NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Prostate

The prostate is a compound tubuloalveolar exocrine gland of the male mammalian reproductive system. Image File history File linksMetadata Prostatelead. ... Image File history File links Gray1160. ... Categories: Stub | Andrology | Exocrine system | Reproductive system ... Each seminal vesicle consists of a single tube, coiled upon itself, and giving off several irregular cecal diverticula; the separate coils, as well as the diverticula, are connected together by fibrous tissue. ... For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ... Section of an artery For other uses, see Artery (disambiguation). ... Internal pudendal artery is the terminal branch of the anterior trunk of the internal iliac artery which supplies the external genitalia. ... The inferior vesical artery frequently arises in common with the middle hemorrhoidal, and is distributed to the fundus of the bladder, the prostate, and the vesiculÃ¦ seminales. ... The middle rectal artery usually arises with the inferior vesical artery, a branch of the internal iliac artery. ... In the circulatory system, a vein is a blood vessel that carries blood toward the heart. ... The internal iliac vein (hypogastric vein) begins near the upper part of the greater sciatic foramen, passes upward behind and slightly medial to the hypogastric artery and, at the brim of the pelvis, joins with the external iliac to form the common iliac vein. ... Nerves (yellow) Nerves redirects here. ... The inferior hypogastric plexus (pelvic plexus in older texts) is a plexus of nerves that supplies the viscera of the pelvic cavity. ... In mammals including humans, the lymphatic vessels (or lymphatics) are a network of thin tubes that branch, like blood vessels, into tissues throughout the body. ... The external iliac lymph nodes, from eight to ten in number, lie along the external iliac vessels. ... The internal iliac lymph nodes (or hypogastric) surround the hypogastric vessels, and receive the lymphatics corresponding to the distribution of the branches of the hypogastric artery, i. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) is a huge controlled vocabulary (or metadata system) for the purpose of indexing journal articles and books in the life sciences. ... Elseviers logo. ... Exocrine gland refers to glands that secrete their products and temporarily store their secretions in a duct. ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass â€ Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass â€ Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of sweat glands, including those that produce milk, and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex... The reproductive system is the ensembles and interactions of organs and/or substances within an organism that strictly pertain to reproduction. ...

The prostate differs considerably among species anatomically, chemically, and physiologically. Human heart and lungs, from an older edition of Grays Anatomy. ... A chemical substance is any material substance used in or obtained by a process in chemistry: A chemical compound is a substance consisting of two or more chemical elements that are chemically combined in fixed proportions. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Relations

The rectum (from the Latin rectum intestinum, meaning straight intestine) is the final straight portion of the large intestine in some mammals, and the gut in others, terminating in the anus. ... In anatomy, the urinary bladder is a hollow, muscular, and distensible (or elastic) organ that sits on the pelvic floor in mammals. ... The pubic symphysis is the midline cartilaginous joint uniting the superior rami of the left and right pubic bones (pubis). ... The urogenital diaphragm is an archaic term describing a layer of the pelvis separating deep perineal sac from the upper pelvis. ... The Levator ani is a broad, thin muscle, situated on the side of the pelvis. ...

Function

The main function of the prostate is to store and secrete a clear, slightly alkaline (pH 7.29) fluid that constitutes 10-30% of the volume of the seminal fluid that, along with spermatozoa, constitutes semen. The rest of the seminal fluid is produced by the two seminal vesicles. Acids and bases: Acid-base extraction Acid-base reaction Acid dissociation constant Acidity function Buffer solutions pH Proton affinity Self-ionization of water Acids: Lewis acids Mineral acids Organic acids Strong acids Superacids Weak acids Bases: Lewis bases Organic bases Strong bases Superbases Non-nucleophilic bases Weak bases edit In... Male Anatomy The prostate is a gland that is part of male mammalian sex organs. ... Schematic diagram of a sperm cell, showing the (1) acrosome, (2) cell membrane, (3) nucleus, (4) mitochondria, and (5) flagellum (tail) A sperm cell, or spermatozoon ( spermatozoa) (in Greek: sperm = semen and zoon = alive), is the haploid cell that is the male gamete. ... Horse semen being collected for breeding purposes. ... The seminal vesicles are a pair of simple tubular glands posterinferior to the urinary bladder of males. ...

