What Does The Prostate Gland Secrete

What Does Seminal Fluid Do

The prostate gland, seminal vesicles and vas deferens

Seminal fluid, is specially designed by the body to protect, nurture and transport sperm cells on their journey into the female body to give them the best chance of fertilizing an egg. It is highly optimized to do this job perfectly. It contains key nutrients that provide energy and protect sperm cells from getting damaged. It is thicker than most liquids and is designed to stick to the cervix to help sperm get as close to the egg as possible.

Can Prostate Cancer Be Prevented

There are no clear prevention strategies for prostate cancer. There is some conflicting evidence that a healthy diet composed of low fat, high vegetables and fruits may help reduce your risk of prostate cancer. Routine screening, with PSA blood test and physical exam, is important to detect prostate cancer at an early stage. A healthy diet and regular exercise are also critical in maintaining good health and preventing disease in general.

Markers Of Male Accessory Glands And Infection

Infection of male accessory glands can occur as prostatitis, prostatic-vesiculitis and prostate-vesiculo-epididymitis. MAGI can have a negative impact on the secretory function of the glands and on fertility. MAGI is often acquired as a urethral infection, it has a chronic course and it spreads to one or more accessory glands, being able to cover one or both sides, rarely causing obstruction of the seminal routes. The seminal alterations are more evident when the infection reaches two or more glands. The inflammatory response has been associated with the alteration of the seminal parameters when affecting function of the epididymis, seminal vesicles and prostate, especially by diminishing the antioxidant properties of the seminal plasma .

Several protein components of seminal plasma are produced by certain types of tissues of the male urogenital tract therefore, the difference in the concentration of these semen proteins could be indicators of a specific organ disease. This concept is best illustrated by the value of prostate-specific antigen as a marker of prostate diseases. The PSA was originally discovered in semen and was isolated from it and is the most used marker to identify prostate cancer, being higher in semen than in blood serum . PSA is a serine protease that cleaves semenogelin by hydrolysis and thus liquefies the semen coagulum and facilitates sperm motility and capacitation .

Recommended Reading: Is Zinc Good For Prostate

The Importance Of A Healthy General Way Of Life

The regular practice of a sport is recommended. Beware of sports that are too extensive or location too much pressure on the pelvic floor , as they can aggravate prostate adenoma.Likewise, maintaining sexual activity if it is reasonable, also plays a protective role.Tobacco and alcohol, like all pro-inflammatory compounds, need to be

prevented. And yes, the more swelling there is in the body, the higher the prostates risk.To prevent troubles, such as a frequent requirement to urinate, connected to prostate conditions, certain habits can be adopted:
Prevent holding yourself back for long periods when you feel the requirement to urinate, as the bladder would then press excessive on the prostate.Prevent constipation the maintained stool might compress the prostate.
Make the effort to empty your bladder when you urinate.
Adapt your water usage to your activity: avoid drinking excessive before bedtime or a long car journey. Prostate Cancer Causes Seminal Fluid

Three Main Zones Of The Prostate

Prostate: Functions, diseases, and tests

Peripheral zone

The peripheral zone is the largest area of the prostate. It can easily be felt by the doctor during a digital rectal exam .
Most prostate cancers start in the peripheral zone.

Transition zone

This is the area located in the middle of the prostate, between the peripheral and central areas. It surrounds your urethra that runs through the prostate.
With age, the transitional area increases in size until it becomes the largest portion of your prostate. This is called benign prostatic hyperplasia or enlarged prostate.

Central zone

It is the part of the prostate that is farthest from the rectum. This is why prostate tumors located in this area can not be felt by the doctor during a digital rectal examination.
If the doctor is in doubt, the following information will help decide if additional investigation is necessary:
The PSA level

Also Check: Expressed Prostatic Secretion

So What Does The Prostate Do

The prostate is not an essential organ for life, but its quite crucial for reproduction. It plays an active part in reproduction by secreting the prostatic fluid, which forms part of healthy semen the perfect environment for the transit and survival of sperm. Healthy semen includes the enzyme PSA , together with other substances secreted in the prostate and seminal vesicles, such as citrate, zinc and fructose, which supply sperm with the energy to travel to the egg. There are also various antibodies in semen to protect sperm and the urinary tract from bacteria and different pathogens.

