The prostatic utricle (Latin for "small pouch of 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 ...

") is a small indentation in the

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

, at the apex of the

urethral crest The urethral crest is an anatomical feature present in the urinary system of both males and females. In males, the urethral crest is known as the ''crista urethralis masculinae'', or the ''crista phallica'', and is a longitudinal fold on the poste ...

, on the seminal colliculus (''verumontanum''), laterally flanked by openings of the

ejaculatory duct The ejaculatory ducts (''ductus ejaculatorii'') are paired structures in the male reproductive system. Each ejaculatory duct is formed by the union of the vas deferens with the Excretory duct of seminal gland, duct of the seminal vesicle. They pa ...

s. It is also known as the ''vagina masculina'', ''uterus masculinus'' or (in older literature) ''vesicula prostatica''.

Structure

It is often described as "blind", meaning that it is a duct that does not lead to any other structures. It tends to be about one cm in length. It can sometimes be enlarged. The utricle is deemed enlarged if it allows insertion of a

cystoscope Cystoscopy is endoscopy of the urinary bladder via the urethra. It is carried out with a cystoscope. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. The cystoscope has lenses like a telescope or microscop ...

at least 2 cm deep. This is often associated with hypospadias. Prostatic urethra

Function

The prostatic utricle is a remnant that is homologous to the female

uterus The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', : uteri or uteruses) or womb () is the hollow organ, organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans, that accommodates the embryonic development, embryonic and prenatal development, f ...

(including the

cervix The cervix (: cervices) or cervix uteri is a dynamic fibromuscular sexual organ of the female reproductive system that connects the vagina with the uterine cavity. The human female cervix has been documented anatomically since at least the time ...

) and

vagina In mammals and other animals, the vagina (: vaginas or vaginae) is the elastic, muscular sex organ, reproductive organ of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vulval vestibule to the cervix (neck of the uterus). The #Vag ...

, usually described as derived from the

paramesonephric duct The paramesonephric ducts (or Müllerian ducts) are paired ducts of the embryo in the reproductive system of humans and other mammals that run down the lateral sides of the genital ridge and terminate at the sinus tubercle in the primitive urogeni ...

s, although this is occasionally disputed. In 1905, Robert William Taylor described the function of the utricle: "In coitus it so contracts that it draws upon the openings of the ejaculatory ducts, and thus renders them so patulous that the

semen Semen, also known as seminal fluid, is a bodily fluid that contains spermatozoon, spermatozoa which is secreted by the male gonads (sexual glands) and other sexual organs of male or hermaphrodite, hermaphroditic animals. In humans and placen ...

readily passes through."R. W. Taylor. "A practical treatise on sexual disorders of the male and female". New York and Philadelphia, 1897; 3rd edition, 1905. p. 48

Notes

References

External links

* "The Male Pelvis: The Prostate Gland" * () * {{Authority control Prostate Vagina

Structure

Function

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links