Download Prostate proper

Histology of the Male
Genital System
The Male Genital System
The male genital system consists of:
1. Primary sex organ: two testes.
2. Accessory sex organs: accessory glands
and excretory ducts.
Accessory glands: seminal vesicle,
prostate, bulbo-urethral glands.
Excretory ducts: tubuli recti, rete testis,
ductuli efferentes, epididymis, vas
deferens, ampulla of vas deferens,
ejaculatory duct and urethra.
The Prostate
The Prostate
It is the largest accessory genital gland
in males.
It is a compound tubulo-alveolar gland
which is pierced by the prostatic urethra
and ejaculatory ducts.
The ducts of the gland opens open into
the prostatic urethra.
It has connective tissue stroma and
parenchyma.
The Stroma
The slender connective tissue capsule is
composed of a richly vascularized,
dense irregular collagenous connective
tissue, interspersed with smooth muscles
fibers.
The stroma of the gland is derived from
the capsule, so, it is rich in smooth
muscle fibers in addition to the normal
connective tissue.
The glandular parenchyma
The prostatic acini with irregular cavities
varying in shape and size and epithelial lining
which may be simple columnar or
pseudostratified columnar depending upon the
activity of the gland.
The prostate is strongly positive for acid
phosphatase enzyme which is taken as
indicator for the gland activity.
The prostatic acini have characteristic
prostatic concretion which are acidophilic
concentric lamellae of accumulated secretions
that may be calcified in old age.
Functions of the prostate
It gives the fluid medium of the semen which
contains:
Hydrolytic enzymes which include acid
phosphatase and zinc which has two functions:
1. Energy preserving effect on spermatozoa.
2. Protective effect against phagocytic cells in the
female genital tract
But zinc content inside the prostate makes it
liable to chronic bacterial inflammation due to
inhibition of its own phagocytic cells.
Parts of the prostate
1. Prostate proper:
1. Central zone.
2. Peripheral zone.
2. Transitional zone.
3. Periurethral tissue.
4. Prostatic utricle.
The peripheral zone is the main site of the
prostatic carcinoma.
The transitional zone is the main site for
benign prostatic hypertrophy which may
compress the urethra causing urine retention.
1. Prostate proper: Both central and peripheral
2.
3.
4.
zones lie posterior to the urethra and
anterior to the ejaculatory ducts. The central
zone is related to the neck of the urinary
bladder.
Transitional zone: it lies anterior to the
peripheral part and resembles it except that
its stroma is compact and fibrous.
Periurethral tissue: small glandular
diverticula of the upper part of the prostatic
urethra.
Prostatic utricle: a small pouch located in the
seminal colliculus above the entrance of the
ejaculatory duct. It is the remnant of fused
mullarian ducts.
Acini
Central (25%)
Peripheral (75%)
Large, irregular, lined
by pseudostratified
columnar epith., pale
nuclei, granular
acidophilic cytoplasm
Small, regular, lined
by simple columnar
epith., dark nuclei,
clear non-granular
cytoplasm
Stroma Smooth muscle is
compact with
streaming
arrangement
Ducts
Smooth muscle is
loose and
trabecular
Open in the upper part Open in the lower
of the urethra
part of the urethra
The Penis
Erectile tissue of the Penis
The erectile tissue of the three corpora of the
penis consists of irregular cavities lined by
endothelium and separated by connective
tissue trabeculae containing elastic fibers and
smooth muscle fibers and sensory nerve
endings. The endothelial cavities are
continuous with the arterial supply and venous
drainage.
Erection is done by loss of muscle tone in the
arterial walls that allow more blood to fill the
cavities of the erectile tissue, resulting in
expansion of these cavities which compress
the veins and prevent its drainage and
increase the size of the spongy penis resulting
in erection.
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