Most people are unaware of the function of the prostate gland. So what does the prostate do? This is a gland that only men have and that is important to reproductive health. This is why it is important to take care of your prostate gland so you don't suffer from any type of possible fertility problems.
The prostate gland is a reproductive gland found only in men. It is a walnut-sized gland that sits just beneath the bladder and directly in front of the rectum. The male urethra travels through the middle of the gland and extends from the bladder to the tip of the urethra, which allows the urine pass from the bladder to the outside.
As mentioned, the prostate gland in a younger male is about walnut-sized. The size of the prostate gland increases as a man ages, especially when the man reaches the age of 40 to 50 years of age. An enlarged prostate gland can affect the way a man urinates.
While it is easy to identify the testes and the penis, you can't feel or see the prostate gland yourself. Only by doing a digital rectal examination can see the prostate gland and detect its size.
The prostate gland basically does three separate jobs. First, it surrounds the urethra and has muscular fibers that gently squeeze the male urethra in order to control the way the urine flows.
Second, it produces fluids that are important to the semen and are added to the sperm when the male ejaculates. The micro-anatomy of the prostate gland involves thousands of glands that produce seminal fluid that are mixed in with blood vessels and smooth muscle tissue. About 80 percent of the seminal fluid is derived from the prostate gland. Sperm cells travel from the testicles through the vas deferens and then to the prostate gland where the cells mix in with the prostatic fluid. Just above the prostate gland are the seminal vesicles. Their job is to store the sperm cells and the ejaculatory fluid. The seminal vesicles are actually a part of the prostate gland itself.
Lastly, the prostate gland is related to male hormone metabolism. In the prostate gland, testosterone, the major male hormone, is converted into its active form, known as dihydrotestosterone or DHT.
Now that you know "what does the prostate do", you may want to know how to keep it healthy. The prostate gland is an important but it can cause problems, especially as a man ages. Common conditions of the prostate gland are benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), acute bacterial prostatitis, chronic bacterial prostatitis and prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is most common in men over the age of 50 and is more common among African-American men and men who tend to eat foods that are fatty in nature. Prostate problems tend to be hereditary, so those who have a sibling or father with prostate cancer are at a greater risk of getting it. To avoid more risks and keep it healthy, you can:
The following video is yoga therapy that may also help for maintaining the health of your prostate.