Organ

SCROTUM

It is thin external sac of skin lined with muscle from inside and it contains testicles inside. It has two compartments each contains one of the two testicles. It is continuous with the lower abdomen and situated behind the penis and in front of the anus. It is placed between the thighs and the skin of the sac is wrinkled. The thigh muscles can protect it from any external blow. But sometimes thigh muscles itself can give a blow under some violent conditions of extreme movements.

Published December 22, 2021

Functions:

The function of the scrotum is to protect testes, and to keep them at a temperature 1-8 degrees below the normal body temperature of 98.6 degree F. It contracts from cold, exercise or sexual stimulation and expands and relaxes when warm. When contracted it conserves heat.

Diseases:

Orchitis is the inflammatory disease condition where swelling, tenderness and heaviness is felt in the scrotal area. Skin infections may transfer from penis to scrotum. Herpes may affect scrotal area, inguinal hernia, varicocele, penis infection may affect penis. Failure of scrotum to lower the temperature of testes may cause sterility.

Interesting Facts:

Females are born with all the eggs they will ever have. Males do not start to make sperm until puberty and continue to make new supplies their whole life. The testis is kept separate from the rest of the body by something called the blood testis barrier. This stops the immune system from seeing the testes, because it would see the sperm cells as foreign and attempt to destroy them.