01 / Location & anatomical relationships
Usually inside the scrotum, outside the main body cavity.
02 / Structure & organization
Seminiferous tubules contain developing germ cells supported by Sertoli cells. Leydig cells in the interstitial tissue produce testosterone. Sperm pass onward through connecting ducts toward the epididymis for further maturation.
03 / Function
From puberty onward, they make sperm and produce hormones including testosterone.
04 / Mechanism
After puberty, tiny coiled tubes produce sperm cells. Other cells produce testosterone, which influences development and several body functions. The surrounding scrotum helps regulate the temperature for these organs.
Working together: endocrine system
Hormones travel in the blood to their target cells. Different hormones help guide growth, energy use and changes during puberty.
Meet this body system →Working together: reproductive system
Bodies develop in different ways. During puberty, hormones help reproductive organs mature. A pregnancy can begin when a sperm cell fertilizes an egg cell, and development continues in the uterus.
Meet this body system →FOR DEEPER STUDY
Connect structure with function
Sperm production and hormone secretion occur in different cell populations. Testicular activity is regulated through pituitary gonadotropins and feedback within the reproductive endocrine axis.
Check your understanding
Locate the testes in relation to its neighbors. Explain how the structural features described above support its function, then distinguish it from a nearby structure with a different role.
Keep learning
Continue with OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology for system-level study. This atlas is educational and has not undergone independent medical peer review.