Question

In the case of a premature delivery (8-months) of a male baby the testes are situated in-
A. Scrotal sac
B. Abdominal cavity
C. Descending pathway
D. Come into scrotal sac but not attached properly

Answer 1

Hint: The testes are situated outside the abdominal cavity within a pouch called scrotum. The scrotum helps in maintaining the low temperature of the testes (2-2.5 degree Celsius lower than the normal body temperature which is necessary for the spermatogenesis) and thus it is the thermo regulator of the testes. The testes start their development in the abdominal cavity.

Complete answer:
Testes are male sex organs. They produce sperm and a class of hormones called androgens. In most of the cases the testes descend into the scrotum in the last month of pregnancy before birth. The testes move down a tube called the inguinal canal into the scrotum, under the effect of testosterone hormone.
There might be several reasons because of which the testes fail to descend into the scrotum some of which are-
> Abnormal anatomy of the testes during development.
> Hormonal problems, generally low secretion of testosterone leads to this.
> Environmental influences.
This condition in which the testes fail to descend into the scrotum is known as cryptorchidism. Some of the symptoms of cryptorchidism are:-
> One testis or both missing from the scrotum.
> Scrotum looks small or flat

Adverse effects of cryptorchidism include:-
> A very high risk of infertility
> Such children are more prone to testicular cancer, even after orchiopexy.
> May cause pain when the spermatic cord is twisted.

In case of premature birth of a male baby the testes do not descend into the scrotum and remain inside the abdominal cavity. So the correct answer is option ( B ).

Note: Orchiopexy: Surgical descending of testes into the scrotum.
There are two types of undescended testes:
> Congenital undescended testes: In this case babies are born without testes into the scrotum. It is seen in babies born prematurely.
> Acquired undescended testes: Child is born with the testes but they develop undescended testes later. > As the child grows the spermatic cord fails to develop at the same rate, it ends up too short and pulls the testes back up into the groin.