ABSTRACT
The earliest contribution to the study of human embryology of the genital system can be traced back to the pre-Hippocratic period. Pythagoras believed that the function of sperm was to start the circulation in the embryo, and Anaxagoras thought that the male fetus developed on the right side of the uterus and the female on the left side. With the embryologie studies of Harvey, Von Haller, Palletta, Wrisberg, Arnaud, Vic d’Azir, Martin, and Hunter, who first described the gubernaculum testis and the stages of the testicular descent, the foundation of embryology the genital system was established. Therefore, a detailed knowledge of the origin and development of the male genital system is essential and will provide the surgeon with a basis for understanding the relationship of the testis with the surrounding structures, the various abnormal variants, and the rationale for a proper surgical procedure.
