Answer
The term male accessory glands comprises the seminal vesicles, the prostate and the bulbourethral glands, also called Cowper's glands. There are two seminal vesicle each located posterior to the bladder and associated with a ductus deferens. In dimensions each seminal vesicle is about 2 inches long and half an inch thick. The tructure includes a capsule of connective tissue around a layer of smooth muscle. The secretory duct has many turns and branches and eventully empties the yellowish seminal fluid/secretion into the ejaculatory duct. The seminal fluid costitutes about three fifths of the volume of the semen; it is a fluid that is rich in fructose that nourish the sperms. The seminal fluid also contains prostaglandins.
The prostate is the second accessory gland. In the normal health adult male this gland weighs about 16 grams with normal variation between 11 and 30 grams. It is located below the urinary bladder and encircles the urethra and ejaculatory duct inferior to the bladder. In structure, it consists of a capsule of fibrous connective tissue and a stroma of connective tissue and smooth muscle. Enclosed within the capsule are 30-50 tubulo-acinar glands which secrete the milky prostate fluid which is pressed into the urethra through pores in the urethral walls. The prostate secretion accounts for about 30% by volume of semen. Prostatic fluid protect and nourish sperms; it also helps in moving semen along during ejaculation.
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The bulbourethral glands ( Cowper's glands) are located near the bulb of the inner end of the penis, and posterolateral on both sides of the urethra. They are small spheroid glands ( about 1 cm in diameter) with 2.5 cm long ducts that lead to the urethra. The bulbourethral fluid is clear and slippery and functions well to lubricate the the glans of the penis in preparation for sexual intercourse. In addition, the bulbourethral fluid is alkaline, and it performs the important function of protecting the sperms by neutralizing the acidity of residual urine in the urethra and the acidity of vaginal secretions.
