What are Testicles?

Every man's scrotum looks different. It can be large, small, wrinkled or quite smooth, hairy or bald. One testicle usually hangs a bit lower than the other, and sometimes they’re slightly different sizes.

Testosterone

Inside the scrotum there are two testicles, or testes. Your testicles produce and store millions of tiny sperm cells. They also produce testosterone, a hormone that causes men to produce sperm and develop bigger muscles, deeper voices, and body hair. One thing is for sure, the testicles are very sensitive and easily damaged. So a word of advice: never kick anyone there.

Temperature

When it’s cold, your scrotum shrinks. When it’s hot, your scrotum gets bigger. This happens because to make sperm, your testicles need to be at just the right temperature – a bit cooler than the rest of your body. So when it’s cold your scrotum squeezes your testicles up close to your body to keep them warm, and when it’s hot your scrotum lets your testicles hang down to keep cool. This happens without you thinking about it!

Prostate

The prostate is part of the male sexual organs. It’s a gland that produces the clear fluid in semen. It can be the size of a shelled walnut.

With a finger you can feel the prostate through the wall of the anus, about five centimetres inside on the stomach side. Some people enjoy having their prostate touched like this as part of lovemaking.