Male Sex Accessory Ducts - Practice Questions & MCQ

• Rete testis, vasa efferentia, epididymis and vasa deferentia are called the male sex accessory ducts.

Rete testis:

• The seminiferous tubules are closed at one end and are connected to the network of rete testis on the open end. 
• Rete testis is a convoluted labyrinth of cuboidal epithelium.

Vasa efferentia:

• Rete testes gives rise to 10-20 ductules called vasa efferentia or ductuli efferentes.
• They are lined by pseudostratified epithelium which helps in sperm movement.
• Vasa efferentia enters the head of the epididymis.

Epididymis:

• It is a 6m long closely coiled tubule present along the inner side of each testis.
• It is divided into three parts:
  • Upper head or caput epididymis or Globus major — This part is wide and receives vasa efferentia.
  • Corpus epididymis or Globus minor or body – It stores sperms for a short duration, which undergoes maturation. It lies in the lateral side of testes.
  • Cauda epididymis or Globus minor or tail –  Before entering the vas deferens the spermatozoa are stored here. This part lies on the caudal side of the testes and is wide.

Vas deferens and Ejaculatory Duct:

• This is also called as seminal duct. 
• It is around 30 cm long, narrow, muscular and tubular structure which starts from the tail of the epididymis, passes through the inguinal canal, and then over the urinary bladder.
• It then joins the duct of the seminal vesicle to form a 2 cm long ejaculatory duct. 
• Vas deferens carries sperm.