Understanding the Male Anatomy (cont.)
Medical Author:
Stephen W Leslie, MD, FACS
Medical Editor:
William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACRDr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology. IN THIS ARTICLEProstate GlandThe prostate is a walnut-sized gland that lies below the urinary bladder and surrounds the urethra. Along with the seminal vesicles, the prostate gland produces a fluid, called prostatic fluid, that contains, protects, nourishes, and supports the sperm. The white, sticky fluid originally from the prostate forms most of the volume of the semen. The prostate has no known function other than reproduction. The prostate grows throughout life. This growth often causes a blockage in the urethra that affects voiding with such symptoms as urinary frequency, excessive urination at night (nocturia), urgency of urination, and weakening of the urinary stream. This enlargement of the prostate, called benign prostatic hyperplasia (or BPH), can be treated with medication or various surgical procedures. The prostate is also the source of a prostate specific antigen (or PSA) that is used as a blood test to detect and monitor prostate cancer. |
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Gential Anomalies »
Disorders of the external genitalia are especially troubling for parents because of the unconscious emotional significance of these reproductive structures and, probably, the consequent impact of deformities on future generations.
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