The term paradidymis (organ of Giraldés
) is applied to a small collection of convoluted tubules, situated in front of the lower part of the
spermatic cord
The spermatic cord is the cord-like structure in males formed by the vas deferens (''ductus deferens'') and surrounding tissue that runs from the deep inguinal ring down to each testicle. Its serosal covering, the tunica vaginalis, is an exten ...
, above the head of the
epididymis.
These tubes are lined with
columnar ciliated epithelium, and probably represent the remains of a part of the
Wolffian body
The mesonephros ( el, middle kidney) is one of three excretory organs that develop in vertebrates. It serves as the main excretory organ of aquatic vertebrates and as a temporary kidney in reptiles, birds, and mammals. The mesonephros is included ...
, like the
epididymis, but are functionless and vestigial. The Wolffian body operates as a kidney (
mesonephros
The mesonephros ( el, middle kidney) is one of three excretory organs that develop in vertebrates. It serves as the main excretory organ of aquatic vertebrates and as a temporary kidney in reptiles, birds, and mammals. The mesonephros is included ...
) in fishes and amphibians, but the corresponding tissue is co-opted to form parts of the male reproductive system in other classes of vertebrate. The paradidymis represents a remnant of an unused, atrophied part of the Wolffian body.
References
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