Components Of The Seminal Plasma

Seminal plasma has a wide variety of elements, which are formed by the testicle, the seminiferous ducts and the glands. Some proteins of seminal plasma produced by type of tissues are considered markers. The increase or decrease in the levels of these markers may be indicative of a pathological process in a specific tissue .

Spermiogram is the most important test in the study of infertile man. In the semen sample, the spermatozoa and the products of secretion of the seminiferous ways and accessory glands are evaluated. The fifth version of the seminal analysis of the Manual of the World Health Organization showed some lower reference index established to the seminal characteristics in 95% of a fertile population . However, the information in this manual is very limited in interpretation if some characteristics are abnormally high such as density sperm , pH , seminal volume and markers of male accessory glands fructose, zinc and neutral alpha glucosidase.

Figure 1.

Male accessory glands and their main products of secretions.

Also Check: Transition Zone Prostate

Treatment For Prostate Disease

Treatment for prostatitis may include antibacterial drugs and supportive treatments, depending on the type of prostatitis.Treatment for BPH may include medications to relax the smooth muscle of the gland or to shrink the size of the prostate, and surgery to produce a permanently widened channel in the part of the urethra that passes through the prostate.Treatment for prostate cancer is tailored to suit individual circumstances. The nature of the cancer, other health problems the person may have, and their wishes will all be taken into account.Management approaches for prostate cancer include:

active surveillance

What Is Seminal Fluid

What Is The Prostate And What Does It Do?

Seminal fluid is the fluid emitted from the male reproductive tract. The semen contains sperm cells capable of fertilizing female eggs. It also consists of seminal plasma, i.e., other liquids that maintain the viability of sperm cells.

For centuries, scientists have been exploring seminal fluid to see how it works. The spermatozoa were first observed in ejaculate specimens in the 17th century. Until the discovery of ovum in 1827, the underlying mechanisms of human fertilization werent fully understood.

The interest in the development of technologies for seminal fluid analysis increased significantly in the early 1900s.

Scientists designed the standard methodologies for the seminal fluid analysis in the first half of the 20th century. Before the 1930s, the semen analysis was clinically unavailable. This was due to the lack of tools or methods that would test the characteristics of the sperm.

The development of methodologies offered valuable insight into the seminal fluid. They learned a lot about its functions and its relationship with mens health. Regardless of the available methodologies, the analysis of the seminal fluid is a controversial subject.

For instance, the analysis of the seminal fluid is the gold standard for evaluating sperm production and quality. But, it is a poor predictor of mens reproductive capacity. We will discuss the role of seminal fluid further in this post.

You May Like: External Prostate Massage Prostatitis

Read Also: Is Zinc Good For Prostate

Other Names For Prostate Orgasm

The prostate is sometimes called the male g-spot, or the p-spot, a reference to the area inside the vagina, called the g-spot, that may lead to orgasm.

Some people use the phrase âprostate milkingâ instead of prostate massage.

âProstate massage,â âprostate orgasm,â and âprostate milkingâ are often used interchangeably. However, some use âprostate milkingâ to describe only orgasms from internal, rather than perineal, massage.

Growth Of The Prostate

The prostate grows bigger as men age. Typically the prostate undergoes growth during adolescence driven by the male hormone, testosterone, and the hormones byproduct, dihydrotestosterone . Testosterone hormone is primarily produced in the testes, but smaller quantities also can be secreted in the adrenal glands found just above the kidneys. By the age of 40 the prostate might have grown from a walnut-sized to apricot-sized gland. And by the age of 60 it might have reached the size of a lemon.

