Anatomy of the Bladder, Urethra, Gonads Flashcards
What is the median umbilical ligament.
The median umbilical ligament is an embryological remanant of the uracus that is attached to the bladder.
What was the function of the median umbilical ligament in the fetus?
The median umbilical ligament allowed waste products to move up the umbilicus to the mother for excretion.
What is the specialised muscle of the bladder called?
Detrusor muscle
Explain the transit of urine from the collecting duct to bladder.
Collecting duct —> minor calyces —> major calyces —> renal pelvis —> ureter —> bladder
When the bladder is full stretch receptors send an impulse to where?
Pelvic splanchnic nerves in the sacral region.
What region in the brain controls micturition?
The pontine micturition centre (pons)
What nerve controls the external urethral sphincter?
Pudendal nerve
Explain the differences between smooth and skeletal muscle of the bladder.
EUS = skeletal muscle
IUS = smooth muscle
Detrusor muscle = smooth muscle
Explain the process of micturition.
- When the bladder is full stretch receptors send impulses to the pelvic splanchnic nerves in the sacral region.
- PNS sends signals causing the detrusor muscle of the bladder to contract, and stimulate relaxation of the IUS.
- Inhibitory signals mean the EUS does not relax preventing micturition.
- When you need to urinate the pudendal stops sending inhibitory signals to the EUS and it relaxes.
- The detrusor muscle then contracts, and you pee!
What ligament in men holds the neck of the bladder in position?
Puboprostatic ligament
What ligament in women holds the neck of the bladder in position?
Pubovesical ligament
Why do men have additional support at the neck of the bladder compared to women?
The presence of the prostate.
Explain the development of the urogenital sinus.
From week 4 the urorectal septum begins to develop in the cloaca creating a urogenital tract and an anorectal tract.
Where does the bladder develop from?
The anterior portion of the cloaca
What is the uracus?
The embryological median umbilical ligament that takes waste from the primitive bladder to the umbilicus.
What supports the female urethra?
The pubovesical ligament
Explain the path the female urethra takes.
Short path, passing through the levator ani and urogenital diaphragm, opening at the vestibule.
What are the four parts of the male urethra?
- Preprostatic part
- Prostatic part
- Membranous part
- Spongy/Penile part
Where does the prostatic part of the male urethra pass through?
The prostate
Where does the membranous part of the male urethra pass through?
The perineal pouch and the perineal membrane
What surrounds the spongy/penile portion of the male urethra?
The spongy part of the male urethra is surrounded by the corpus spongiosum and bulbospngiosum muscle.
What ligament supports the male urethra?
Puboprostatic ligament
What does the prostate produce?
Prostatic fluid that makes up 30% of semen
What forms the ejaculatory duct?
Gland from the seminal vesicle joins with the vans deferens to form the ejaculatory duct.
Where does the ejaculatory duct empty into?
The prostatic urethra
What type of epithelial cells line the uterus?
Check in netters - columnar epithelium
What type of epithelial cells line the vagina?
Stratified non-keratinized epithelium
What is the internal os of the cervix?
The opening between the cervical canal and uterine cavity.
What is the external os of the cervix?
The opening between the cervical canal and vagina.
Where and what is the squamocolumnar junction?
Found at the external os and is where columnar cells of the uterus meet stratified cells of the vagina.
What is meant by the angle of anteflexion?
Anteflexion is the angle of the axis of the uterus to the axis of the cervix
What is meant by the angle to anteversion?
Anteversion is the angle of the vagina to uterus
Where do the internal gonads initially develop?
Posterior abdominal wall
What brings the internal gonads down from the posterior abdominal wall?
Gubernaculum
What does the gubernaculum connect?
Internal gonads to the labioscrotal swelling
