Seminal vesicles

Question 1

What could a submarine possibly have in common with the seminal vesicles?

Answer 1

they’re both full of semen

ha. ha. ha…

Question 2

where are seminal vesicles located?

Answer 2

in the pelvis

Question 3

what are seminal vesicles linked with?

Answer 3

intimately linked with the vas deferens

Question 4

function of seminal vesicles?

Answer 4

seminal vesicles spend their time chugging out most of the constituent ingredients of semen, providing around 70% of its final volume

Question 5

what are the seminal vesicles?

Answer 5

a pair of small (5cm long) tubular glands

Question 6

where are the seminal vesicles located?

Answer 6

between the bladder fundus and the rectum

Question 7

what are the seminal vesicles separated from the rectum by?

Answer 7

by the rectovesicle pouch

males only have 1 pouch, females have 2

Question 8

what is the most important anatomical relation of the seminal vesicle?

Answer 8

with the vas deferens

comes from testis

Question 9

what does the vas deferens combine with the seminal vesicle to form?

Answer 9

form the ejaculatory duct

both join just above the prostate

Question 10

where does the ejaculatory duct (vas deferens + seminal vesicle) drain into?

Answer 10

the prostatic urethra

Question 11

internal structure of the seminal vesicles? (histology)

Answer 11

Internally the gland has a honeycombed, lobulated structure with a mucosa lined by pseudostratified columnar epithelium

Question 12

what are the pseudostratified columnar epithelium of the seminal vesicles influenced by?

Answer 12

highly influenced by testosterone, growing taller with higher levels

Question 13

what are the pseudostratified columnar epithelium of the seminal vesicles responsible for producing?

Answer 13

seminal secretions

in response to testosterone

Question 14

where are the Seminal glands derived from embryologically?

Answer 14

the mesonephric ducts, the precursor structure of male internal genitalia. These structures can easily be remembered using the handy acronym SEED

Question 15

what else is derived from the mesonephric ducts embryologically?

Answer 15

Ejaculatory ducts, Epididymis and Ductus (vas) deferens

and seminal vesicles

Question 16

what are the mesonephric ducts?

Answer 16

the precursor structure of male internal genitalia

Question 17

how can you remember which structures are derived from the mesonephric duct?

Answer 17

SEED:
Seminal vesicles
Ejaculatory ducts (vas deferens + seminal vesicles)
Epididymis
Ductus (vas) deferens

Question 18

what do the secretions from the seminal vesicles contain?

Answer 18

makes up 70% of semen:
Alkaline fluid
Fructose
Prostaglandins
Clotting factors

Question 19

function of alkaline fluid within the seminal vesicles?

Answer 19

neutralises the acidity of the male urethra and vagina in order to facilitate the survival of spermatazoa

Question 20

function of fructose within the seminal vesicles?

Answer 20

provides an energy source for spermatozoa - helps them keep on swimming

Question 21

function of prostaglandins within the seminal vesicles?

Answer 21

have a role in suppressing the female immune response to foreign semen

Question 22

function of clotting factors within the seminal vesicles?

Answer 22

designed to keep semen in the female reproductive tract post-ejaculation

Question 23

what is the remaining volume of semen made up of?

Answer 23

testicular spermatozoa, prostatic secretions and mucus from the bulbourethral gland

Question 24

where are the arteries to the seminal gland derived from?

Answer 24

the inferior vesicle, internal pudendal and middle rectal arteries

Question 25

where do the inferior vesicle, internal pudendal and middle rectal arteries all stem from?

Answer 25

internal iliac artery

Question 26

innervation to seminal vesicles?

Answer 26

same as all male genitalia: point + shoot (ANS)

sympathetic in origin

Question 27

lymphatic drainage of seminal vesicles?

Answer 27

external and internal iliac lymph nodes

Question 28

what can abscess formation in the seminal gland lead to?

Answer 28

can allow pus to enter the peritoneal cavity in the event of rupture

Question 29

how can swollen seminal vesicle glands can be detected?

Answer 29

through digital rectal examination (DRE)

Question 30

when can seminal glands be felt most easily?

Answer 30

through DRE, especially when the bladder is almost at full capacity

Question 31

what can the palpability of the seminal vesicles through DRE allow?

Answer 31

can allow the glands to be massaged to release their secretions, which can be collected and used for the microscopy of certain STIs such as gonnorhoe