| Spongy urethra | |
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| The male urethra laid open on its anterior (upper) surface. | |
| Latin | pars spongiosa urethrae masculinae, pars cavernosa |
| Gray's | subject #256 1234 |
| Precursor | Urogenital folds |
The spongy urethra (cavernous portion of urethra, penile urethra) is the longest part of the male urethra, and is contained in the corpus spongiosum urethraeæ.
It is about 15 cm long, and extends from the termination of the membranous portion to the external urethral orifice.
Commencing below the inferior fascia of the urogenital diaphragm it passes forward and upward to the front of the symphysis pubis; and then, in the flaccid condition of the penis, it bends downward and forward.
It is narrow, and of uniform size in the body of the penis, measuring about 6 mm in diameter; it is dilated behind, within the bulb, and again anteriorly within the glans penis, where it forms the fossa navicularis urethrae.
Additional images
 Structure of the penis. |
 Male reproductive system. |
External links
- Spongy+urethra at eMedicine Dictionary
- Cross section at UV pembody/body18b
- SUNY Labs 44:06-0104 - "The Male Pelvis: The Urethra"
This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated.
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