The key difference between vas deferens and vasa efferentia is that vas deferens is a muscular tube that transports sperms from epididymis to the penis while vasa efferentia are convoluted tubules that connect rete testis to the epididymis.
The male reproductive system consists of different parts including a pair of testis, a pair of vas deferens, a pair of epididymis, a pair of vasa efferentia, a urinogenital tract, a pair of seminal vesicles, a prostate gland, a pair of Cowper’s gland and a penis. Among these different parts, vas deferentia and vasa efferentia are accessory ducts.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Vas Deferens
3. What are Vasa Efferentia
4. Similarities Between Vas Deferens and Vasa Efferentia
5. Side by Side Comparison – Vas Deferens vs Vasa Efferentia in Tabular Form
6. Summary
What is Vas Deferens?
Vas deferens (plural-vas deferentia) is a muscular tube-like structure that transports sperms from epididymis to the penis. Male reproductive system has a pair of vas deferens. Each epididymis opens into the vas deferens.
Figure 01: Vas Deferens
The length of the vas deferens is approximately 30 cm. Generally, vas deferens is thicker and firmer than the rest of the strings going straight up and down.
What is Vasa Efferentia?
Vasa efferentia are greatly convoluted tubules that connect rete testis in the testis to the epididymis. Therefore, vasa efferentia creates a pathway from rete testis to the epididymis, which is an essential part of the male reproductive system.
Figure 02: Vasa Efferentia
Vasa efferentia is important in the transportation of sperm cells from the testis to the epididymis (from one anatomical part to the other part). It comprises 12 to 20 ductules. It is an accessory duct of the male reproductive system.
What are the Similarities Between Vas Deferens and Vasa Efferentia?
- Vas deferens and vasa efferentia are two types of accessory glands of the male reproductive system.
- The male reproductive system consists of a pair of vas deferens and a pair of vasa efferentia.
- Both are involved in the transportation of sperm cells from one anatomical structure to another in the male reproductive system.
What is the Difference Between Vas Deferens and Vasa Efferentia?
Vas deferens is a thick-walled tube in the male reproductive system that transports sperm cells from the epididymis to the penis. On the other hand, vasa effentia are convoluted tubules that connect rete testis to the epididymis and create a pathway to the transport of sperms. So, this is the key difference between vas deferens and vasa efferentia. Moreover, vas deferens is 30 cm long while vasa efferentia are 2 – 3 mm long. This is another difference between vas deferens and vasa efferentia. Vas deferens has only one tube while vasa efferentia has 15 to 20 efferent ducts on each side.
The following table summarizes the difference between vas deferens and vasa efferentia.
Summary – Vas Deferens vs Vasa Efferentia
Vas deferentia and vasa efferentia are two types of accessory ducts of the male reproductive system. Vas deferens is a tube that transports sperms from the epididymis to the urethra in preparation for ejaculation. In contrast, vasa efferentia are convoluted tubules that connect rete testis to the epididymis. Thus, this is the key difference between vas deferens and vasa efferentia. Moreover, vas deferens is 30 cm in length while vasa effentia are 2-3 mm in length.
Reference:
1. Ductus Deferens.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 25 June 2018, Available here.
2. “Efferent Ducts.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Feb. 2019, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Male anatomy en” Male anatomy enBy Male_anatomy.png: alt.sex FAQderivative work: Tsaitgaist (talk) – *[[:File:Male_anatomy.png|Male_anatomy.png] (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Efferent-ducts” By KDS444 – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia