The prostatic urethra, the widest and most dilatable part of the

urethra The urethra (from Greek οὐρήθρα – ''ourḗthrā'') is a tube that connects the urinary bladder to the urinary meatus for the removal of urine from the body of both females and males. In human females and other primates, the urethra c ...

canal, is about 3 cm long. It runs almost vertically through the prostate from its base to its apex, lying nearer its anterior than its posterior surface; the form of the canal is spindle-shaped, being wider in the middle than at either extremity, and narrowest below, where it joins the

membranous portion The membranous urethra or intermediate part of male urethra is the shortest, least dilatable, and, with the exception of the urinary meatus, the narrowest part of the urethra. It extends downward and forward, with a slight anterior concavity, b ...

. A transverse section of the canal as it lies in the

prostate The prostate is both an accessory gland of the male reproductive system and a muscle-driven mechanical switch between urination and ejaculation. It is found only in some mammals. It differs between species anatomically, chemically, and phys ...

is horse-shoe-shaped, with the convexity directed forward. The keyhole sign, in ultrasound, is associated with a dilated bladder and prostatic urethra.

Additional images

File:Illu prostate lobes.jpg, Lobes of prostate File:Illu prostate zones.jpg, Zones of prostate File:Illu penis.jpg, Structure of the

penis A penis (plural ''penises'' or ''penes'' () is the primary sexual organ that male animals use to inseminate females (or hermaphrodites) during copulation. Such organs occur in many animals, both vertebrate and invertebrate, but males d ...

File:Gray1156.png, Vertical section of

bladder The urinary bladder, or simply bladder, is a hollow organ in humans and other vertebrates that stores urine from the kidneys before disposal by urination. In humans the bladder is a distensible organ that sits on the pelvic floor. Urine enters ...

, penis, and urethra. File:Prostate - Gray1153.png, Vesiculæ seminales and ampullæ of ductus deferentes, seen from the front.

References

External links

* * * - "The Male Pelvis: The Prostate Gland"
Chronic Prostatitis
- Four Major Symptoms and Three Lifestyle To Follow Prostate Male urethra {{genitourinary-stub