Embryology, Wolffian Ducts

The Wolffian ducts, or mesonephric ducts, are paired embryonic structures that serve as progenitors of the male internal genitalia and are involved in the incipient development of the renal system in both sexes. The Wolffian ducts (WDs) develop in male and female embryos but are only maintained in males by testosterone, and they give rise to the epididymis, vas deferens, and seminal vesicles. Although the development of the WDs into the male internal genitalia is dependent on testosterone, there is a dynamic and complex interplay of androgens, growth factors, gene expression in the duct epithelium, and mesenchyme for the proper formation of the male reproductive tract.