seminal vesicle

(noun)

One of two simple tubular glands located behind the male urinary bladder, responsible for the production of about sixty percent of the fluid that ultimately becomes semen.

Related Terms

Examples of seminal vesicle in the following topics:

  • Accessory Sex Glands

    • The seminal vesicles secrete a significant proportion of the fluid that ultimately becomes semen.
    • About 50 - 70% of seminal fluid in humans originates from the seminal vesicles, but is not expelled in the first ejaculate fractions which are dominated by spermatozoa and zinc-rich prostatic fluid.
    • Seminal vesicle fluid is alkaline, resulting in human semen with a mildly alkaline pH.
    • Seminal vesicle fluid is expelled under sympathetic contraction of the muscularis muscle coat.
    • Prostate with seminal vesicles and seminal ducts, viewed from the front and above, including the urethra, seminal vesicle, vas deferens, ampulla, ejaculatory duct, and isthmus.

  • Semen

    • Semen is an organic fluid, also known as seminal fluid, that may contain spermatozoa.
    • Semen is produced and originates from the seminal vesicles, located in the pelvis.
    • During the process of ejaculation, sperm pass through the ejaculatory ducts and mix with fluids from the seminal vesicle, the prostate, and the bulbourethral glands to form semen.
    • The seminal vesicles produce a yellowish viscous fluid rich in fructose, amino acids, and other substances that make up about 70% of human semen.
    • The components in the seminal plasma attempt to compensate for this hostile environment.

  • Anatomy of the Male Reproductive System

    • They include the vas deferens, seminal vesicles, prostate gland, and bulbourethral (Cowper's) glands.
    • Seminal vesicles: Sac-like pouches that attach to the vas deferens near the base of the bladder.
    • The vesicles produce molecules such as fructose that serve as energy sources for sperm.
    • The seminal vesicle fluid makes up most of the volume of a man's ejaculate.

  • Surgical Sterilization

    • This prevents sperm produced in the testicles from entering the ejaculated semen (which is mostly produced in the seminal vesicles and prostate).

  • Testes Ducts

    • The sperm are transferred from the vas deferens into the urethra, collecting secretions from the male accessory sex glands such as the seminal vesicles, prostate gland, and bulbourethral glands, which provide the bulk of semen.

  • Male Sexual Response

    • The muscles of the pelvic floor, the ductus deferens (between the testes and the prostate), the seminal vesicles, and the prostate gland may begin to contract in a way that forces sperm and semen into the urethra inside the penis.

  • Premature Ejaculation

    • It involves deposition of seminal fluid from the ampullary vas deferens, seminal vesicles, and prostate gland into the posterior urethra.

  • Embryological and Fetal Events

    • In the male the Wolffian duct persists and forms the tube of the epididymis, the ductus deferens, and the ejaculatory duct, while the seminal vesicle arises during the third month as a lateral diverticulum from its hinder end.

  • Penis

    • Fluids are added by the seminal vesicles before the vas deferens carries the sperm to the ejaculatory ducts, which join the urethra inside the prostate gland.

  • Overview of the Male and Female Reproductive Systems

    • The second category, the ejaculatory fluid-producing glands, includes the seminal vesicles, prostate, and vas deferens.