Prostate

The prostate is an organ of the male reproductive anatomy. This small gland is located directly below the bladder and plays a role in the production and fine tuning of semen.

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The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located between the bladder and the penis. The prostate is just in front of the rectum. The urethra runs through the center of the prostate, from the bladder to the penis, allowing urine to flow out of the body.

The prostate secretes a fluid that nourishes and protects the sperm. During ejaculation, the prostate squeezes this fluid into the urethra and is expelled with sperm as semen.

The vas deferens (singular: vas deferens) carry sperm from the testes to the seminal vesicles. The seminal vesicles provide fluid to semen during ejaculation.

Symptoms of prostate problems

Prostate conditions often cause problems with urination or bladder control. These may include the following:

• poor bladder control, including frequent bathroom visits
• urinary urgency, sometimes with only a small amount of urine
• difficulty starting the urine stream, or stopping and starting the stream while urinating
• a weak or thin urine stream

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