Female anatomy

In anatomy, the urethra is a tube which connects the urinary bladder to the outside of the body. The urethra has an excretory function in both sexes, to pass urine to the outside, and also a reproductive function in the male, as a passage for sperm. Image File history File links From Image:Fem_isa. ... Image File history File links From Image:Fem_isa. ... Anatomical drawing of the human muscles from the Encyclopédie. ... The interior of bladder. ... Urine is liquid waste excreted by the kidneys and eventually expelled from the body in a process known as urination. ... Sperm is an exocrine secretion of male animal gonads that contains spermatozoa. ...

The external urethral sphincter is a smooth muscle that allows voluntary control over urination. In mammals the flow of urine from the urinary bladder is controlled by a group of muscles collectively called the urethral sphincter, named for their proximity to the urethra. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Anatomy

Men have a longer urethra than women. This means that women tend to be more susceptible to infections of the bladder (cystitis) and the urinary tract. The length of a male's urethra, and the fact it contains a number of bends makes catheterisation more difficult. Catheter disassembled In medicine, a catheter is a tube that a health professional may insert into part of the body. ...

In the human female, the urethra is about 1-1.5 inches (2.5-4 cm) long and opens in the vulva between the clitoris and the vaginal opening. In the human male, the urethra is about 8 inches (20 cm) long and opens at the end of the penis. Appearance of the vulva Labeled picture of external female reproductive anatomy. ... A womans clitoris extends from the visible portion to a point below the pubic bone. ... Human female internal reproductive anatomy The vagina (from the Latin for sheath or scabbard ) is the tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. ... The penis (plural penises or penes) or phallus is the external male copulatory organ of some animals, and, in mammals, the external male organ of urination. ...

The urethra is divided into three parts in men, named after the location:

• The prostatic urethra crosses through the prostate gland. There is a small opening where the vas deferens enters.
• The membranous urethra is a small (1 or 2 cm) portion passing through the external urethral sphincter. This is the narrowest part of the urethra.
• The spongy (or penile) urethra runs along the length of the penis on its ventral (underneath) surface. It is about 15-16 cm in length, and travels through the corpus spongiosum.

Male urethra

Male Anatomy The prostate is a gland that is part of male mammalian sex organs. ... Male Anatomy The vas deferens, also called ductus deferens, (Latin: carrying-away vessel) is part of the human male anatomy. ... In mammals the flow of urine from the urinary bladder is controlled by a group of muscles collectively called the urethral sphincter, named for their proximity to the urethra. ... Corpus spongiosum is the mass of spongy tissue surrounding the male urethra within the penis. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (430x750, 101 KB)Male urethra From Grays Anatomy 1918 edition File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (430x750, 101 KB)Male urethra From Grays Anatomy 1918 edition File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Histology

The epithelium of the urethra starts off as transitional cells as it exits the bladder. Further along the urethra there are stratified columnar cells, then stratified squamous cells near the external meatus (exit hole). In zootomy, epithelium is a tissue composed of a layer of cells. ...

There are small mucus-secreting urethral glands, that help protect the epithelium from the corrosive urine. ÁMucus is a slippery secretion of the lining of various membranes in the body (mucous membranes). ...

Medical problems of the urethra

• Hypospadias and epispadias are forms of abnormal development of the urethra in the male, where the opening is not quite where it should be (it occurs lower than normal with hypospadias, and higher with epispadias). A chordee is when the urethra develops between the penis and the scrotum.
• Infection of the urethra is urethritis, said to be more common in females than males. Urethritis is a common cause of dysuria (pain when urinating).
• Related to urethritis is so called urethral syndrome
• Passage of kidney stones through the urethra can be painful and subsequently it can lead to urethral strictures

Endoscopy of the bladder via the urethra is called cystoscopy. Hypospadias is a birth defect of the urethra in the male that involves an abnormally placed urethral meatus (opening). ... Hypospadias is a birth defect of the urethra in the male that involves an abnormally placed urethral meatus (opening). ... Chordee is a condition in which the penis curves downwards (that is, in a ventral direction) during erection. ... The scrotum (human variant shown) is a thin extension of the abdomen that contains the testes and helps regulate their temperature. ... Urethritis is an inflammation of the urethra. ... Dysuria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Urethral syndrome is defined as symptoms suggestive of a lower tract urinary infection but in the absence of significant bacteruria with a conventional pathogen. ... Ultrasonic instrument and kidney stone Kidney stones, also known as nephrolithiasis, urolithiasis or renal calculi, are solid accretions (crystals) of dissolved minerals in urine found inside the kidneys or ureters. ... Endoscopy of the urinary bladder via the urethra is called cystoscopy. ...

Related topics

• Vulvovaginal health
• Urethral sponge
• G-spot
• Urethral sounding

Vulvovaginal health is the health and sanitation of the human female vulva and vagina. ... Female internal reproductive anatomy The urethral sponge is a spongy cushion of tissue, found in the lower genital area of women, that sits against both the pubic bone and vaginal wall, and surrounds the urethra. ... ... Sounding or urethral sounding is a medical activity using probes called sounds to locate obstructions in the urethra. ...