Navicular fossa of male urethra
| Navicular fossa of male urethra | |
|---|---|
| File:Gray1142.png The male urethra laid open on its anterior (upper) surface. | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | fossa navicularis urethrae |
| TA98 | Lua error in Module:Wikidata at line 746: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| TH | {{#property:P1694}} |
| TE | {{#property:P1693}} |
| FMA | {{#property:P1402}} |
| Anatomical terminology [[[d:Lua error in Module:Wikidata at line 865: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).|edit on Wikidata]]] | |
The navicular fossa is a short dilated portion of (the spongy (or cavernous or penile) portion of) the male urethra within the glans penis just proximal to the external urethral meatus. The roof of the fossa is especially dilated, forming a lacuna; medical instruments being inserted into the male urethra should initially be directed towards the floor of the fossa[1] so as not to get snagged at the fossa.[citation needed] It is one of three dilations of the male urethra (the other two occurring at the prostate, and the bulb of penis).[1]
The wall of the navicular fossa is the only part of the urethra that is lined with stratified squamous epithelium (instead of the transitional epithelium that is typical for the urinary tract).[1]
During development, the glans of the penis is initially solid but cannulates to give rise to the navicular fossa.[citation needed]
References
[edit | edit source]Public domain This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)
External links
[edit | edit source]- Anatomy photo:44:06-0205 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "The Male Pelvis: The Urethra"
- figures/chapter_35/35-1.HTM: Basic Human Anatomy at Dartmouth Medical School
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