Urethra: Male
The urethra is a fibromuscular tube that conveys urine from the bladder to the external urethra orifice. In males, the urethra is about 20 cm long and begins with the prostatic region at the neck of the bladder. Subsequent subdivisions are a short membranous urethra, which leads into the long penile (spongy) urethra. The penile urethra travels in the corpus spongiosum on the ventral side of the penis. 40x, 400x, 200x, 1000x (inset)
Penis
The urethra is a fibromuscular tube that conveys urine from the bladder to the external urethra orifice. In males, the urethra is about 20 cm long and begins with the prostatic region at the neck of the bladder. Subsequent subdivisions are a short membranous urethra, which leads into the long penile (spongy) urethra. The penile urethra travels in the corpus spongiosum on the ventral side of the penis. 40x, 400x, 200x, 1000x (inset)
- Corpora cavernosa
The urethra is a fibromuscular tube that conveys urine from the bladder to the external urethra orifice. In males, the urethra is about 20 cm long and begins with the prostatic region at the neck of the bladder. Subsequent subdivisions are a short membranous urethra, which leads into the long penile (spongy) urethra. The penile urethra travels in the corpus spongiosum on the ventral side of the penis. 40x, 400x, 200x, 1000x (inset)
- Corpus spongiosum
The urethra is a fibromuscular tube that conveys urine from the bladder to the external urethra orifice. In males, the urethra is about 20 cm long and begins with the prostatic region at the neck of the bladder. Subsequent subdivisions are a short membranous urethra, which leads into the long penile (spongy) urethra. The penile urethra travels in the corpus spongiosum on the ventral side of the penis. 40x, 400x, 200x, 1000x (inset)
- Urethral lumen
The urethra is a fibromuscular tube that conveys urine from the bladder to the external urethra orifice. In males, the urethra is about 20 cm long and begins with the prostatic region at the neck of the bladder. Subsequent subdivisions are a short membranous urethra, which leads into the long penile (spongy) urethra. The penile urethra travels in the corpus spongiosum on the ventral side of the penis. 40x, 400x, 200x, 1000x (inset)
Epithelium of urethra >
For most of its length, the spongy urethra is lined by a stratified columnar epithelium; however, patches of stratified squamous moist epithelium (red double arrows) are common. At its distal end, the epithelium of the spongy urethral epithelium blends with that of the glans penis to become stratified squamous.
Glands of Littre >
The surface of the mucosa has numerous infoldings that extend into the lamina propria as the mucus-secreting glands of Littre (urethral glands).
Image credits >
Images were taken from slides in the Drexel University and the University of Iowa slide collections.
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