Testicular artery

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Artery: Testicular artery

The abdominal aorta and its branches. (Internal spermatic vesssels labeled at right.)

Vertical section of the testis, to show the arrangement of the ducts. (Internal spermatic artery labeled vertically at center.)
Latin	arteria testicularis
Gray's	subject #154 611
Source	abdominal aorta
Vein	testicular vein
Dorlands/Elsevier	a_62/12159482

The testicular artery (the male gonadal artery, also called the internal spermatic arteries in older texts) is a branch of the abdominal aorta that supplies blood to the testis. It is a paired artery, with one for each of the testes.

It is the male equivalent of the ovarian artery. 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.

Each passes obliquely downward and lateralward behind the peritoneum, resting on the Psoas major, the right spermatic lying in front of the inferior vena cava and behind the middle colic and ileocolic arteries and the terminal part of the ileum, the left behind the left colic and sigmoid arteries and the iliac colon.

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, where it becomes tortuous, and divides into several branches.

Two or three of these accompany the ductus deferens, and supply the epididymis, 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.

[edit] Additional images

Testicular artery of a bull (steer).	The veins of the right half of the male pelvis.	Spermatic veins.	The relations of the viscera and large vessels of the abdomen.
Transverse section through the left side of the scrotum and the left testis.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Dictionary at eMedicine Testicular+artery
SUNY Labs 36:07-0303 - "Layers of the Spermatic Cord"

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.