Cellular Architecture and Function of the Testis

The cellular architecture of the mammalian testis that supports testis function, which, in turn, maintains spermatogenesis throughout adulthood to produce millions of sperm on a daily basis from rodents to humans, has been eminently reviewed by investigators in recent years, based on morphological, biochemical, and molecular studies [1–10]. As such, in order to avoid a repetitive account on this topic, compared with earlier reviews, we attempt to provide insightful information on this topic based on recent studies which have not been evaluated in details, as noted in the following sections. Thus, this avoids redundancy because readers can refer to the earlier reviews pertinent to the cellular architecture of the testis that supports spermatogenesis as reviewed in [1–10]. It is conceivable that some necessary discussion still overlap with earlier reviews or earlier editions of this reference work. This is done such that readers can follow through the discussion here without the necessity of going through other contents to grasp related facts and concepts. Nonetheless, we will refer to other reviews for additional discussion on specific topics in this chapter when a detailed and redundant description is not warranted.