Vas deferens

Ventral view, right side

The vas deferens conducts spermatozoa from the epididymis to the ejaculatory duct. You can see it as it passes within the cat's spermatic cord. It zigzags back and forth, much like ribbon candy. In fact this may be where ribbon candy comes from! It is about 18 inches long in humans and includes smooth muscle in its walls. It passes from the testicle through the spermatic cord, through the inguinal canal, over the ureter and then down the posterior side of the urinary bladder where it meets the seminal duct. This is one of the male accessory organs. It is usually cut during male sterilization.