The prostate also contains some smooth muscles that help expel semen during ejaculation. Cultured Smooth muscle of the aorta. ... Ejaculation is the ejecting of semen from the penis, and is usually accompanied by orgasm. ...

Secretions

Prostatic secretions vary among species. They are generally composed of simple sugars, and are often slightly basic. Acids and bases: Acid-base extraction Acid-base reaction Acid dissociation constant Acidity function Buffer solutions pH Proton affinity Self-ionization of water Acids: Lewis acids Mineral acids Organic acids Strong acids Superacids Weak acids Bases: Lewis bases Organic bases Strong bases Superbases Non-nucleophilic bases Weak bases edit In...

In human prostatic secretions, the protein content is less than 1% and includes proteolytic enzymes, acid phosphatase, and prostate-specific antigen. The secretions also contain zinc and citric acid. Proteases (proteinases, peptidases or proteolytic enzymes) are enzymes that break peptide bonds between amino acids of proteins. ... Acid phosphatase is a phosphatase, a type of enzyme, used to free attached phosphate groups from other molecules during digestion. ... Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is a protein manufactured exclusively by the prostate gland; PSA is produced for the ejaculate where it liquifies the semen and allows sperm to swim freely. ... General Name, symbol, number zinc, Zn, 30 Chemical series transition metals Group, period, block 12, 4, d Appearance bluish pale gray Standard atomic weight 65. ... Citric acid is a weak organic acid found in citrus fruits. ...

Regulation

To work properly, the prostate needs male hormones (androgens), which are responsible for male sex characteristics. Hormone is also the NATO reporting name for the Soviet/Russian Kamov Ka-25 military helicopter. ... Androgen is the generic term for any natural or synthetic compound, usually a steroid hormone, that stimulates or controls the development and maintenance of masculine characteristics in vertebrates by binding to androgen receptors. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The main male hormone is testosterone, which is produced mainly by the testicles. Some male hormones are produced in small amounts by the adrenal glands.However, it is dihydrotestosterone that regulates the prostate. Testosterone is a steroid hormone from the androgen group. ... Look up testes in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In mammals, the adrenal glands (also known as suprarenal glands) are the triangle-shaped endocrine glands that sit on top of the kidneys; their name indicates that position (ad-, near or at + -renes, kidneys). They are chiefly responsible for regulating the stress response through the synthesis of corticosteroids and catecholamines...

Development

The prostate gland represents the modified wall of the proximal portion of the male urethra and arises by the 9th week of embryonic life in the development of the reproductive system. Condensation of mesenchyme, urethra and Wolffian ducts gives rise to the adult prostate gland, a composite organ made up of several glandular and non-glandular components tightly fused within a common capsule. The development of the reproductive system is a part of the prenatal development, and concerns the sex organs. ... Mesenchyme (also known as embryonic connective tissue) is the mass of tissue that develops mainly from the mesoderm (the middle layer of the trilaminar germ disc) of an embryo. ... In anatomy, the urethra is a tube which connects the urinary bladder to the outside of the body. ... The Wolffian duct (also known as archinephric duct, Leydigs duct, mesonephric duct, or nephric duct) is a paired organ found in mammals including humans during embryogenesis. ...

Skene's glands found in many females are homologous to the prostate gland in males. In human anatomy, the Skenes glands (also known as the lesser vestibular, periurethral glands, or paraurethral glands[1]) are glands located on the upper wall of the vagina, around the lower end of the urethra. ... In biology, homology is any similarity between structures that is due to their shared ancestry. ...

Structure

A healthy human prostate is slightly larger than a walnut. It surrounds the urethra just below the urinary bladder and can be felt during a rectal exam. This article is about modern humans. ... For other uses, see Walnut (disambiguation). ... In anatomy, the urethra is a tube which connects the urinary bladder to the outside of the body. ... In anatomy, the urinary bladder is a hollow, muscular, and distensible (or elastic) organ that sits on the pelvic floor in mammals. ... A rectal examination or rectal exam is an internal examination of the rectum by a physician. ...

The ducts are lined with transitional epithelium. In zootomy, epithelium is a tissue composed of a layer of cells. ...

