Figure 1.

Schematic diagram of the blood-testis barrier. The blood-testis barrier is composed of tight junctions, gap junctions, ectoplasmic specializations, and desmosome-like junctions. The junction complex divides Sertoli cells into two parts: the basal compartment and the adluminal compartment. Preleptotene spermatocytes move away from the basement membrane and become pachytene spermatocytes during spermatogenesis. Then, pachytene spermatocytes rapidly complete meiosis and become sperm cells, which further differentiate into sperm by spermatogenesis.