The process of spermatogenesis liberates significant heat and the scrotum has a role in body thermoregulation

Abstract

The temperature in human testis is 2-3 degrees C less than that of body providing a suitable environment for sperm production. Pampiniform plexus play a major role in this. Authors question the full function of Pampiniform plexus; if it is sufficiently efficient to maintain the optimal temperature, why testes are not retained in abdomen. The present hypothesis states that during the process of spermatogenesis a large amount of heat is liberated as a bye product of energy utilization. Testes are purposefully kept away in the dangling scrotum to exclude the damage otherwise it would have caused to visceral organs from the heat it produced. The heat from testes is carefully liberated by scrotum. The thin skin with no subcutaneous fat, scanty hair distribution and presence of more sweat glands on it permits easy escape of heat. On exposure to cold, the scrotal surface area is minimized by rugosities for heat conservation and cremaster muscles lift testes closer to abdomen to provide heat to body.