Page 825 - Atlas of Histology with Functional Correlations

FIGURE 20.20 ■ Bulbourethral gland. Stain: hematoxylin and eosin. High
magnification.

FUNCTIONAL CORRELATIONS 20.4 ■

Accessory Male Reproductive Glands

The secretory products from the seminal vesicles, prostate gland, and
bulbourethral glands mix with sperm and form fluid semen. Semen provides
the sperm with a transport medium and nutrients. Semen also neutralizes the

acidity of the male urethra and vaginal canal and activates the sperm after
ejaculation.

The seminal vesicles produce a yellowish, viscous fluid with high
concentration of fructose, the main carbohydrate component of semen.
Fructose is metabolized by sperm and serves as the energy source for sperm

motility. Seminal vesicles also produce most of the fluid found in semen
including fibrinogen that coagulates semen after ejaculation and
prostaglandins.

The prostate gland produces a thin, watery, slightly acidic fluid, rich in

citric acid, prostatic acid phosphatase, amylase, and prostate-specific antigen
(PSA). PSA is a very useful diagnostic tool for diagnosing prostatic cancer
because its concentration often increases in the blood during malignancy.
The enzyme fibrinolysin, also produced by prostate gland, liquefies the
congealed semen after its ejaculation.

The bulbourethral glands produce a clear, viscid, mucus-like secretion
that, during sexual stimulation, is released to lubricate the penile urethra and
to neutralize its urine acidity. During ejaculation, secretions from the

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