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Urethra
Tube that connects the urinary bladder to the external urethral orifice / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Not to be confused with ureter.
The urethra (pl.: urethras or urethrae) is the tube that connects the mammalian urinary bladder to the urinary meatus.[1][2] In placental mammals, the urethra transports urine through the penis or vulva during urination and semen through the penis during ejaculation.[3]
Quick Facts Details, Precursor ...
Urethra | |
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![]() The urethra transports urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. This image shows (a) a human female urethra and (b) a human male urethra. | |
Details | |
Precursor | Urogenital sinus |
Artery | Inferior vesical artery Middle rectal artery Internal pudendal artery |
Vein | Inferior vesical vein Middle rectal vein Internal pudendal vein |
Nerve | Pudendal nerve Pelvic splanchnic nerves Inferior hypogastric plexus |
Lymph | Internal iliac lymph nodes Deep inguinal lymph nodes |
Identifiers | |
Latin | urethra feminina (female); urethra masculina (male) |
Greek | οὐρήθρα |
MeSH | D014521 |
TA98 | A08.4.01.001F A08.5.01.001M |
TA2 | 3426, 3442 |
FMA | 19667 |
Anatomical terminology |
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The external urethral sphincter is a striated muscle that allows voluntary control over urination.[4] The internal sphincter, formed by the involuntary smooth muscles lining the bladder neck and urethra, receives its nerve supply by the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system.[5] The internal sphincter is present both in males and females.[6][7][8]