Testes
Balls are to men what purses are to women - Sarah Jessica Parker
image by: Baggy Trousers UK
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Evolution’s Worst Mistake? How About External Testicles?
From an evolutionary standpoint, after all, testicles are the most important thing about a man — without them, he wouldn’t exist at all. And there they are, just sitting out in the open. Exposed. Vulnerable. What kind of design is this?
Of course, there is an explanation. Human sperm cells develop better at a slightly lower temperature than the rest of our body seems to prefer. Humans aren’t alone in this respect: Most male mammals have testicles that migrate through the inguinal canal during gestation or infancy and eventually take up residence outside the abdominal cavity, suspended in a temperature-sensitive adjustable hammock. This allows the sperm cells to develop at the temperature…
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Let's Check Your Nuts
Get up close and personal with our self examination guide and #CHECKYOURNUTS!
When There’s a Problem In the Jewel Sack-Scrotal Pain
Every man has taken one in the jewel box that bends him over in excruciating pain and discomfort. Fortunately, most of the pain goes away in a few minutes. However, the scrotum and its contents are very vulnerable to injury and disease. This blog will describe the most common conditions affecting men “down there”.
A Ballsy Explainer
When did testicles become courageous?
How To: Check Your Balls
As young boys, we were often warned of the mythical dangers of genital exploration. There’s the ever-popular “you’ll go blind” scare tactic or the infamous “hairy palms” defense. But as we grew older, we began to realize that genital examination is not only natural, but it might even save our lives.
Testes 'most distinct human tissue'
The testes have been identified as the most distinct type of human tissue by the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden.
The Deadly Science Behind Testicle Squeezing
Testicle squeezing is no laughing matter — in fact, it has fatal consequences for some people.
It's Time to Get Ballsy
Working alongside TCF, Tommy John is hoping to erase the stigma surrounding the disease. It’s time to get a little “ballsy” and start the conversation that many are too timid to have. Speaking up and educating on the importance of performing a monthly self-exam is crucial in the fight against testicular cancer. #supportyourballs
A Man’s Testicle Size May Influence His Enthusiasm for Parenting
Some men may be naturally inclined to go down the long-term investment parenting route, whereas others may lean towards the Johnny Appleseed approach.
About Testes
The primary functions of the testes are to produce sperm (spermatogenesis) and to produce androgens, primarily testosterone. Both functions of the testicle are influenced by gonadotropic hormones produced by the anterior pituitary. Luteinizing hormone (LH) results in testosterone release. The presence of both testosterone and follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH) is needed to support spermatogenesis. Testosterone also controls testicular volume.
Beyond Testicles and Dads: 5 Legit Studies of Male "Gear"
Researchers have often examined male genitalia, from ducks to dudes.
Brain and testis: more alike than previously thought?
When human brain and testis, two apparently distinct tissues with very different functions, were compared, several similarities, spanning from molecular to cellular levels of organization, became evident.
Fantastically Wrong: Why People Used to Think Beavers Bit Off Their Own Testicles
It turns out what our ancients had confused for testicles were in fact small external bumps that connect to internal castor sacs, which produce the oily castoreum that hunters so prized.
Five Ways to Talk About Testicular Health, From a Testicular Cancer Survivor
Directly connecting to my (or your) own personal experiences with testicular cancer can be much more powerful than a more socially acceptable but less helpful reference. Yes, this approach is blunt (I don’t think anyone would ever accuse me of subtlety), but it helps get those conversations out there, which is what we really need.
Getting to know your testicles
The best time to feel your testes is after a bath or shower when you are relaxed. Hold each testicle (testis) in turn in the palm of a hand, and use your finger and thumb gently to feel the testes and nearby structures. Most abnormalities are not cancer. For example: collections of fluid, infections, and harmless cysts are common and treatable. Testicular cancer usually starts as a small, hard, painless lump on one testis, which you can feel away from the normal soft lump of the epididymis.
Grab Those Gonads
Don't let cancer mess with your testis!
Human Anatomy:The Testes
Although this location of the testes, outside the abdominal cavity, may seem to make them vulnerable to injury, it provides a temperature about 3° C below normal body temperature. This lower temperature is necessary for the production of viable sperm.
I chose my own testicles
After seeing an ad in my local chemist's referring to the risks of undescended testes, I decided it was time I visited the doctor. My left testis had never fully dropped and I had lived, rather self-consciously, with this lopsidedness since puberty;
No, you can’t taste anything with your testicles
We don’t know that much about exactly what all of these taste receptors do yet, whether they’re on your tongue or your testicles. Mutations in some of them have given us hints that, for instance, they might help detect dangerous chemicals in your food or in the air.
