Epididymis - wikipedia Epididymis Epididymis Adult human testicle with epididymis : A. Head of epididymis, B. Body of epididymis, C. Tail of epididymis, and D. Vas deferens The right testis, exposed by laying open the tunica vaginalis. Details Precursor Wolffian duct Vein Pampiniform plexus Identifiers Latin Epididymis MeSH D004822 Anatomical terminology ( edit on Wikidata ) The epididymis ( / ɛpɪˈdɪdɪmɪs / ; plural : epididymides / ɛpɪdɪˈdɪmədiːz / or / ɛpɪˈdɪdəmɪdiːz / ) is a tube that connects a testicle to a vas deferens in the male reproductive system. It is present in all male reptiles, birds, and mammals. It is a single, narrow, tightly - coiled tube ( in adult humans, six to seven meters in length ) connecting the efferent ducts from the rear of each testicle to its vas deferens. Contents 1 Structure 1.1 Histology 1.1. 1 Stereocilia 1.2 Development 2 Function 2.1 Role in storage of sperm and ejaculant 3 Clinical significance 3.1 Inflammation 3.2 Surgical removal 4 Gallery 5 See also 6 Notes 7 External links Structure The epididymis can be divided into three main regions : The head ( Latin : Caput ). The head of the epididymis receives spermatozoa via the efferent ducts of the mediastinium of the testis. It is characterized histologically by a thick epithelium with long stereocilia ( described below ) and a little smooth muscle. It is involved in absorbing fluid to make the sperm more concentrated. The concentration of the sperm here is dilute. The body ( Latin : Corpus ). This has an intermediate epithelium and smooth muscle thickness. The tail ( Latin : Cauda ). This has the thinnest epithelium of the three regions and the greatest quantity of smooth muscle. In reptiles, there is an additional canal between the testis and the head of the epididymis and which receives the various efferent ducts. This is, however, absent in all birds and mammals. Histology The epididymis is covered by a two layered pseudostratified epithelium. The epithelium is separated by a basement membrane from the connective tissue wall which has smooth muscle cells. The major cell types in the epithelium are : Main cells : columnar cells that, with the basal cells, form the majority of the epithelium. These cells extend from the lumen to the basal lamina, They also have non-motile stereocilia, which are long and branching in the head region and shorter in the tail region. They also secrete carnitine, sialic acid, glycoproteins, and glycerylphosphorylcholine into the lumen. Basal cells : shorter, pyramid - shaped cells which contact the basal lamina but taper off before their apical surfaces reach the lumen. These are thought to be undifferentiated precursors of principal cells. Apical cells : predominantly found in the head region Clear cells : predominant in the tail region Intraepithelial lymphocytes : distributed throughout the tissue. Intraepithelial macrophages Stereocilia The stereocilia of the epididymis are long cytoplasmic projections that have no motility and which aid in absorption. These numerous apical modifications are often referred to as `` stereocilia '', as under the light microscope they look like cilia or the stereocilia of the inner ear. However, as electron microscopy has revealed them to be structurally and functionally more similar to the long, absorptive microvilli of other epithelia, some now refer to them as stereovilli. These membrane extensions increase the surface area of the cell, allowing for greater absorption and secretion. The stereocilia in the epididymis are shaped by an internal actin network with no microtubule structure, and unlike true cilia are non-motile. Because sperm are initially non-motile as they leave the seminiferous tubules, large volumes of fluid are secreted to propel them to the epididymis. The core function of the stereocilia is to resorb 90 % of this fluid as the spermatozoa start to become motile. This absorption creates a fluid current that moves the immobile sperm from the seminiferous tubules to the epididymis. Spermatozoa do not reach full motility until they reach the vagina, where the alkaline pH is neutralized by acidic vaginal fluids. Development In the embryo, the epididymis develops from tissue that once formed the mesonephros, a primitive kidney found in many aquatic vertebrates. Persistence of the cranial end of the mesonephric duct will leave behind a remnant called the appendix of the epididymis. In addition, some mesonephric tubules can persist as the paradidymis, a small body caudal to the efferent ductules. A Gartner 's duct is a homologous remnant in the female. Function Role in storage of sperm and ejaculant Spermatozoa formed in the testis enter the caput epididymis, progress to the corpus, and finally reach the cauda region, where they are stored. Sperm entering the caput epididymis are incomplete -- they lack the ability to swim forward ( motility ) and to fertilize an egg. Epididymal transit takes 2 - 3 days in humans ( longer in other species ), but the sperm can be stored in the cauda for 2 -- 3 days. During their transit in the epididymis, sperm undergo maturation processes necessary for them to acquire motility and fertility. Final maturation ( capacitation ) is completed in the female reproductive tract (. The epididymis secretes an intraluminal environment that suppresses sperm motility until ejaculation. During ejaculation, sperm flow from the cauda epididymis ( which functions as a storage reservoir ) into the vas deferens where they are propelled by the