Where is the prostate?

The prostate is a very important organ. It is one of the reproductive organs in the male body and has a great impact on the male's physiological functions. In modern life, more and more men have prostate problems, which causes great adverse effects on their lives. Therefore, it is very important to understand the basic situation of the prostate. What does the prostate refer to? Let's take a look at the explanation below.

The prostate is located in front of the anus and rectum. That is to say, if you insert your finger about 2 cm into the anus and feel a hard spherical object forward, it is the prostate.

Its size and shape are like an inverted chestnut, with its upper part attached to the bladder, its lower part attached to the urogenital diaphragm, its front adjacent to the male's pubic symphysis, and its back adjacent to the rectum. The male's urethra passes through the middle of the prostate gland.

The physiological functions of the prostate can be summarized into four aspects:

1. It has exocrine function. The prostate is the largest accessory gland of men and one of the exocrine glands of the human body. It can secrete prostatic fluid, which is an important component of semen. It plays an important role in the normal function of sperm and is very important for fertility. The secretion of prostatic fluid is regulated by male hormones.

2. It has a transport function. The urethra and two ejaculatory ducts pass through the prostate. When ejaculating, the muscles of the prostate and seminal vesicles contract, which can push the contents of the vas deferens and seminal vesicles into the posterior urethra through the ejaculatory ducts and then expel them from the body. In summary, the prostate has four important functions and plays an important role in the human body.

3. It has the function of controlling urination. The prostate surrounds the urethra and is close to the bladder neck, forming the proximal urethral wall. Its annular smooth muscle fibers surround the prostatic part of the urethra and participate in the formation of the internal urethral sphincter. When the urge to urinate occurs, the detrusor muscle contracts and the internal sphincter relaxes, allowing urination to proceed smoothly.

4. Endocrine function. The prostate contains abundant 5α-reductase, which can convert testosterone into more physiologically active dihydrotestosterone. Dihydrotestosterone plays an important role in the pathogenesis of benign prostatic hyperplasia. By blocking 5α-reductase, the production of dihydrotestosterone can be reduced, thereby causing the hyperplastic prostate tissue to atrophy.

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