Within the prostate, the urethra coming from the bladder is called the prostatic urethra and merges with the two ejaculatory ducts. (The male urethra has two functions: to carry urine from the bladder during urination and to carry semen during ejaculation.) The prostate is sheathed in the muscles of the pelvic floor, which contract during the ejaculatory process. The prostatic urethra, the widest and most dilatable part of the canal, is about 3 cm. ... The Ejaculatory ducts are part of the human male anatomy, which cause the reflex action of ejaculation. ... This article is about the Male sex. ... Manneken Pis of Brussels. ... Ejaculation is the ejecting of semen from the penis, and is usually accompanied by orgasm. ...

Zones

The prostate gland has four distinct glandular regions, two of which arise from different segments of the prostatic urethra:

In anatomy, the urethra is a tube which connects the urinary bladder to the outside of the body. ... Prostate cancer is a disease in which cancer develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. ... Male Anatomy The Ejaculatory ducts are part of the human male anatomy. ... For other uses of the acronym BPH, see BPH (disambiguation). ... A top-down view of skeletal muscle Muscle (from Latin musculus little mouse [1]) is contractile tissue of the body and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. ... Types of connective tissue In zootomy, fibrous connective tissue (FCT) is a type of connective tissue which has relatively high tensile strength, due to a relatively high concentration of collagenous fibers. ...

Lobes

Prostate disorders

Prostate infection

Prostatitis

Prostatitis is inflammation of the prostate gland. There are different forms of prostatitis, each with different causes and outcomes. Acute prostatitis and chronic bacterial prostatitis are treated with antibiotics; chronic non-bacterial prostatitis or male chronic pelvic pain syndrome, which comprises about 95% of prostatitis diagnoses, is treated by a large variety of modalities including alpha blockers, phytotherapy, physical therapy, psychotherapy, antihistamines, anxiolytics, nerve modulators and more.^[1] More recently, a combination of trigger point and psychological therapy has proved effective as well.^[2] Prostatitis is any form of inflammation of the prostate gland. ... Prostatitis is any form of inflammation of the prostate gland. ... An abscess on the skin, showing the redness and swelling characteristic of inflammation. ... An antibiotic is a drug that kills or slows the growth of bacteria. ...

Benign prostatic hyperplasia

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) occurs in older men; the prostate often enlarges to the point where urination becomes difficult. If the prostate grows too large it may constrict the urethra and impede the flow of urine, making urination difficult and painful and in extreme cases completely impossible. BPH can be treated with medication or with surgery that removes part of the prostate. The surgery most often used in such cases is called transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP or TUR). In TURP, an instrument is inserted through the urethra to remove prostate tissue that is pressing against the upper part of the urethra and restricting the flow of urine. Older men often have corpora amylacea^[3] (amyloid), dense accumulations of calcified proteinaceous material, in the ducts of their prostates. The corpora amylacea may obstruct the lumens of the prostatic ducts, and may underlie some cases of BPH. For other uses of the acronym BPH, see BPH (disambiguation). ... For other uses of the acronym BPH, see BPH (disambiguation). ... Manneken Pis of Brussels. ... For other uses, see Amyloid (disambiguation). ...

Urinary frequency due to bladder spasm, common in older men, may be confused with prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate.)

Prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting older men in developed countries and a significant cause of death for elderly men (estimated by some specialists at 3%). Regular rectal exams are recommended for older men to detect prostate cancer early. Prostate cancer is a disease in which cancer develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. ... Prostate cancer is a disease in which cancer develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. ... Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ... A developed country is a country that has achieved (currently or historically) a high degree of industrialization, and which enjoys the higher standards of living which wealth and technology make possible. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A rectal examination or rectal exam is an internal examination of the rectum by a physician. ...

Male sexual response

During orgasm sperm are transmitted from the ductus deferens into the male urethra via the ejaculatory ducts, which lie within the prostate gland.

The prostate is often referred to as the male g-spot. Some men are able to achieve orgasm solely through stimulation of the prostate gland. Men who report the sensation of prostate stimulation often give descriptions similar to women's accounts of G-spot stimulation.^[4] ... // An orgasm (sexual climax) is the conclusion of the plateau phase of the sexual response cycle, and is experienced by both males and females. ... ...

