= Seminiferous tubule
A <seminiferous tubule> is a coiled epithelial tube within the <testis> in which <germ cells> develop through <spermatogenesis>, supported by <Sertoli cells>. Developing germ cells occupy different positions within the epithelium, and released <sperm> enter the <lumen (anatomy)>. <Leydig cells> lie outside the tubules in the intervening <tissue>.<Anatomy and Physiology 2e by J. Gordon Betts and others>[Section27.1: seminiferous-tubule organization and spermatogenesis]{ref}
Specialized contacts between neighboring <Sertoli cells> contribute to the <blood-testis barrier>, helping organize the local environment of the developing germ cells. The wall is therefore an active cellular interface, rather than simply a pipe through which mature sperm flow.
A useful <histology> exercise compares a section with a three-dimensional reconstruction. Several circular profiles can be different cuts through one coiled <seminiferous tubule>; counting profiles does not directly count independent tubes. Likewise, preservation of a recognizable tubular outline does not establish normal germ-cell development. In a 2014 mouse experiment, removing <Sertoli cells> caused extensive germ-cell loss while much of the tubular framework remained identifiable.<Sertoli cells maintain Leydig cell number and peritubular myoid cell activity in the adult mouse testis by Diane Rebourcet and others>[Results,Figure2: germ-cell loss and retained tubular architecture]{ref}
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