THE PECULIARITIES OF THE PRENATAL MORPHOGENESIS OF THE EPIDIDYMIS

Epididymis serves a critical function in the process of sperm cells maturation, since it provides with a unique liquid microbiomedium that allows maturation and survival of the spermatozoa. Therefore, the aim of our study is to clarify the patterns of the morphogenesis of the epididymis during the perinatal period of human ontogenesis. 27 series of the serial histological sections of the human embryos and prefetuses (4.0-80.0 mm of parietal-coccygeal length (PСL)) and 56 specimens of human fetuses (81.0-375.0 mm PCL) have been studied, using the methods of microscopy, macroscopy, graphic and plastic reconstruction and morphometry. It has been found that the anlage of the epididymal tubules occurs in the prefetuses 14,0-16,0 mm of PCL, and the formation of the epididymal segments (caput, corpus and cauda), as well as establishment of the correlation between the tubules of the testicle and epididymis is observed in prefetuses 18,0-65,0 mm of PCL. At the early fetal period the asymmetry of the shape and size of the right and left epididymises is observed; it is preserved during the entire fetal period and is accompanied by the process of their accelerated and slowed development. At the end of the fetal period of the ontogenesis the structure and shape of the epididymal tubular system is close to the definite state