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Anatomy of the Man Quiz
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Which anatomical relationship best explains why enlargement of the prostate commonly causes lower urinary tract symptoms?
- A The prostate lies superior to the urinary bladder You picked ✕
- B The prostate is positioned posterior to the seminal vesicles You picked ✕
- C The prostate surrounds the proximal urethra You picked ✓
- D The prostate is embedded within the detrusor muscle You picked ✕
- E The prostate drains directly into the ureters You picked ✕
Correct!
Incorrect
The answer is C: The prostate surrounds the proximal urethra
Explanation
Why C is correct
See Anatomy of the Man. Option C is correct. The prostate is a gland (the largest accessory gland of the male reproductive system) that sits just below the neck of the bladder, with the urethra passing straight through its centre. This stretch of urethra is called the prostatic urethra. A good image is a doughnut threaded onto a straw: if the doughnut swells, it squeezes the straw. In benign prostatic hyperplasia, a non-cancerous overgrowth of the gland, the cells of the inner (transition) zone around the urethra multiply, and the enlarged gland narrows the urethra and causes bladder outflow obstruction (a blockage to the flow of urine out of the bladder). This produces lower urinary tract symptoms: difficulty starting to pass urine, a weak or stop-start flow, and feeling that the bladder has not fully emptied. If the obstruction is severe the bladder cannot empty properly, and urinary retention or infection can follow.
- Position: the prostate sits just below the bladder neck and the urethra runs through its centre.
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia: overgrowth of the inner (transition) zone squeezes the prostatic urethra.
- Result: bladder outflow obstruction, with a weak, hesitant, stop-start stream.
Why the other options are incorrect
- A. The prostate lies superior to the urinary bladder: The prostate lies below the bladder, just under the bladder neck, not above it. A gland above the bladder could not squeeze the urethra, which leaves the bladder from below. Your answer
- B. The prostate is positioned posterior to the seminal vesicles: The seminal vesicles lie above the prostate, so the prostate does not sit behind them. In any case, its position relative to the seminal vesicles has no effect on urine flow; its relationship to the urethra is what matters. Your answer
- D. The prostate is embedded within the detrusor muscle: The detrusor is the smooth muscle of the bladder wall. The prostate is a separate gland below the bladder neck and is not embedded in the detrusor, so its enlargement does not act through the bladder wall. Your answer
- E. The prostate drains directly into the ureters: The prostate does not drain into the ureters, which carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Its secretions pass into the urethra and join the semen. Your answer
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1
Which cell type is the main source of testosterone in the male reproductive system?
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2
Which structure is primarily responsible for penile rigidity during erection?
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