Recommended Reading: Does Enlarged Prostate Affect Ejaculation

Prostate Problems: Prostate Enlargement/benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Benign prostatic hyperplasia or hypertrophy is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. It usually affects older men. About 50% of men over the age of 50 years have BPH the rate increases with increasing age. Up to 90% in men over 80 years of age are affected by BPH . Other than age, risk factors for developing BPH, include obesity, family history, atherosclerosis, and type 2 diabetes . The exact cause of BPH is unknown, but testosterone and dihydrotestosterone are implicated in both normal prostate growth and abnormal growth that occurs in prostate cancer. There are several theories regarding why these two male hormones are involved in both normal and abnormal growth. One theory is that as men age the amount of testosterone in their blood decreases, leaving more estrogen behind. It is this higher estrogen to testosterone ratio that may encourage prostate cell growth . Another is that decreasing testosterone levels lead to an increase in DHT, which may also promote prostate cell growth . Lastly, chronic inflammation is thought to play an increasing role in this condition. Its more likely that a combination of these things leads to prostate growth . The growth in BPH is mainly at the transitional zone of the prostate . As it gets bigger, it can put pressure on the prostatic urethra and the base of the bladder. This pressure leads to LUTS, which include straining, weak stream, urinary retention, frequency, and urgency.

Inflammation Of The Prostate Gland

Prostate Glands: Function, Conditions, and Treatments ...

Bacteria sometimes cause prostatitis . More commonly, the underlying cause is uncertain. Consult your doctor promptly if you experience:

fever
pain in the groin
urgent and frequent urination.

Treatment with antibiotics is essential for acute bacterial prostatitis. Admission to hospital is often necessary and, as with chronic bacterial prostatitis, specific antibacterial drugs are required for a long time.

You May Like: Chemo Pills For Prostate Cancer

How Is Semen Produced

In order to truly understand the semen production process, its crucial to know as much as possible about male reproductive health. It would be impossible to take out semen production and leave everything else behind. So were going to start from the very beginning.

In the sexually mature man, the testes produce sperm cells. These cells account for only about two to five percent of the total volume of semen. Upon reach puberty, a man will produce millions of sperm cells daily. Each sperm cell is about 0.05 millimeters long.

While sperm travels through the male reproductive tract, it is bathed in seminal fluids. These fluids are made and secreted by tubules and glands, which we will discuss below. Once it emerges from mans testes, the sperm is stored in the epididymis.

The epididymis is a tube that connects the testes and vas deferens. Vas deferens is a duct that transports sperm from the epididymis to the ejaculatory duct. In the epididymis, the secretions of sodium, glyceryl phosphorylcholine, and potassium join the sperm. Then, sperm passes through vas deferens to the ampulla or storage area.

The ampulla secretes fructose to nourish the sperm. It also secretes ergothioneine, a yellowish fluid, to decrease or remove oxygen from chemical compounds. The pre-ejaculatory fluid from seminal vesicles and the prostate dilute the sperm.

How Do You Find It

Youll need to head south along the back road to find it in a magical place called the anal region.

Although entering through the anus is the most direct way, you can also stimulate the prostate indirectly through the perineum, or taint.

This is the skin that runs underneath the scrotum to the anus.

Recommended Reading: Can Cycling Irritate The Prostate

How Does The Male Reproductive System Function

The entire male reproductive system is dependent on hormones. These are chemicals that stimulate or regulate the activity of your cells or organs. The primary hormones involved in the functioning of the male reproductive system are follicle-stimulating hormone , luteinizing hormone and testosterone.

FSH and LH are produced by the pituitary gland. Its located at the base of your brain and its responsible for many functions in your body. FSH is necessary for sperm production . LH stimulates the production of testosterone, which is necessary to continue the process of spermatogenesis. Testosterone is also important in the development of male characteristics, including muscle mass and strength, fat distribution, bone mass and sex drive.

The Prostate Gland: What It Is And Why It Can Cause Problems

What is the role and function of the prostate gland?

