The testicular artery (the male

gonadal artery The term gonadal artery is a generic term for a paired artery, with one arising from the abdominal aorta for each gonad. Specifically, it can refer to: * the testicular artery in males * the ovarian artery in females {{Arteries of abdomen Arte ...

, also called the internal spermatic arteries in older texts) is a branch of the

abdominal aorta In human anatomy, the abdominal aorta is the largest artery in the abdominal cavity. As part of the aorta, it is a direct continuation of the descending aorta (of the thorax). Structure The abdominal aorta begins at the level of the thoracic d ...

that supplies blood to the testis. It is a paired

artery An artery (plural arteries) () is a blood vessel in humans and most animals that takes blood away from the heart to one or more parts of the body (tissues, lungs, brain etc.). Most arteries carry oxygenated blood; the two exceptions are the pul ...

, with one for each of the testes. It is the male equivalent of the

ovarian artery The ovarian artery is an artery that supplies oxygenated blood to the ovary in females. It arises from the abdominal aorta below the renal artery. It can be found within the suspensory ligament of the ovary, anterior to the ovarian vein and ureter ...

. Because the testis is found in a different location than that of its female equivalent, it has a different course than the ovarian artery. They are two slender vessels of considerable length, and arise from the front of the aorta a little below the

renal arteries The renal arteries are paired arteries that supply the kidneys with blood. Each is directed across the crus of the diaphragm, so as to form nearly a right angle. The renal arteries carry a large portion of total blood flow to the kidneys. Up to a ...

. Each passes obliquely downward and lateralward behind the

peritoneum The peritoneum is the serous membrane forming the lining of the abdominal cavity or coelom in amniotes and some invertebrates, such as annelids. It covers most of the intra-abdominal (or coelomic) organs, and is composed of a layer of mesoth ...

, resting on the

Psoas major The psoas major ( or ; from grc, ψόᾱ, psóā, muscles of the loins) is a long fusiform muscle located in the lateral lumbar region between the vertebral column and the brim of the lesser pelvis. It joins the iliacus muscle to form the iliop ...

, the right lying in front of the inferior vena cava and behind the middle colic and

ileocolic In many Animalia, including humans, an ileocolic structure or problem is something that concerns the region of the gastrointestinal tract from the ileum to the colon. In Animalia that have ceca, the ileocecal region is a subset of the ileocolic r ...

arteries and the terminal part of the ileum, the left behind the

left colic The left colic artery is a branch of the inferior mesenteric artery distributed to the descending colon, and left part of the transverse colon. It ends by dividing into an ascending branch and a descending branch; the terminal branches of the two ...

and

sigmoid arteries The sigmoid arteries are 2-5 branches of the inferior mesenteric artery that are distributed to the distal descending colon and the sigmoid colon. Anatomy Course and relations The sigmoid arteries course obliquely inferior-ward and to the lef ...

and the

iliac colon The iliac colon is the portion of the descending colon which is situated within the left iliac fossa (between the crest of the left ilium, and the pelvic brim). It is about 12 to 15 cm long. It curves inferior-ward and medial-ward anterior ...

. Each crosses obliquely over the ureter and the lower part of the external iliac artery to reach the abdominal inguinal ring, through which it passes, and accompanies the other constituents of the spermatic cord along the inguinal canal to the

scrotum The scrotum or scrotal sac is an anatomical male reproductive structure located at the base of the penis that consists of a suspended dual-chambered sac of skin and smooth muscle. It is present in most terrestrial male mammals. The scrotum cont ...

, where it becomes tortuous, and divides into several branches. Two or three of these accompany the

ductus deferens The vas deferens or ductus deferens is part of the male reproductive system of many vertebrates. The ducts transport sperm from the epididymis to the ejaculatory ducts in anticipation of ejaculation. The vas deferens is a partially coiled tube w ...

, and supply the

epididymis The epididymis (; plural: epididymides or ) is a tube that connects a testicle to a vas deferens in the male reproductive system. It is a single, narrow, tightly-coiled tube in adult humans, in length. It serves as an interconnection between the ...

, anastomosing with the artery of the ductus deferens; others pierce the back part of the tunica albuginea, and supply the substance of the testis. The internal spermatic artery supplies one or two small branches to the ureter, and in the inguinal canal gives one or two twigs to the Cremaster.

Additional images

File:Spermatic vessels.jpg, Spermatic vessels File:Testicular artery (bull).jpg, Testicular artery of a bull (steer). File:Gray585.png, The veins of the right half of the male pelvis. File:Gray590.png, Spermatic veins. File:Gray1120.png, The relations of the viscera and large vessels of the abdomen (posterior view). File:Gray1145.png, Transverse section through the left side of the scrotum and the left testis. File:Testis, spermatic vessels and vas deferens.jpg, Testis, spermatic vessels and vas deferens File:Slide6jj.JPG, Testicular artery and vein

References

External links

* - "Layers of the Spermatic Cord" * () {{Authority control Arteries of the abdomen

Art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

Additional images

See also

References

External links