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|data6 = Subcutaneous tissue of [[scrotum]], superficial to superficial fascia (Colles)
|header7 = Insertion
|data8 = [[Skin ]] and midline raphé of [[scrotum]]
|header9 = Blood
|data10 = [[Artery of Duffy]]{{Citation needed|date=April 2011}}
|below =
}}
The '''dartos fascia''' or simply '''dartos''' is a layer of connective tissue found in the [[skin ]] of the penile shaft, [[foreskin]], and scrotum.<ref name=Campbell10>{{REFbook
|last=Campbell
|first=
}}</ref> The penile portion is referred to as the '''superficial fascia of penis''' or the '''subcutaneous tissue of penis''',<ref>[http://www.unifr.ch/ifaa/Public/EntryPage/TA98%20Tree/Entity%20TA98%20EN/09.4.01.027%20Entity%20TA98%20EN.htm Terminologica Anatomica 98]</ref> while the scrotal part is the dartos proper. In addition to being continuous with itself between the scrotum and the penis, it is also continuous with Colles fascia of the perineum and Scarpa's fascia of the abdomen.<ref name=Campbell10 />
It lies just below the [[skin]], which places it just superficial to the external spermatic fascia in the scrotum and to Buck's fascia in the penile shaft.
In the scrotum, it consists mostly of smooth muscle.<ref>Gray's 16th Edition</ref> The tone of this smooth muscle is responsible for the wrinkled (rugose) appearance of the scrotum.<ref name=Campbell10 />
==Function==
In the penis, the loose attachment of the dartos fascia to Buck's fascia is responsible for the high degree of mobility of the penile [[skin ]] over the underlying tissue.<ref name=Campbell10 /> It is also responsible for carrying the blood supply of the penile [[skin]], a longitudinally-coursing anastomotic network of vessels that arise from the external pudendal vessels.<ref name=Campbell10 />
In the scrotum, the tunica dartos acts to regulate the temperature of the testicles, which promotes spermatogenesis. It does this by expanding or contracting to wrinkle the scrotal [[skin]].
* Contraction reduces the surface area available for heat loss, thus reducing heat loss and warming the testicles.
Etymology:
: Derived from the Greek δέρνω/derno (beat, flog) and/or δέρμα/derma ([[skin]]), meaning "that which is skinned or flayed", possibly due to its appearance.<ref>{{REFweb
|url=http://www.dartmouth.edu/~humananatomy/resources/etymology/Abdominal_wall.htm
|title=Etymology of Abdominal Wall and Inguinal Terms