When we hear the word prostate, its often with respect to something having gone wrong with it. Indeed, this rather small gland is so well known for the problems it can cause, that many people are unaware of its essential role in the male reproductive system. Well get to some of those problems in due course, but first lets first get familiar with what the prostate is, where it is, and what it does.

Don’t Miss: Prostatitis Viagra

How Common Is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is the most common prostate problem for men older than age 50. In 2010, as many as 14 million men in the United States had lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia.1 Although benign prostatic hyperplasia rarely causes symptoms before age 40, the occurrence and symptoms increase with age. Benign prostatic hyperplasia affects about 50 percent of men between the ages of 51 and 60 and up to 90 percent of men older than 80.2

Dont Miss: Does An Enlarged Prostate Affect A Man Sexually

What Is The Male Reproductive System

The male has reproductive organs, or genitals, that are both inside and outside the pelvis. The male genitals include:

the testicles
the duct system, which is made up of the epididymis and the vas deferens
the accessory glands, which include the seminal vesicles and prostate gland
the penis

In a guy who has reached sexual maturity, the two oval-shaped testicles, or testes make and store millions of tiny sperm cells. The testicles are also part of the endocrine system because they make hormones, including testosterone .

Testosterone is a major part of puberty in boys, and as a guy makes his way through puberty, his testicles produce more and more of it. Testosterone is the hormone that causes boys to develop deeper voices, bigger muscles, and body and facial hair. It also stimulates the production of sperm.

Alongside the testicles are the epididymis and the vas deferens, which transport sperm. The epididymis and the testicles hang in a pouch-like structure outside the pelvis called the scrotum. This bag of skin helps to regulate the temperature of testicles, which need to be kept cooler than body temperature to produce sperm. The scrotum changes size to maintain the right temperature. When the body is cold, the scrotum shrinks and becomes tighter to hold in body heat. When its warm, it gets larger and floppier to get rid of extra heat. This happens without a guy ever having to think about it. The brain and the nervous system give the scrotum the cue to change size.

You May Like: Chemo Treatment For Prostate Cancer

Spongy Internal Tissue Is Key To The Reproductive Function Of The Penis

The penis is part of the male external genitalia, suspended from the body at the front and sides of the pubic arch. Internally, the penis consists of three connected columns of tissue. The paired corpora cavernosa extend together from the root of the penis through the body. The corpus spongiosum runs along the underside of the cavernosa. It contains the spongy urethra and expands past the body of the penis to form the glans penis . The tissue of the corpora cavernosa and the corpus spongiosum is spongelike in structure. During arousal and intercourse, the spaces in the tissue fill with blood. The penis stiffens. Now it can penetrate the vagina to deliver semen directly into the female reproductive system.

With A Massager Strap

If youre playing with sex toys, you can really mix it up by playing with the different vibration settings, as well as pressure and depth.

Pressure. Controlling pressure when using a toy is easier, especially when youre playing solo. Try pressing the toy against the prostate using more or less pressure till you find your sweet spot.
Depth. Depth is another area where toys win out since reaching can make it hard to go deep, if thats what you crave. Try different sized anal toys or get a longer one that you can insert as deep as your bottom desires.
Vibrations. You can buy prostate massagers that offer up multiple speed and pulse settings. Play with the different settings to find your preference. Up the vibes as you get closer to orgasm.
Sensation. Some prostate massagers have an attached external stimulator to give your perineum some sweet lovin while the other end penetrates. Who doesnt love a hard worker?

Want a little more?

If your partner has a penis, you can kick things up a notch with penis-in-anus penetration. Prostate stimulation for you, penile stimulation for them and a happy ending for you both.

Different positions can make reaching and pleasuring the prostate easier. These positions work for external and internal prostate stimulation, alone and with a partner.

Dont Miss: What Is The Natural Cure For Prostate Cancer

Don’t Miss: How To Find The Prostate Gland Externally

Must read