Children ask, taz answers: What's actually in my testicles? Eggs, nuts or almonds?

Eggs, nuts, crown jewels: There are a lot of silly terms for the testicles. That's because these small organs have to do with sex - and adults are often ashamed of their sexuality. That's why, on the one hand, they came up with strange descriptions for their genitals. Or they don't even talk about them. It follows that even adults don't know their bodies very well. This means that even adults can learn something about this children's question.

Testes are two small, egg-shaped organs that hang in a sac of skin outside the body: the scrotum. You can feel them through the skin and feel something that feels round. Like nuts or almonds maybe? The testicles aren't that hard! In fact, they are incredibly sensitive and hurt incredibly if they are squeezed. Apparently the body wants you to handle these things carefully.

The reason: Among other things, a messenger substance, testosterone, is produced in the testicles. This gives the body instructions. During puberty, it causes boys to have a deeper voice and their muscles and body hair to grow. The testicles also produce sperm. These are tiny cells that will later be responsible for producing new life.

Because of the sperm, the testicles are stored outside the body in their own sac. Because sperm like it a few degrees cooler to work really well. The scrotum is something like the body's own air conditioning system, which automatically pulls its cargo closer to the warm stomach or further away from it - depending on how cold it is.

You might think that the testicles are rolling around in the scrotum like marbles in a bag. But it's not like that. Each testicle is attached to a spermatic cord. There is a thin tube inside through which the sperm are later transported. In addition, a fine network of veins supplies the testicles with blood. Nerve fibers ensure that you can clearly feel the testicles.

A muscle wraps around the spermatic cord, which can pull the testicle up and down. The testicles do not hang at the same height. This is practical: it saves space in the scrotum. This also means they don't constantly bump into each other when running or sitting. That would be really annoying too!