Tunica vaginalis

Information about Tunica vaginalis

The right testis, exposed by laying open the tunica vaginalis. (Tunica vaginalis is labeled at upper right.)
Varieties of oblique inguinal hernia.
Latintunica vaginalis testis
subject #258 1242
PrecursorProcessus vaginalis
Dorlands/Elsevier t_22/12832403


The tunica vaginalis is the serous covering of the testis.

It is a pouch of serous membrane, derived from the saccus vaginalis of the peritoneum, which in the fetus preceded the descent of the testis from the abdomen into the scrotum.

After its descent, that portion of the pouch which extends from the abdominal inguinal ring to near the upper part of the gland becomes obliterated; the lower portion remains as a shut sac, which invests the surface of the testis, and is reflected on to the internal surface of the scrotum; hence it may be described as consisting of a visceral and a parietal lamina.

Visceral lamina

The visceral lamina (lamina visceralis) covers the greater part of the testis and epididymis, connecting the latter to the testis by means of a distinct fold.

From the posterior border of the gland it is reflected on to the internal surface of the scrotum.

Parietal lamina

The parietal lamina (lamina parietalis) is far more extensive than the visceral, extending upward for some distance in front and on the medial side of the cord, and reaching below the testis.

The inner surface of the tunica vaginalis is smooth, and covered by a layer of simple cuboidal endothelial cells.

The interval between the visceral and parietal laminæ constitutes the cavity of the tunica vaginalis.

Additional images


Schematic drawing of a cross-section through the vaginal process.


External links

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 As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated.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.
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Male reproductive system
Scrotumlayers (skin, Dartos, External spermatic fascia, Cremaster, Internal spermatic fascia) • Perineal raphe • Spermatic cord
Testeslayers (Tunica vaginalis, Tunica albuginea) • Appendix • Mediastinum • Lobules • Septa • Leydig cell • Sertoli cell • Blood-testis barrier
SpermatogenesisSpermatogonium • Spermatocytogenesis • Spermatocyte • Spermatidogenesis • Spermatid • Spermiogenesis • Spermatozoon
seminal tractSeminiferous tubules (Tubuli seminiferi recti, Rete testis, Efferent ducts) • Epididymis  (Appendix) • Vas deferens • Ejaculatory duct  Seminal colliculus
urinary tractInternal urethral orifice • Urethra (Prostatic, Intermediate, Spongy) • Urethral crest • Urethral gland • External urethral orifice
PenisCorpus cavernosum • Corpus spongiosum • Navicular fossa of male urethra • Glans penis • Fundiform ligament • Suspensory ligament • Foreskin • Frenulum
accessory glandsSeminal vesicles  (Excretory duct of seminal gland) • Prostate  (Prostatic utricle, Prostatic sinus) • Bulbourethral glands
The testicle (from Latin testis, meaning "witness",[1] plural testes) or ballock is the male generative gland in animals. This article will concentrate on mammalian testicles unless otherwise noted.
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Inguinal hernia
Classification & external resources

Diagram of an indirect, scrotal inguinal hernia ( median view from the left).
ICD-10 K 40.
ICD-9 550

