The tunica albuginea is a dense, blue-white layer of

fibrous tissue Connective tissue is one of the four primary types of animal tissue, a group of cells that are similar in structure, along with epithelial tissue, muscle tissue, and nervous tissue. It develops mostly from the mesenchyme, derived from the mesode ...

surrounding the

testis 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 ...

. It is the middle of three envelopes forming the capsule of the testis; it is deep to the visceral layer of

tunica vaginalis The tunica vaginalis is a pouch of serous membrane within the scrotum that lines the testis and epididymis (visceral layer of tunica vaginalis), and the inner surface of the scrotum (parietal layer of tunica vaginalis). It is the outermost of ...

, and superficial to the tunica vasculosa testis (vascular layer of testis). The connective tissue of the tunica albuginea testis extends into the substance of the testis to form fibrous partitions - the septa testis. At the posterior aspect of the testis (where the serosa of testis is deficient to allow for the attachment of the

epididymis The epididymis (; : epididymides or ) is an elongated tubular genital organ attached to the posterior side of each one of the two male reproductive glands, the testicles. It is a single, narrow, tightly coiled tube in adult humans, in length; ...

), the tunica albuginea extends into the testis to form the

mediastinum testis The mediastinum testis is a thick yet incomplete septum at the posterior part of the testis formed by the tunica albuginea of testis projecting into the testis at its posterior aspect where the testis is not lined by the serous membrane to allow fo ...

Anatomy

It is thicker than the tunica albuginea of the ovary.

Histology

It is composed of bundles of white fibrous

connective tissue Connective tissue is one of the four primary types of animal tissue, a group of cells that are similar in structure, along with epithelial tissue, muscle tissue, and nervous tissue. It develops mostly from the mesenchyme, derived from the mesod ...

(from which it derives its name '' albuginea'') which interlace in every direction.

Additional images

File:Gray1145.png, Transverse section through the left side of the scrotum and the left testis. File:Gray1114.png, Section of a genital cord of the testis of a human embryo 3.5 cm. long. File:Gray1149.png, Vertical section of the

, to show the arrangement of the ducts.

References

External links

* - "Inguinal Region, Scrotum and Testes: The Cross-Section of the Testis" * () Scrotum {{Portal bar, Anatomy