The Prostate And Prostate Problems

The prostate is a male sex gland by making part of male reproductive system with the testes, scrotum, penis, seminal vesicles and ducts that serve to nurture, to save and transporting sperm.

In the adult prostate is similar in shape and size of a walnut, located just below the bladder and entirely cover the initial part of the urethra. The urethra is the one that carries urine and semen to the outside of the body through the penis.

The main function of the prostate is to produce liquid prostate during ejaculation. This fluid nourishes and protects the sperm during intercourse and is the main component of semen.

The prostate is composed of approximately 40 small clusters of glands that produce prostatic fluid which is transported to the prostatic urethra

The prostate has 3 main areas encapsulated within a fibrous capsule: The peripheral zone or outer gland, consisting of approximately 65% of glandular tissue, the central zone or inner gland made up 25% of glandular tissue and the transitional zone, It surrounds the urethra prostate and comprises 10% of glandular tissue. The prostate cancer usually develops in the glandular area, thus the area most affected gland is the external or peripheral zone which contains more glandular tissue.

The size of the prostate in the adult is balanced with the death of old cells and their replacement by new cells. This balance is regulated mainly by androgen hormones especially testosterone.

To maintain this balance requires the proper functioning of the system known as the hypothalamus-pituitary-testicular axis, where the hypothalamus produces hormones that act on the pituitary gland regulate the production of testosterone, speaking simultaneously in the pituitary gland, which is physically linked with the hypothalamus, and that also acts on the testes and adrenal glands, stimulating the production of testosterone by the testes much, much less by the adrenals (5%)

The testes contain tiny tubes called seminiferous ducts stimulated by the hormone (follicle) produce sperm. Located between the seminiferous tubules are Leydig cells that produce testosterone from cholesterol through the stimulation of the hormone LH (luteinizing)

Testosterone is the most important male sex hormone and it depends on the development and maturation of the male sex organs including the prostate.