Bulbourethral glands Flashcards
what are the bulbourethral glands also known as?
Cowper’s glands
what are the bulbourethral glands?
a pair of pea shaped exocrine glands located posterolateral to the membranous urethra
what do the bulbourethral glands contribute to?
to the final volume of semen by producing a lubricating mucus secretion
where can the bulbourethral glands be found within?
enclosed within the fibres of the external urethral sphincter
where are the bulbourethral glands situated?
posterolateral to the membranous urethra and superior to the bulb of the penis
where do the ducts of the bulbourethral glands penetrate?
The ducts of the gland penetrate the perineal membrane alongside the membranous urethra
where do the ducts of the bulbourethral glands open into?
the proximal portion of the spongy urethra
how can the bulbourethral glands be described as? (histology)
compound tubulo-alveolar glands lined by columnar epithelium
where are the bulbourethral glands derived from embryologically?
urogenital sinus, along with the bladder, prostate and urethra
function of the bulbourethral glands?
produce a mucus secretion which serves as lubrication during sexual arousal in males
what are the secretions of the bulbourethral glands like?
alkaline in nature and may help to neutralise residual acidity in the male urethra
what is a theory for explaining the failure of common contraceptive techniques such as the withdrawal method?
It has been theorised that secretion from bulbourethral glands can sometimes carry sperm into the female reproductive tract prior to ejaculation
blood supply to bulbourethral glands?
the arteries to the bulb of the penis
innervation of bulbourethral glands?
receive autonomic (involuntary) innervation derived from the prostatic plexus
how do you remember when it is sympathetic and when it is parasympathetic innervation to the bulbourethral glands?
Point and Shoot!
The bulbourethral glands contract during ejaculation (shooting). This is therefore a sympathetic function, as opposed to the parasympathetic control of erection (pointing)
(sympathetic - ejaculation (shoot))
(parasympathetic - erection (point))
