Epididymis

Epididymis
A structure within the scrotum attached to the backside of the testis. The epididymis is a coiled segment of the spermatic ducts that serves to store, mature and transport spermatozoa between the testis and the vas (the vas deferens).
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An elongated structure connected to the posterior surface of the testis, consisting of the head, body, and tail, which turns sharply upon itself to become the ductus deferens; the main component is the very convoluted duct of the e. which in the tail and the beginning of the ductus deferens is a reservoir for spermatozoa. The e. transports, stores, and matures spermatozoa between testis and ductus deferens (vas deferens). SYN: parorchis. [Mod. L. fr. G. e., fr. epi, on, + didymos, twin, in pl. testes]
- caput e. SYN: head of e..
- cauda e. SYN: tail of e..
- corpus e. body of e..

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ep·i·did·y·mis .ep-ə-'did-ə-məs n, pl -mi·des -mə-.dēz a system of ductules that emerges posteriorly from the testis, holds sperm during maturation, and forms a tangled mass before uniting into a single coiled duct which comprises the highly convoluted body and tail of the system and is continuous with the vas deferens see VASA EFFERENTIA
ep·i·did·y·mal -məl adj

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n. (pl. epididymides)
a highly convoluted tube, about seven metres long, that connects the testis to the vas deferens. The spermatozoa are moved passively along the tube over a period of several days, during which time they mature and become capable of fertilization. They are concentrated and stored in the lower part of the epididymis until ejaculation.
epididymal adj.

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ep·i·did·y·mis (ep″ĭ-didґə-mis) pl. epididyґmides [Gr., from epi- + didymos testis] [TA] the elongated cordlike structure along the posterior border of the testis, whose elongated coiled duct provides for storage, transit, and maturation of spermatozoa and is continuous with the ductus deferens. It consists of a head (caput epididymidis), body (corpus epididymidis), and tail (cauda epididymidis). Called also parorchis. epididymal adj

Epididymis in a cross section of the testis, showing its division into head, body, and tail.


Medical dictionary. 2011.

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Epididymis — 1: Epididymis 2: Head of epididymis 3: Lobules of epididymis 4: Body of epididymis 5: Tail of epididymis 6: Duct of epididymis 7: Deferent duct (ductus deferens or vas deferens) …   Wikipedia

  • epididymis — c.1600, fleshy mass at the back of the testicles (jocularly called a taint), Mod.L., lit. that which is on the testicles, from Gk. epididymis, a word probably coined by Greek anatomist Herophilus (c.300 B.C.E.) from epi on (see EPI (Cf. epi )) +… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Epididymis — Ep i*did y*mis, n. [NL., fr. Gr. ?; epi upon + ? testicle.] (Anat.) An oblong vermiform mass on the dorsal side of the testicle, composed of numerous convolutions of the excretory duct of that organ. {Ep i*did y*mal}, a. [1913 Webster] || …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Epididymis — (gr.), Nebenhode, s.u. Genitalien. Epididymītis, deren Entzündung …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Epididymis — (griech.), der Nebenhoden; Epididymitis, Entzündung des Nebenhodens …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Epididymis — Epididymis, griech., Nebenhode …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • Epididymis — ⇒ Nebenhoden …   Deutsch wörterbuch der biologie

  • epididymis — [ep΄ə did′i mis] n. pl. epididymides [ep΄ədi dim′i dēz΄] [ModL < Gr < epi , upon + didymoi, testicles, orig. pl. of didymos, double, redupl. of duo, TWO] a long, oval shaped structure attached to the rear upper surface of each testicle,… …   English World dictionary

  • Epididymis — Hoden und Nebenhoden: 2 Nebenhodenkopf    (Caput epididymidis) 4 Nebenhodenkörper    (Corpus epididymidis) 5 Nebenhodenschwanz    (Cauda epididymidis) …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • epididymis — Convoluted tubule connecting the vas efferens, that comes from the seminiferous tubules of the mammalian testis, to the vas deferens. Maturation and storage of sperm occur in the epididymis …   Dictionary of molecular biology

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