peristaltic action of muscle layers in the wall of the vas deferens, and are mixed with the diluting fluids of the prostate, seminal vesicles, and other accessory glands prior to ejaculation ( forming semen ). Clinical significance Inflammation An inflammation of the epididymis is called epididymitis. It is much more common than testicular inflammation, termed orchitis. Surgical removal Epididymotomy is the placing of an incision into the epididymis and is sometimes considered as a treatment option for acute suppurating epididymitis. Epididymectomy is the surgical removal of the epididymis sometimes performed for post-vasectomy pain syndrome and for refractory cases of epididymitis. Gallery Human Male reproductive system. Testis Schematic drawing of a cross-section through a testicle. Micrograph of an epididymis. H&E stain. Microscopic shot. Epididymis deep dissection. See also This article uses anatomical terminology ; for an overview, see Anatomical terminology. Epididymal hypertension Notes Jump up ^ Kim, Howard H. ; Goldstein, Marc ( 2010 ). `` Chapter 53 : Anatomy of the epididymis, vas deferens, and seminal vesicle ''. In Graham, Sam D. ; Keane, Thomas E. ; Glenn, James F. Glenn 's urological surgery ( 7th ed. ). Philadelphia : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 356. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7817 - 9141 - 0. ^ Jump up to : Bacha, William ; Bacha, Linda ( 2012 ). Color Atlas of Veterinary Histology. Wiley - Blackwell. p. 226. ISBN 0470958510. Jump up ^ Romer, Alfred Sherwood ; Parsons, Thomas S. ( 1977 ). The Vertebrate Body. Philadelphia, PA : Holt - Saunders International. pp. 394 -- 395. ISBN 0 - 03 - 910284 - X. ^ Jump up to : Kierszenbaum, Abraham L. ( 2002 ). Histology and cell biology : an introduction to pathology. St. Louis : Mosby. p. 556. ISBN 0 - 323 - 01639 - 1. Jump up ^ Da Silva N, Cortez - Retamozo V, Reinecker HC, et al. ( May 2011 ). `` A dense network of dendritic cells populates the murine epididymis ''. Reproduction. 141 ( 5 ) : 653 -- 63. doi : 10.1530 / REP - 10 - 0493. PMC 3657760. PMID 21310816. Jump up ^ Shum WW, Smith TB, Cortez - Retamozo V, et al. ( May 2014 ). `` Epithelial basal cells are distinct from dendritic cells and macrophages in the mouse epididymis ''. Biology of Reproduction. 90 ( 5 ) : 90. doi : 10.1095 / biolreprod. 113.116681. PMC 4076373. PMID 24648397. Jump up ^ Ross, Michael H. ; Pawlina, Wojciech ( 2011 ). Histology : A Text and Atlas. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. pp. 110 -- 112. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7817 - 7200 - 6. Jump up ^ How sperm are re-absorbed into the body. vasectomy-information.com Jump up ^ Efferent Ducts and Epididymis. umdnj.edu Jump up ^ Jones RC ( April 1999 ). `` To store or mature spermatozoa ? The primary role of the epididymis ''. International Journal of Andrology. 22 ( 2 ) : 57 -- 67. doi : 10.1046 / j. 1365 - 2605.1999. 00151. x. PMID 10194636. External links Look up epididymis in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Histology image : 16903loa -- Histology Learning System at Boston University inguinalregion at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman ( Georgetown University ) ( testes ) Male reproductive system Internal Seminal tract Testes layers Tunica vaginalis Tunica albuginea Tunica vasculosa Appendix Mediastinum Lobules Septa Leydig cell Sertoli cell Blood -- testis barrier Spermatogenesis Spermatogonium Spermatocytogenesis Spermatocyte Spermatidogenesis Spermatid Spermiogenesis Spermatozoon Other Seminiferous tubules Tubuli seminiferi recti Rete testis Efferent ducts Epididymis Appendix Stereocilia Paradidymis Spermatic cord Vas deferens Ampulla Ejaculatory duct Accessory glands Seminal vesicles excretory duct Prostate Urethral crest Seminal colliculus Prostatic utricle Ejaculatory duct Prostatic sinus Prostatic ducts Bulbourethral glands External Penis root Crus Bulb Fundiform ligament Suspensory ligament body Corpus cavernosum Corpus spongiosum glans Foreskin Frenulum Corona fascia superficial deep Tunica albuginea Septum of the penis Urinary tract Internal urethral orifice Urethra Prostatic Intermediate Spongy Navicular fossa External urethral orifice Lacunae of Morgagni Urethral gland Scrotum layers skin Dartos External spermatic fascia Cremaster Cremasteric fascia Internal spermatic fascia Perineal raphe Scrotal septum Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Epididymis&oldid=853425310 '' Categories : Mammal male reproductive system Scrotum Hidden categories : Pages with unresolved properties All articles lacking reliable references Articles lacking reliable references from August 2014 Articles containing Latin - language text All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from September 2016 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Azərbaycanca Беларуская Български Bosanski Català Čeština Cymraeg Deutsch ދިވެހިބަސް Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Galego 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Italiano עברית Latina Lietuvių Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Plattdüütsch Polski Português Română Русский Scots Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina کوردی Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog தமிழ் Українська 中文 37 more Edit links This page was last edited on 4 August 2018, at 18 : 13 ( UTC ). About Wikipedia

Question: where are sperms cells sent after they leave the epididymis
Answer: vas deferens