The pre-prostatic urethra is one of the four parts of the

male urethra The urethra (: urethras or urethrae) is the tube that connects the urinary bladder to the urinary meatus, through which placental mammals urinate and ejaculate. The external urethral sphincter is a striated muscle that allows voluntary contro ...

. The pre-prostatic urethra is also known as the intramural urethra, as it is the portion of the

urethra The urethra (: urethras or urethrae) is the tube that connects the urinary bladder to the urinary meatus, through which Placentalia, placental mammals Urination, urinate and Ejaculation, ejaculate. The external urethral sphincter is a striated ...

which passes almost vertically through the wall of the

urinary bladder The bladder () is a hollow organ in humans and other vertebrates that stores urine from the Kidney (vertebrates), kidneys. In placental mammals, urine enters the bladder via the ureters and exits via the urethra during urination. In humans, the ...

, before it enters the

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

gland. Both the length and diameter of the pre-prostatic urethra vary depending on whether the bladder is filling or emptying. The length varies between 0.5 cm and 1.5 cm.Moore K.L. & Dalley A.F. (2006) "Clinically Oriented Anatomy" Fifth Edition, Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins p402

References

Urinary system Male urethra {{genitourinary-stub