, and still others are completely deformed. Given the number of reproducible cells, such deviations are considered quite normal and by no means reduce the reproductive abilities of men. Being inside the male testes, sperm cells are somewhat limited in movement.
The effect on the body of removing testicles
For a number of reasons, most often subsequently transferred diseases, a man is recommended to remove one sometimes and both testicles. How will this procedure affect the health status, including reproductive, of the stronger sex?
After removal of the testicles, the erection of the man gradually weakens. Even if the removal was performed after puberty, after a few years, sexual function will inevitably disappear. It is the testicles that are responsible for the production of the lion's share of testosterone. An inertia-free body will be excited by inertia only for some time. In other words, the man will desire intimacy, but the erection mechanism will not be triggered, although it is proved that almost half of the centers of excitation are in the spinal cord and brain. Also, in men with removed testicles, a gradual decrease (regression) of the penis may occur.
Testicles play an important role in the functioning of the reproductive system of the body. Without exaggeration, this part of the body can be called manhood. Testicular pathologies often lead to a loss in the ability to fertilize eggs.
