Prostate gland and age effect

Prostate gland and age effect

The prostate gland is situated at the origin of the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body. It is approximately the size of a small kiwifruit or a large walnut. It consists 30% muscular tissue and 70% glandular tissue. A normal prostate weighs between 20 and 30 grams, while an enlarged prostate can weigh up to 100 grams. The prostate secretes a milky substance that makes up around 20 to 30 percent of semen. 

It also has muscles that help to expel the semen during ejaculation. The prostate helps to control the flow of urine. During sexual activity, the seminal vesicles that are attached to the prostate produce a protein that mixes with prostatic fluid which forms semen. The tubes from the testicles carry sperm up to the prostate where sperm is mixed with the seminal vesicle and prostatic fluids. 

This fluid is ejaculated during orgasm through ejaculatory ducts that connect to the urethra. Most men will experience some type of prostate problem during their lifetime. Men over forty-five may experience an enlargement of the prostate. While not a problem in itself, it is uncomfortable and can lead to more serious problems. The prostate actually continues to grow throughout life, but grows very slowly after the age of twenty-five. Enlargement of the prostate gland is part of the normal aging process and usually does not become a serious problem until about age sixty.