DiseasesDB 6806
MedlinePlus 000960
eMedicine med/2703   emerg/251 ped/2559


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Latin}}} 
Official status
Official language of: Vatican City
Used for official purposes, but not spoken in everyday speech
Regulated by: Opus Fundatum Latinitas
Roman Catholic Church
Language codes
ISO 639-1: la
ISO 639-2: lat
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Embryology is the study of the development of an embryo. An embryo is defined as any vertebrate in a stage before birth or hatching. Embryology refers to the development of the egg cell (zygote) after fertilization and the differentiation of cells into tissues and organs.
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The processus vaginalis (or vaginal process) is an embryonic developmental outpouching of the peritoneum. It precedes the testis in their descent down within the gubernaculum.
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Elsevier, the world's largest publisher of medical and scientific literature, forms part of the Reed Elsevier group. Based in Amsterdam, the company has substantial operations in the UK, USA and elsewhere.
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The testicle (from Latin testis, meaning "witness",[1] plural testes) or ballock is the male generative gland in animals. This article will concentrate on mammalian testicles unless otherwise noted.
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In anatomy, a serous membrane, or serosa, is a smooth membrane consisting of a thin layer of cells which excrete a fluid, known as serous fluid. Serous membranes line and enclose several body cavities, known as serous cavities, where they secrete a lubricating fluid which
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The processus vaginalis (or vaginal process) is an embryonic developmental outpouching of the peritoneum. It precedes the testis in their descent down within the gubernaculum.
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In higher vertebrates, the peritoneum is the serous membrane that forms the lining of the abdominal cavity - it covers most of the intra-abdominal organs. It is composed of a layer of mesothelium supported by a thin layer of connective tissue.
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fetus (or foetus, or fœtus) is a developing mammal or other viviparous vertebrate, after the embryonic stage and before birth. The plural is fetuses (foetuses, fœtuses) or, very rarely, foeti.
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The testicle (from Latin testis, meaning "witness",[1] plural testes) or ballock is the male generative gland in animals. This article will concentrate on mammalian testicles unless otherwise noted.
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To comply with Wikipedia's this section of the article needs a complete rewrite.
Please discuss this issue on the talk page and read the layout guide to make sure the section will be inclusive of all essential details. This article has been tagged since September 2007.
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In some male mammals, the scrotum is a protuberance of skin and muscle containing the testicles. It is an extension of the abdomen, and is located between the penis and anus.
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The abdominal inguinal ring (internal or deep abdominal ring, deep inguinal ring, internal inguinal ring) is the entrance to the inguinal canal. The surface anatomy of the point is disputed, but in a recent study[1]
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The epididymis is part of the human male reproductive system and is present in all male mammals. It is a narrow, tightly-coiled tube connecting the efferent ducts from the rear of each testicle to its vas deferens.
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endothelium is the thin layer of cells that line the interior surface of blood vessels, forming an interface between circulating blood in the lumen and the rest of the vessel wall. Endothelial cells line the entire circulatory system, from the heart to the smallest capillary.
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The processus vaginalis (or vaginal process) is an embryonic developmental outpouching of the peritoneum. It precedes the testis in their descent down within the gubernaculum.
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The State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, better known as SUNY Downstate Medical Center, is an academic medical center and is the only one of its kind in the Borough of Brooklyn in New York City.
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Embryology is the study of the development of an embryo. An embryo is defined as any vertebrate in a stage before birth or hatching. Embryology refers to the development of the egg cell (zygote) after fertilization and the differentiation of cells into tissues and organs.
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University of Lausanne (in French: Université de Lausanne) or UNIL in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of theology, before being made a university in 1890. Today about 10,000 students and 2200 researchers study and work at the university.
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University of Bern is a university in the Swiss capital of Bern. It was founded in 1834. As one of the German-speaking universities in Switzerland its official name is Universität Bern, although it is frequently referred to in the French form, Université de Berne.
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University of Fribourg (French: Université de Fribourg; German: Universität Freiburg) is a university in the city of Fribourg, Switzerland.

It was founded in 1889 by local businessman Georges Python, although the origins of the university can be traced to
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Henry Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (or Gray's Anatomy as it has commonly been shortened) is an English-language human anatomy textbook widely regarded as a classic work on the subject.
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human male reproductive system is a series of organs located outside of the body and around the pelvic region of a male that contribute towards the reproductive process.

The male contributes to reproduction by producing spermatozoa.
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The reproductive system is the ensembles and interactions of organs and/or substances within an organism that strictly pertain to reproduction. As an example, this would include in the case of female mammals, the hormone estrogen, ova, and the uterus and the vagina, and the breasts.
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In some male mammals, the scrotum is a protuberance of skin and muscle containing the testicles. It is an extension of the abdomen, and is located between the penis and anus.
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The dartos is a layer of smooth muscular fiber outside the external spermatic fascia but below the skin.

Gender differences

  • In males it is termed tunica dartos and lies beneath the skin of the scrotum.

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The external spermatic fascia (intercrural or intercolumnar fascia) is a thin membrane, prolonged downward around the surface of the cord and testis. It is separated from the dartos tunic by loose areolar tissue.
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