Functional Anatomy of the Prostate

Abstract

The prostate gland develops from solid, endodermal outgrowths of urogenital sinus epithelium during the 12th week of gestation. The sinus is formed by the division of the cloaca into ventral (urogenital sinus) and dorsal (rectal) regions by the growth of the urorectal fold from the lateral walls. As the urorectal septum develops, the mesonephric or Wolffian ducts reach the cloaca caudal to the bladder. They aid in delineating the newly formed urogenital sinus and eventually give rise to the ductus deferens, seminal vesicles and ejaculatory ducts. The Mullerian ducts arise independently, lateral to the mesonephric ducts. During the 8th week of development, they grow caudally and rotate medially to contact the urogenital sinus in the midline at the swelling on the posterior urethral wall, the Mtillerian tubercle. In the presence of the Mullerian inhibiting factor, these ducts quickly atrophy except for the fused distal remnant known as the prostatic utricle, a small blind-ended tubule (Patten 1968).