TheEpididymis
A firm organ, the epididymis is largely formed by the numerous convolutions of the single epididymal duct within a connective tissue matrix. It is attached along one of the longer borders — dorsal in the dog, caudomedial in the bull—of the testis and usually spreads some distance over both poles (Fig.
5.40). It is conventionally divided into three rather arbitrary parts—head, body, and tail—that do not always correspond to functions.The head (Fig. 5.38/8) is firmly attached to the testicular capsule. It receives the efferent ductules, which immediately or after some coiling join to form the wider epididymal duct (Fig. 5.38/6'). The body may be less completely attached to the surface of the testis and creates an intervening space called testicular bursa (homologous with the ovarian bursa) (see Fig. 5.41/3). The tail is firmly attached to the testis by the proper ligament of the testis and also to the parietal layer of the enveloping peritoneal sac by the ligament of the tail of the epididymis (Fig. 5.41/7 and 8). The tail finally tapers, and the duct emerges to continue as the deferent duct (Fig. 5.41/4). The epididymis appears spongy in section because the coiled duct is inevitably cut across many times.