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A sexual gland exclusive to men
The role of the prostate is essential for fertility. During childhood, the prostate is very small. It begins to grow during puberty when testosterone, a male sex hormone, increases, leading to the growth of the penis, testicles, and scrotum. It is during this period that it becomes one of the male reproductive organs, as it secretes nutrients and fluid necessary for the survival of sperm. Without the prostate, there is no ejaculation. Therefore, the role of the prostate is primarily “useful” for reproduction.
Your prostate also secretes a protein called prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, which keeps sperm in liquid form after ejaculation. This protein is found in small amounts in the blood and provides indications of prostate health. It is an integral part of screening, diagnosis, and follow-up after treatment.
Learn more about its anatomy, structure, and function on this page. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us at 1-855-899-2872 or via chat to speak with one of our healthcare professionals specialized in uro-oncology.
What is the prostate
The prostate is a sexual gland:- Located between the bladder and the penis, just in front of the rectum;
- Formed of 2 lobes that surround the urethra, a canal that runs through the center of the prostate, from the bladder to the penis, allowing urine and sperm to flow out of the body;
- About the size of a walnut, which increases in size in your forties;
- With a soft, spongy texture to the touch.
- glandulaires qui sécrètent les liquides pour l’éjaculation
- musculaires qui participent à l’évacuation de votre sperme au cours de l’éjaculation
- fibreuses qui maintiennent la structure de votre glande
- les vésicules séminales, glandes qui produisent votre sperme et qui sont situées de chaque côté de votre prostate
- le canal déférent, tube qui transporte vos spermatozoïdes du testicule aux vésicules séminales
- les faisceaux nerveux qui contrôlent votre vessie et votre fonction érectile et qui sont situés de chaque côté de votre prostate
Les 3 zones de la prostate
Zone périphérique
- Il s’agit de la région de la prostate la plus proche du rectum; c’est pourquoi le médecin peut facilement la palper au cours d’un toucher rectal (TR). Elle forme la plus grande zone de votre prostate.
- La majorité des tumeurs de la prostate surviennent dans la zone périphérique.
Zone de transition
- Il s’agit de la zone située dans le milieu de la prostate, entre les zones périphériques et centrale. Elle entoure votre l’urètre qui traverse la prostate.
- Avec le vieillissement, la zone transitionnelle augmente de taille jusqu’à ce qu’elle devienne la plus grosse portion de votre prostate. C’est ce qu’on appelle l’hyperplasie bénigne de la prostate (HBP) ou prostate volumineuse.
Zone centrale
- La zone centrale se trouve derrière la zone transitionnelle et entoure les canaux éjaculateurs, qui unissent les vésicules séminales à l’urètre. Elle constitue la partie de la prostate qui est la plus éloignée du rectum. C’est pourquoi les tumeurs de la prostate situées dans cette zone ne peuvent être palpées par le médecin lors d’un toucher rectal.
- Si le médecin a un doute, les indicateurs de référence seront, entre autres:
- votre taux d’APS
- votre âge, votre historique familial de cancer
- votre origine ethnique
En bref
Votre fertilité et fécondation naturelle
- Elle produit… un liquide prostatique riche en enzymes, protéines et minéraux qui nourrit et protège vos spermatozoïdes
- Elle fabrique… une protéine (APS) qui sert à liquéfier votre sperme afin de faciliter la mobilité des vos spermatozoïdes
- Elle permet… l’éjaculation en se contractant
- Elle favorise… la fécondité de par ses enzymes facilitant la pénétration des spermatozoïdes à travers le col utérin
- Elle ne participe pas au mécanisme de l’érection. Par conséquent, l’origine du dysfonctionnement érectile se situe ailleurs
Additional details
La prostate se compose de milliers de minuscules glandes. Plus particulièrement, la prostate est une glande exocrine. Les glandes exocrines portent ce nom parce qu’elles sécrètent des liquides qui transitent par des canaux débouchant vers l’extérieur du corps (ou dans une cavité qui communique avec l’extérieur). Les glandes sudoripares constituent un autre exemple de glandes exocrines.
Le liquide produit par la prostate s’intègre au sperme, c’est-à-dire au liquide séminal qui transporte les spermatozoïdes pendant l’éjaculation. Le liquide élaboré dans la prostate est conservé avec le sperme dans les vésicules séminales. À l’orgasme, des contractions musculaires amènent la prostate à sécréter ce liquide dans l’urètre, d’où il est expulsé du corps par l’intermédiaire du pénis.
La prostate entoure l’urètre dans son trajet de la vessie au pénis. Les changements au niveau de la prostate (voir l’HBP) peuvent avoir des répercussions sur l’écoulement de l’urine. En effet, l’augmentation de la taille de la prostate ou de son tonus musculaire peut entraver l’écoulement de l’urine, de par l’intime relation anatomique qui existe entre l’urètre et la prostate.
De plus, la prostate produit une protéine appelée antigène prostatique spécifique (APS) (les acronymes ASP et PSA sont aussi utilisés pour désigner l’antigène prostatique spécifique). L’APS est libéré avec l’éjaculation et se retrouve aussi dans le sang. L’analyse des concentrations d’APS dans le sang sert à déceler le cancer de la prostate. Il se mesure en nanogrammes par millilitre.
Habituellement, on juge normal un taux d’APS qui affiche moins de 4 nanogrammes par millilitre de sang, mais l’âge doit être prit en considération aussi, l’APS augmentant graduellement de façon normale avec l’âge. Une élévation de la concentration d’APS peut indiquer la présence:
- d’une hypertrophie bénigne de la prostate (HBP)
- d’une prostatite: une infection de la prostate
- d’un cancer de la prostate
Votre spécialiste vous fera passer les tests appropriés pour déterminer la cause exacte de l’augmentation de votre taux d’APS.
