Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis, Seminal Vesicle

Excerpt

The seminal vesicles are a pair of glands that also include the prostate gland and the bulbourethral glands.

The seminal vesicles are located in the pelvis superior to the rectum, inferior to the fundus of the bladder and posterior to the prostate. Like the prostate, they are separated from the rectum by Denonvillier's fascia. Each seminal vesicle lies lateral to an ampullae of the vas deferens, a seminal vesicle ultimately converging with an ampullae to form the ejaculatory duct. These two ejaculatory ducts open into the prostatic urethra at the verumontanum, either side of the utricle.

Each seminal vesicle consists of a single, coiled, blind-ending tube giving off several irregular pouches. It is normally around 3 to 5 cm in length and 1 cm in diameter. However, when uncoiled, they are roughly 10 cm in length. Histologically, the seminal vesicles are composed of 3 layers. These include an inner mucosal layer, consisting of pseudostratified columnar epithelium with goblet cells and a lamina propria, a muscular layer, with an inner circular and outer longitudinal smooth muscle arrangement; and finally, an outer adventitial layer composed of loose areolar tissue.