Role and function of the prostate

I believe everyone is familiar with prostatitis, because it is a male disease that is easy to occur in middle-aged men, and many middle-aged men are deeply troubled by this disease. In fact, the prostate is an organ unique to the male body, so prostatitis does not exist in women. Most men do not know much about the role and function of the prostate. Today we will explain the role and function of the prostate.

The key to the role of the prostate in the human body is that its glandular tissue can produce and secrete a liquid called prostatic fluid. It is also an exocrine gland that can secrete 0.5-2ml of a thin milky white liquid every day. The prostatic fluid is mixed with semen during ejaculation, accounting for about 13%-32% of the total semen. It contains fruit acid and amino acids, which are the energy source for sperm activity. The prostatic fluid contains a large amount of citric acid, phosphoric acid, potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium and other substances that can make semen slightly alkaline, which can alleviate the acidic environment of the vagina and improve the survival rate and vitality of sperm. In addition, the prostate is also an endocrine gland. The acid phosphatase it secretes increases sharply after puberty and reaches a peak level and then stabilizes. Only when prostate cancer occurs will the acid phosphatase increase significantly, so in medicine, changes in acid phosphatase are used to diagnose prostate cancer.

The prostate has a rich blood supply, but the blood circulation in the prostate is not so smooth. It has to pass through many small veins to flow into the internal iliac vein, so the return resistance is very large. Because of this feature, pathogenic bacteria or other harmful substances in other parts of the body can easily invade the prostate and are difficult to remove, increasing the chance of prostate damage.

In addition, the prostaglandins secreted by the prostate can promote the growth and maturation of sperm. If the prostaglandin E contained in each ML of sperm is less than 11MG, the sperm cannot mature. It can be said that if there is no prostate, or the prostate has a serious disease, normal sperm activity will be impossible, and fertility will be out of the question.

The main physiological functions of the prostate

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

First, it has exocrine function. The prostate is the largest accessory gland in men and one of the exocrine glands in 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.

Second, it has 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.

Third, 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.

Fourth, 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 excrete them out of the body. In summary, the prostate has four important functions and plays an important role in the human body.