Additional images

Vasectomy and risk of prostate cancer

In 1993, the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed a connection between vasectomy and an increased risk of prostate cancer. Reported studies of 48,000 and 29,000 men who had vasectomies showed 66 percent and 56 percent higher rates of prostate cancer, respectively. The risk increased with age and the number of years since the vasectomy was performed. Vasectomy is a permanent birth control method for men. ...

However, in March of the same year, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development held a conference cosponsored by the National Cancer Institute and others to review the available data and information on the link between prostate cancer and vasectomies. It was determined that an association between the two was very weak at best, and even if having a vasectomy increased one's risk, the risk was relatively small.

In 1997, the NCI held a conference with the prostate cancer Progressive Review Group (a committee of scientists, medical personel, and others). Their final report, published in 1998 stated that evidence that vasectomies help to develop prostate cancer was weak at best.^[5]

References

The text of this article was originally taken from NIH Publication No. 02-4806, a public domain resource [1].

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External links

Categories: Articles with sections needing expansion | Glands | Exocrine system | Male reproductive system The State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, better known as SUNY Downstate Medical Center, is an academic medical center and is the only one of its kind in the Borough of Brooklyn in New York City. ... The George Washington University (GW), is a private, coeducational university located in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The school was founded in 1821 as The Columbian College in the District of Columbia by Baptist ministers using funds bequeathed by George Washington. ... The Medical University of Vienna , formerly the faculty of medicine of the University of Vienna, became an independent university on January 1, 2004. ... The human male reproductive system is a series of organs located outside of the body and around the pelvic region of a male. ... The reproductive system is the ensembles and interactions of organs and/or substances within an organism that strictly pertain to reproduction. ... In some male mammals, the scrotum is a protuberance of skin and muscle containing the testicles. ... The dartos is a layer of smooth muscular fiber. ... The external spermatic fascia (intercrural or intercolumnar fascia) is a thin membrane, prolonged downward around the surface of the cord and testis. ... The cremaster muscle is a muscle that covers the testis. ... The internal spermatic fascia (infundibuliform fascia) is a thin layer, which loosely invests the cord; it is a continuation downward of the transversalis fascia. ... The perineal raphe extends from the anus, through the mid-line of the scrotum (scrotal raphe) and upwards through the posterior mid-line aspect of the penis (penile raphe). ... Male Anatomy The spermatic cord is the name given to the cord-like structure formed by the vas deferens and surrounding tissue (veins, arteries, nerves, and lymphatic vessels) that run from the abdomen down to each testicle. ... Look up testes in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... For other structures with the same name, see Tunica albuginea. ... The Appendix testis is a vestigial remnant of the MÃ¼llerian duct present on on the upper testis attached to the tunica vaginalis about 90% of the time. ... The mediastinum testis extends from the upper to near the lower extremity of the gland, and is wider above than below. ... The glandular structure of the testis consists of numerous lobules. ... Each lobule of the testis is contained in one of the intervals between the fibrous septa which extend between the mediastinum testis and the tunica albuginea, and consists of from one to three, or more, minute convoluted tubes, the tubuli seminiferi. ... Leydig cells, also known as interstitial cells of Leydig, are found adjacent to the seminiferous tubules in the testes. ... A Sertoli cell (a kind of sustentacular cell) is a nurse cell of the testes which is part of a seminiferous tubule. ... The blood-testis barrier (abbreviated as BTB) is a barrier between the blood vessels and the seminiferous tubules of the animal testes. ... Cross section of the epithelium of a seminiferous tubule showing various stages of spermatocyte development Spermatogenesis is the process by which male spermatogonia develop into mature spermatozoa. ... A Spermatogonium (plural: spermatogonia) is an intermediary male gametogonium (a kind of germ cell) in the production of spermatozoa. ... Spermatocytogenesis is the male form of gametocytogenesis. ... Spermatogenesis refers to the creation, or genesis, of sperm cells, which occurs in the male gonads or testes. ... it is the creation of spermatids from secondary spermatocytes through mitosis ... The term spermatid refers to the haploid male germ cell that results from secondary spermatocyte division. ... Spermiogenesis is the creation