Male reprodactive system

Prostate:

The prostatic gland is surrounded by a fibrocollagenous capsule, from which septa extended into it's body dividing it into ill-defined lobes. The prostate composed of secretory glands or "prostatic alveoli" open in the prostatic urethra which runs through the body of the prostate, these prostatic alveoli & their ducts are embedded in a supporting stroma consisting of fibroblasts, collagen fibers, & smooth muscle fibers, (i.e. gland, stroma, capsule) the prostatic gland becomes larger in elderly.

The prostatic glands (alveoli) are arranged into 3 concentric groups:

Small group of glands open directly into the urethra.
Larger group of glands open into the urethra by short ducts.
Outer group called main prostatic glands open into the urethra by long ducts.

The lining epithelium the prostatic glands are 2 types of the epithelial cells:

1-Tall columnar or cuboidal cells with pale foamy cytoplasm + basal pale staining nucleus.
2- Scanty flat basal cells with small dark staining nuclei lie in contact with the basement membrane.

The tall columnar cells have prominent Golgi, lysosomes, secretory granules& RER (the secretory products are acid phosphatase, citric acid, amylase).The ducts of the prostate are lined by tall columnar epithelium but as they reach the urethra, they become gradually lined by cuboidal & even transitional epithelium like that of the urethra.The prostatic epithelium depends on adequate testosterone level to maintain its function & structure.
In elderly the lumen of the prostatic glands contains some stored secretions forming small spherical "corpora amylacea"or "prostatic concretions" which are condensed glycoproteine & often calcified.

Bulbourethral glands:

. Bulbourethral gland are paired small glands, their ducts open into the membranous urethra, the gland lined with tall mucous secretory epithelium, they produce a watery slightly mucoid fluid containing galactase & siliac acid, this fluid provides a lubricating function




Penis:
Is composed of erectile tissue & contains part of the urethra, the erectile tissue arranged into 2 dorsal cylinders (corpora cavernosa) + smaller central ventral cylinder (corporus spongiosum) through which the penile urethra runs. The cylinders are each surrounded by a dense fibrocollagenous sheath called (tunica albuginea) which also holds them together.
The erectile tissues are interconnecting vascular spaces which are empty when the penis is flaccid, but filled with blood during erection.
The blood supply is provided by "dorsal artery", "deep artery" &" helicine artery" which supply the erectile tissue, the helicine arteries are so named because they are spiral in the flaccid condition, but during erection, they straighten & dilated filling the corpora with blood

The erectile component of the penis is surrounded by skin & loose subcutaneous tissue,

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Male Reproductive System Lecture 3