The development and morphology of the gonads of the mouse. —IV. The post-natal growth of the testis

Abstract

The early development of the greatest of the mouse, including the differentiation of the ovary and testis, was described by Brambell (1927) in the first part of this series, together with the subsequent development of the ovary. It was intended to describe in a subsequent paper the development of the testis from the time of its differentiation until maturity, but examination of an extensive series of embryonic testes did not yield results of sufficient importance to require publication, since the paper by Agdhur (1927), dealing with this subject, had appeared in the meantime. The present paper deals with the development of the testis from completion of the series begun in 1927. This paper deals chiefly with the sizes of the testes and their measurable components in relation to the age and the cleaned-body weight. The results, so obtained are correlated with the more clearly defined histological phases, but no attempt is made to describe systematically the post-natal histology or cytology of the testis.