Learning objectives
After completing this study unit you will be able to:
The urinary bladder is a hollow distensible muscular organ which functions to temporarily store urine. When empty, the urinary bladder is shaped like a pyramid and lies entirely within the lesser pelvis. As the bladder begins to fill, it becomes ovoid and expands in an upward direction to occupy a part of the greater pelvis.
The male urinary bladder is located just inferior to the peritoneum and lies anterior to the rectum, anterosuperior to the prostate gland and posterior to the pubic symphysis. It is made up of four distinct parts known as the apex, body, fundus and neck, as well as three surfaces: a superior surface and two inferolateral surfaces. Extending from the neck of the bladder is the urethra.
The male urethra is a roughly 20cm long tube and extends from the internal urethral orifice of the neck of the bladder to the external urethral orifice of the penile glans. From proximal to distal, it is divided into the intramural/preprostatic, prostatic, membranous and spongy urethra and features openings for the prostatic fluid, semen from the testes and excretions of the bulbourethral glands.
Find out more about the anatomical structure, neurovasculature and surrounding structures of the male urinary bladder and urethra by watching the video below!
Time to consolidate all that knowledge with a quiz!
For a broader range of topics try out the fully customizable quiz below, which allows you to save your topic selections so that you can quiz yourself later.
Explore the anatomical features and surrounding structures of the male urinary bladder and urethra seen on a coronal section in the gallery below.
Explore the anatomical features and surrounding structures of the male urinary bladder and urethra seen on a coronal section in the gallery below!
Now that you have a good understanding of the male urinary bladder, let’s explore its surrounding structures and relations from different perspectives.
Finally lets take a look at a longitudinal cross section of the penis and male urethra in the gallery below!
Surfaces | Superior, left inferolateral and right inferolateral |
Parts | Apex, body, fundus and neck |
Lining/wall | Peritoneum (superior surface only), pelvic visceral fascia Bladder wall: Serosa (reflection of peritoneum), detrusor vesicae muscle, subserosa and mucosa |
Internal features | Right ureteral orifice, left ureteral orifice, interureteric crest, trigone, uvula of bladder, internal urethral orifice |
Neurovascular supply |
Arterial: Superior vesical artery, inferior vesical artery Venous: Vesical venous plexus (vesical veins) Nerve: Vesical plexus, inferior hypogastric plexus |
Surrounding structures and spaces |
Superior: Pelvic visceral fascia, peritoneal membrane, sigmoid colon Anterior: Retropubic space, pubic symphysis Posterior: Seminal gland, rectoprostatic fascia, rectovesical pouch, rectum Inferior: Prostate, levator ani muscle |
Begins | Internal urethral orifice (of urinary bladder) |
Ends | External urethral orifice (glans penis) |
Parts | Preprostatic/intramural part, prostatic part (crest of urethra, prostatic ducts, seminal colliculus, opening of ejaculatory ducts), membranous part and spongy part (bulbourethral glands, ampulla of urethra, navicular fossa) |
Neurovascular supply |
Arterial: Inferior vesical artery, artery of bulb of penis Venous: Prostatic venous plexus Nerve: Prostatic plexus, pudendal nerve |
Surrounding structures | Prostate, external urethral sphincter, corpus spongiosum, bulbospongiosus muscle, corpus cavernosum |
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