Scientists discover how to 3D print testicular cells
Scientists have 3D printed human testicular cells and identified promising early signs of sperm-producing capabilities. The researchers hope the technique will one day offer a solution for people living with presently untreatable forms of male infertility.
Testicles Are the Best Measure of Fatherhood
A new study from the good people at Emory has found that a man's testicle size can determine what kind of father he can be—fathers who have a smaller set down below tend to be more active fathers in their children's lives. Nuts, right?
Testicles May Provide Alternative Source for Stem Cells
First came evidence that stem cells could be not only harvested from embryos, but also "reprogrammed" from adult cells. Now, research suggests that stem cells can be collected from men's testicles, which may mute the ethical debate about their scientific use, the AP reports.
Testicles: Facts, Function & Diseases
The testicles are the male gonads — the primary male reproductive organs. They have two, very important functions that are very important to the male reproductive system: they produce gametes, or sperm, and they secrete hormones, primarily testosterone.
Testicular Disorders
Testicles, or testes, make male hormones and sperm. They are two egg-shaped organs inside the scrotum, the loose sac of skin behind the penis. It's easy to injure your testicles because they are not protected by bones or muscles. Men and boys should wear athletic supporters when they play sports. You should examine your testicles monthly and seek medical attention for lumps, redness, pain or other changes. Testicles can get inflamed or infected. They can also develop cancer. Testicular cancer is rare and highly treatable. It usually happens between the ages of 15 and 40.
The Most Common Causes of Testicle Pain
Men of any age can experience pain in their testicles. It can strike one testicle or both and feel sudden and sharp or dull and achy. The pain isn’t always coming from your testicles. It may be related to your abdomen, groin, or another organ and radiate to your testes — kidney stone pain, for example. Pain can also be located in the coiled tube and supporting tissue behind the testicle known as the epididymis. But testicular pain is, well, super painful because the testicles have many sensitive nerves.
The Scrotum Is Nuts
Why are testicles kept in a vulnerable dangling sac? It’s not why you think.
What Lies Beneath: Real Men Share True Tales of Blue Balls
We asked men to re-live their most traumatic, painful, and weirdly touching experiences with blue balls so we could determine whether it's real, imaginary, or going to send our boyfriends to the hospital.
Why did humans evolve big penises but small testicles?
Humans have a much longer and wider penis than the other great apes. Even the largest of gorillas, more than twice as heavy as a human, will have a penis just two and half inches long when erect. However our testicles are rather small. A chimpanzee’s testes weigh more than a third of its brain while ours weigh in at less than 3%. The relative size of our penis and testes is all down to our mating strategies, and can provide some surprising insights into early human culture.
Why do human testicles hang like that?
In many respects, the activation hypothesis serves to elaborate what many of us already know about descended scrotal testicles: that they serve as a sort of “ cold storage” and production unit for sperm, which keep best at lower body temperatures. But it goes much further than this fact, too.
Why do human testicles hang like that?
It turns out that human testicles display some rather elaborate yet subtle temperature-regulating features that have gone largely unnoticed by doctors, researchers and laymen alike.
You need more than just testes to make a penis
For humans and other animals, development of a penis was thought to be driven by “male hormones” (androgens) produced entirely by the testes of the male fetus as it grows in the uterus. However, a new paper released today indicates this might not be the case. Instead, some of the masculinising hormones that drive penis development may come from other sources in the developing fetus. These include the liver, the adrenals (small glands found on the kidneys) and placenta.
‘Blue balls’ is a real thing, but it’s not an excuse to pressure someone for sex
Blue balls: a questionable excuse for sexual guilt-tripping or a real bodily experience, causing achey discomfort to those with testicles?
Evolution’s Worst Mistake? How About External Testicles?
Why are testicles external? There’s an explanation (sperm like slightly lower temperatures), but it isn’t persuasive.
EndocrineWeb
In addition to their role in the male reproductive system, the testes also have the distinction of being an endocrine gland because they secrete testosterone—a hormone that is vital to the normal development of male physical characteristics.
You & Your Hormones
The testes lie outside of the body and are maintained at a temperature about two degrees Centigrade lower than the body’s core temperature. This is because sperm production and quality is optimal at this lower temperature. The testes have two functions - to produce sperm and to produce hormones, particularly testosterone.
MedicineNet
Though there are numerous medical conditions that can cause testicular pain, it is important to understand that a few of them constitute medical emergencies that require immediate medical attention in order to prevent the loss of testicular function.
The Health Impact of Undescended Testicles
In a large Australian study, researchers found that baby boys born with undescended testes had a higher risk of health problems like infertility and cancer, especially if corrective surgery was delayed.
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