Physiology of Urethral Muscles

Leyla Ozturk Sonmez

Abstract: The urethra is a channel that connects the bladder to the outside of the body, and in both sexes, the urethra has an excretory function. In males, it also performs a reproductive function by allowing the passage of the ejaculate. The urethra plays a role in keeping the urine in the bladder during the filling of the bladder with urine. Two sphincters perform this function. The internal sphincter is not a true sphincter. It is a functional structure formed as a result of the condensation of the circular fibers of the bladder in the bladder neck. The external urethral sphincter is a true sphincter of striated muscle. It is located in the membranous urethra and is under the control of the somatic pudendal nerve. Muscle physiology of the urethra shows a complex structure, neural, cellular, and physical. In this review, urethral muscle physiology will be evaluated in light of the literature.

Keywords: Muscle, Physiology, Sphincter, Urethra