What is the prostate?

Although the prostate plays an important role in the male urinary system, it is a very small organ from a medical point of view. Due to the small size of the prostate, general examinations often cannot directly detect the health of the prostate, which is one of the important factors that lead to the misdiagnosis of prostate diseases. Next, let's take a look at the knowledge about the prostate.

The prostate is one of the smallest organs in the human body.

The prostate is relatively small, and can be said to be one of the smallest organs in the human body, weighing about 20 grams, less than 50 grams. It is hidden and difficult to diagnose. The prostate looks like an inverted chestnut. Medical books often call it a cone, which seems to be less vivid than a chestnut. Its bottom diameter is 4 cm horizontally, 3 cm vertically, and 2 cm front-to-back.

Where is the prostate located?

The prostate is located at the bottom of the pelvic cavity, with the bladder above it, the urethra below it, the pubic bone in front of it, and the rectum behind it. This is why doctors can touch the prostate when performing rectal examinations. The prostate is fixed on both sides by many ligaments and fascia, which determines its hidden location.

Located below the bladder neck, surrounding the junction of the bladder opening and the urethra, this part of the urethra is therefore called the "prostatic urethra", which means that the tube formed in the middle of the prostate constitutes the upper opening of the urethra. It can be said that the prostate guards the upper opening of the urethra, and this is why urination is first affected by prostate disease.

The prostate is closely adjacent to the vas deferens and seminal vesicles. The ejaculatory duct enters the prostate from the top and opens into the recess in the middle of the prostate. This physiological position easily explains why prostate disease often affects sexual function. It can even be said that prostatitis and seminal vesiculitis are a pair of "brothers in distress."

The structure of the prostate

The prostate is divided into five lobes, namely the anterior lobe, middle lobe, posterior lobe and lateral lobes. The anterior lobe is very small and is located between the left and right lateral lobes and the urethra. It has no clinical significance. The posterior lobe is located behind the middle lobe and the lateral lobes. This lobe is felt during a rectal examination. There is a physiological central groove in the middle. During a rectal examination, it is often judged whether the prostate is enlarged based on whether this central groove becomes shallow or disappears. The parts where the prostate often proliferate are mainly the middle lobe and the two lateral lobes.

Nature of the prostate

The prostate is a male-specific organ and the largest accessory gland in the male reproductive organs. Controlled by androgens, the prostate is relatively small in male childhood and rapidly increases in size under the influence of sex hormones during the developmental period. The prostate gland is stable after the age of 30 until the age of 45. If the gland does not proliferate, the prostate tissue will atrophy and shrink in size in old age.