The tubuli seminiferi recti (also known as the tubuli recti, tubulus rectus, or straight seminiferous tubules) are structures in the

testicle A testicle or testis ( testes) is the gonad in all male bilaterians, including humans, and is Homology (biology), homologous to the ovary in females. Its primary functions are the production of sperm and the secretion of Androgen, androgens, p ...

connecting the convoluted region of the

seminiferous tubules Seminiferous tubules are located within the testicles, and are the specific location of meiosis, and the subsequent creation of male gametes, namely spermatozoa. Structure The epithelium of the tubule consists of a type of sustentacular cells ...

to the

rete testis The rete testis ( ; : retia testes) is an anastomosis, anastomosing network of delicate tubules located in the hilum of the testicle (mediastinum testis) that carries spermatozoon, sperm from the seminiferous tubules to the efferent ducts. It is t ...

, although the tubuli recti have a different appearance distinguishing them from these two structures. They enter the fibrous tissue of the

mediastinum The mediastinum (from ;: mediastina) is the central compartment of the thoracic cavity. Surrounded by loose connective tissue, it is a region that contains vital organs and structures within the thorax, mainly the heart and its vessels, the eso ...

, and pass upward and backward, forming, in their ascent, a close network of anastomosing tubes which are merely channels in the fibrous stroma, lined by flattened

epithelium Epithelium or epithelial tissue is a thin, continuous, protective layer of cells with little extracellular matrix. An example is the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. Epithelial ( mesothelial) tissues line the outer surfaces of man ...

, and having no proper walls; this constitutes the

. Only Sertoli cells line the terminal ends of the seminiferous tubules (tubuli recti).

References

Mammal male reproductive system {{Portal bar, Anatomy