Vous avez des questions ou des préoccupations? Surtout, n’hésitez pas. Contactez-nous au 1 855 899-2873 pour discuter avec un de nos professionnels de la santé spécialisés en uro-oncologie. Ils sont là pour écouter, soutenir et répondre à vos questions, celles de votre famille ou de vos proches. C’est simple et gratuit, comme tous nos services d’ailleurs.
Prenez également le temps nécessaire pour consulter chacune de nos pages sur ce site Web, de même que notre chaîne YouTube, question de vous familiariser avec la maladie, nos conférences et nos webinaires animés par des experts, les ressources disponibles, le soutien qui vous est offert, nos événements et les façons de vous impliquer pour faire avancer la cause.
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Sources et références
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On this page:
Discover our animated video!
Symptoms, risk and screening
Are you over 50 years old, or have you been having urinary problems for some time now? This video is for you! Several diseases can affect your prostate, and it’s important to detect them early. Let’s take a closer look.
Anatomy
What is the prostate
The prostate is a gland:
- Located between the bladder and the penis, just in front of the rectum;
- Formed of 2 lobes which surround the urethra, a canal that runs through the center of the prostate, from the bladder to the penis, letting urine and sperm flow out of the body;
- The size of a walnut, which grows larger in size in your forties;
- That has a soft, spongy texture to the touch like a small, ripe plum.
The prostate is made of:
- Gland cells that secrete liquids for ejaculation;
- Muscle cells that participate in the evacuation of your sperm during ejaculation;
- Fiber cells that maintain the structure of the gland.
Around the prostate, we find:
- The seminal vesicles, glands that produce sperm and that are located on either side of the prostate;
- The vas deferens, the tube that carries sperm from the testicle to the seminal vesicles;
- The nerve bundles that control your bladder and erectile function and that are located on either side of your prostate.
Structure
Three main zones of the prostate
Peripheral zone
- The peripheral zone is the largest area of the prostate. It can easily be felt by the doctor during a digital rectal exam (DRE).
- Most prostate cancers start in the peripheral zone.
Transition zone
- This is the area located in the middle of the prostate, between the peripheral and central areas. It surrounds your urethra that runs through the prostate.
- With age, the transitional area increases in size until it becomes the largest portion of your prostate. This is called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or enlarged prostate.
Central zone
- It is the part of the prostate that is farthest from the rectum. This is why prostate tumors located in this area can not be felt by the doctor during a digital rectal examination.
- If the doctor is in doubt, the following information will help decide if additional investigation is necessary:
- Your PSA level
- Your age and family history
- Your ethnic origin
Fonction
In short
Your fertility and natural fertilization
- It produces … a prostatic fluid rich in enzymes, proteins and minerals that nourishes and protects your spermatozoa.
- It makes … a protein (APS) that is used to liquefy your sperm to facilitate the mobility of your spermatozoa.
- It allows … ejaculation by contracting.
- It promotes … fertility through its enzymes facilitating the penetration of sperm through the cervix.
- It is not related to the mechanism of erection. Therefore, the origin of erectile dysfunction lies elsewhere.
Additional details
Exocrine Function
The prostate is made up of thousands of tiny fluid-producing glands. Specifically, the prostate is an exocrine gland. Exocrine glands are so-called because they secrete through ducts to the outside of the body (or into a cavity that communicates with the outside). Sweat glands are another example of an exocrine gland.
The fluid that the prostate gland produces forms part of semen, the fluid that carries sperm during orgasm. This fluid, produced in the prostate, is stored with sperm in the seminal vesicles. When the male climaxes, muscular contractions cause the prostate to secrete this fluid into the urethra, where it is expelled from the body through the penis.
Urine Flow
The prostate wraps itself around the urethra as it passes from the bladder to the penis. Prostatic changes can affect urine flow. Increasing the size of the prostate or muscle tone may impede the flow of urine due to the close anatomical relationship between the urethra and the prostate.
Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA)
The prostate also produces a protein called prostate-specific antigen (PSA). PSA is released with the ejaculatory fluid and can also be traced in the bloodstream. The testing of PSA levels in the blood is used to detect prostate cancer. The level of PSA in the blood is usually measured in nanograms of PSA per milliliter of blood (ng/mL).
A raised PSA level
Usually, a PSA rate of less than 4 nanograms per milliliter of blood is normal, but age should also be taken into consideration as PSA levels gradually increase with age. A rise in PSA concentration may indicate the presence of:
- An enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia)
- An inflammation or infection of the prostate (prostatitis)
- A prostate cancer
Your doctor will have you undergo other tests to determine the exact cause of the increase in your PSA.
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You have questions or concerns? Don’t hesitate. Contact us at 1-855-899-2873 to discuss with one of our nurses specialized in uro-oncology. They are there to listen, support and answer your questions, and those of your family or your loved ones. It’s simple and free, like all of our other services.
Also take the time to visit each of our pages on this website, as well as our YouTube channel, in order to get familiar with the disease, our expert lectures, our section on available resources, the support that is offered to you, our events and ways to get involved to advance the cause..
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The medical content and editorial team at PROCURE
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Sources and references
- Prostate Cancer – Understand the disease and its treatments; Fred Saad, MD, FRCSC and Michael McCormack, MD, FRCSC, 4th et 5th editions
- Canadian Cancer Society
- Prostate Cancer Foundation-PCF.org
- National Cancer Institute-USA
- American Cancer Society
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
- Prostate Cancer UK
Last medical and editorial review: September 2023
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