of a spermatozoon from a spermatid. ... A spermatozoon or spermatozoan ( spermatozoa), from the ancient Greek ÏƒÏ€ÎÏÎ¼Î± (seed) and (living being) and more commonly known as a sperm cell, is the haploid cell that is the male gamete. ... Human male anatomy The testicles, known medically as testes (singular testis), are the male generative glands in animals. ... The tubuli seminiferi recti (or tubuli recti, or straight seminiferous tubules) enter the fibrous tissue of the mediastinum, and pass upward and backward, forming, in their ascent, a close net-work of anastomosing tubes which are merely channels in the fibrous stroma, lined by flattened epithelium, and having no proper... Rete testis is an anastomosing network of delicate tubules located in the hilum of the testicle (mediastinum testis) that carries sperm from the seminiferous tubules to the vasa efferentia. ... The efferent ducts are part of the testes and connect the rete testis with the epididymis. ... Male Anatomy The epididymis is part of the human male reproductive system and is present in all male mammals. ... On the head of the epididymis is a second small stalked appendage (sometimes duplicated); it is named the appendix of the epididymis (pedunculated hydatid), and is usually regarded as a detached efferent duct. ... The vas deferens (plural: vasa deferentia), also called ductus deferens, (Latin: carrying-away vessel) is part of the male anatomy of some species, including humans. ... The Ejaculatory ducts are part of the human male anatomy, which cause the reflex action of ejaculation. ... At the forepart of the urethral crest, below its summit, is a median elevation, the seminal colliculus, upon or within the margins of which are the following: the orifices of the prostatic utricle the slit-like openings of the ejaculatory ducts. ... The internal urethral orifice is placed at the apex of the trigonum vesicae, in the most dependent part of the bladder, and is usually somewhat crescentic in form; the mucous membrane immediately behind it presents a slight elevation, the uvula vesicae, caused by the middle lobe of the prostate. ... In anatomy, the urethra is a tube which connects the urinary bladder to the outside of the body. ... The prostatic urethra, the widest and most dilatable part of the canal, is about 3 cm. ... The intermediate part of male urethra (membranous portion) is the shortest, least dilatable, and, with the exception of the external orifice, the narrowest part of the canal. ... The spongy urethra (cavernous portion of urethra, penile urethra) is the longest part of the urethra, and is contained in the corpus cavernosum urethraeÃ¦. It is about 15 cm. ... Upon the posterior wall of the prostatic urethra is a narrow longitudinal ridge, the urethral crest, formed by an elevation of the mucous membrane and its subjacent tissue. ... The term urethral gland (or Littre gland) is used to refer to any of the many glands that branch off of the wall of the urethra of male mammals. ... Nathan J. Youngers favorite peice of candy to suck on. ... The penis (plural penises, penes) is an external male sexual organ. ... A corpus cavernosum is one of a pair of a sponge-like regions of erectile tissue which contain most of the blood in the male penis during erection. ... Corpus spongiosum (Plural: Corpora Spongiosa) (also known as corpus cavernosum urethrae in older texts) is the mass of spongy tissue surrounding the male urethra within the penis. ... The cavernous portion of the urethra is narrow, and of uniform size in the body of the penis, measuring about 6 mm. ... The glans penis (or simply glans) is the pressure sensitive tip of the penis. ... The fundiform ligament is a specialization of the superficial (Scarpas) fascia of the abdomen. ... In males, the suspensory ligament of the penis is attached to the pubic symphysis, which holds the penis close to the pubic bone and supports it when erect. ... The foreskin or prepuce (a technically broader term that also includes the clitoral hood, the homologous structure in women) is a retractable double-layered fold of skin and mucous membrane that covers the glans penis and protects the urinary meatus when the penis is not erect. ... The word frenulum on its own is often used for the frenulum of prepuce of penis, which is an elastic band of tissue under the glans penis that connects to the prepuce, or foreskin to the vernal mucosa, and helps contract the prepuce over the glans. ... The seminal vesicles are a pair of simple tubular glands posterinferior to the urinary bladder of males. ... Each seminal vesicle consists of a single tube, coiled upon itself, and giving off several irregular cecal diverticula; the separate coils, as well as the diverticula, are connected together by fibrous tissue. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... On either side of the urethral crest is a slightly depressed fossa, the prostatic sinus, the floor of which is perforated by numerous apertures, the orifices of the prostatic ducts from the lateral lobes of the prostate. ... A bulbourethral gland (or Cowpers gland) is one of two small exocrine glands present in the reproductive system of human males. ...

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