Category > Gender & Sexuality, Men's Body, Relationship with yourself
The Testicles
The testicles’, also called testes are two oval shaped organs in the male reproductive system and are contained in a sac (pouch) of skin called the scrotum. The scrotum hangs outside the body below the penis near the upper thighs. The testes can be the same size, or one can be bigger than the other which is normal.
The testes are responsible for making sperm and producing hormones called androgens. Testosterone is the main androgen which is an important hormone during puberty for developing muscle and bone mass, deepening the voice and growth of body hair. It’s also the hormone responsible for sex drive and fertility (making of sperm).
What makes up the testes?
The Epididymis is a long tube that’s located near each testicle and moves the sperm from the testicles. It’s a tube where sperm matures and connects each testicle to the Vas Deferens before ejaculation.
The Vas Deferens are 2 tubes connected to the Epididymis and where the sperm is stored. They carry the sperm out of the Scrotal Sac when ejaculation happens.
The Seminal Vesicles are sac-like glands located below the bladder. These glands produce the semen that sperm moves in.
The Prostate gland is about the size of a walnut and surrounds the neck of the bladder and urethra (tube that carries urine from the bladder). The gland secretes a slightly alkaline fluid which forms part of the seminal fluid (fluid that carries sperm).
The Urethra is a tube that allows urine to flow outside the body. It’s also the channel for semen to pass during ejaculation
What’s the difference between semen and sperm?
Sperm are the sex cells that are a part of fertilization and semen is the fluid that the sperm move in.
Did you know...?
Sperm have no sense of direction! And most cannot swim in a straight line.
The average ejaculation contains 200 million sperm!
Once ejaculated a sperm cell can live in their partner’s body for up to 2/5 days.
Testicles are sperm factories! Producing approximately 1,500 sperm every second! Which would be 130 million every day!
One hangs lower for a reason. The testicle on the left hangs a little lower than the one on the right due to temperature, allowing the temperature of one testicle to change without affecting the other, clever eh 🙂
Its normal for one to be slightly bigger than the other.
The scrotum is as sexually sensitive as the vulva.
The testicles are 5 ° colder than the rest of the body to preserve the sperm.
The term ‘blue balls’ has nothing to do with them being cold! It’s used to describe when a person gets aroused but doesn’t get any release. When a person gets an erection the blood vessels to the penis and testicles expand to make room for increased blood flow. After an orgasm the blood flow decreases but if there is no orgasm the decrease takes longer which is where the discomfort can come in.
The testicles can also grow in size when getting an erection.
