Where is the prostate gland and what are its functions?
The prostate is a small gland about 20 grammes in weight and the size of a walnut, situated in the abdomen at the base of the bladder and above the rectum (back passage). It partly surrounds the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside) and the tubes that carry sperm from the testes. Associated with the prostate are two other small structures called seminal vesicles. Internally, the prostate can be divided into an area around the urethra that produces mucus, and an outer zone where the main prostatic glands are situated, embedded in supporting tissue called the stroma. The whole is surrounded by a sheet of smooth muscle and a fibrous capsule. The muscle contracts during sexual arousal and squeezes the prostatic fluids into the ejaculatory ducts and urethra, where they pass through the prostate. These help make the sperm swim, a process that is assisted by the secretions of the seminal vesicles, which provide the sperm with extra energy. Overall, this creates
