A day in the life of your prostate gland

A day in the life of your prostate gland

It is commonly known what our heart or our eyes do all day long.  But, what does the prostate gland do each day?   What kind of duties does it have and how important are they? Men are aware that their prostate gland performs certain functions but when asked what it does, few realize the various jobs this busy organ has.  For a small gland the size of a walnut, the prostate is responsible for keeping the male reproductive system on task. Located in front of the rectum and just below the bladder surrounding the urethra, over the course of a day, it has plenty of things to do keeping it busy.

Let’s take a look at the many functions the prostate gland performs helping keep the male reproductive system up and running:

·      Produces prostatic fluid

The most important function of the prostate is for the production of a fluid that, together with sperm cells from the testicles and fluids from other glands, makes up semen.  Seminal fluid is designed to carry and nourish sperm.  The prostate gland’s contribution to this mixture is to provide an alkaline mixture of calcium, enzymes, and other components that make up about 30% of the seminal fluid.  The alkaline fluid helps to neutralize the acidic vaginal environment which would otherwise kill sperm.

·      Expels semen out of the body

Besides producing part of the seminal fluid for sperm to survive in, the muscles of the prostate are responsible for forcefully discharging sperm into the urethra helping to expel sperm outwards during ejaculation.  The vigorous expulsion during ejaculation ensures that the sperm can travel far enough into a woman’s vagina to reach the fallopian tubes for fertilization of an egg.

·      Produces prostate specific antigen (PSA) which helps with fertility

Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by epithelial cells of the prostate gland. PSA helps semen to become fluid carrying the sperm on out of the body. Because of PSA, this enables sperm to swim into the fallopian tubes where fertilization takes place, keeping the semen in liquid form. This increases the likelihood of sperm successfully fertilizing the ovum or egg from a woman.

·      Creates and maintains erections 

The nerves within the prostate have a part in creating and maintaining erections during sex.  These nerves are responsible for eliciting extra blood to flow into the penis helping it to swell and become firm.

·      Filters sperm

To remove any toxins that could prevent sperm from doing its job, the prostate acts as a filter removing any potential toxic substances. 

·      Controls urine flow

The prostate is in charge of controlling urine flow down the urethra in addition to stopping urine from leaving the bladder until it a man urinates.  The prostate also prevents urine from mixing with sperm when a man ejaculates.  If the prostate becomes enlarged, this will put pressure on the urethra which can result in issues with urination for a man.

·      Protects against urinary tract infections

Prostate secretions can help protect the urethra from urinary tract infections.

·      It is considered the “G-spot” of a man

The prostate gland has been referred to as a man’s “G-spot” and if stimulated during sex can possibly lead to an intense orgasm for men.  This may not be an area of adventure some men want to try out but for the more intrepid souls, it could prove to be well worth the effort.