Urinary Tract Male

In the human male, the urethra is about 8 inches (20 cm) long and opens at the end of the penis. The urethra provides an exit for urine as well as semen during ejaculation. The urethra is divided into four parts in men, named after the location:
1. Pre-prostatic urethra: This is the intramural part of the urethra and varies between 0.5 and 1.5 cm in length depending on the fullness of the bladder.
2. Prostatic urethra: Crosses through the prostate gland. There are several openings: (1) the ejaculatory duct, (2) several prostatic ducts, (3) the prostatic utricle.
3. Membranous urethra: A small (1 or 2 cm) portion passing through the external urethral sphincter. This is the narrowest part of the urethra. It is located in the deep perineal pouch. The bulbourethral glands (Cowper's gland) are found posterior to this region but open in the spongy urethra.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia

The prostate is a male gland about the size of a chestnut, which surrounds the urethra (water pipe) just below the bladder. The prostate is thought to have a role in male fertility. The vas deferens tube (which carries sperms from the testicles) passes through the prostate and the sperms are mixed with seminal fluid to make semen. In many men, with increasing age, the prostate grows and as it does so it may compress the urethra. The growth in itself is harmless and the condition is called benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH).