Spermatic cord

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The spermatic cord is a tubular structure present in males, which forms a conduit between the abdominal cavity and testis. It houses the ductus deferens and a collection of blood vessels, including the testicular artery and vein as well as the pampiniform plexus, and nerves which run to and from the testis.

The spermatic cord is lined with pseudostratified columnar epithelium with sterocilia. It resembles the epithelium of the epididymis, but the cells are not as tall. The columnar cells usually elongated nuclei in contrast to the spherical nuclei of the basal cells.

The ductus deferens is characterized by a thickened muscular coat of 3 layers (inner longitudinal, outer longitudinal, middle circular layer). Between the epithelium and the inner longitudinal smooth muscle layer, a moderately thick cellular layer of loose connective tissue, the lamina propria, can be found. There is no submucosa present here.

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