Bulbourethral Gland (Cowper’s)
The Cowper’s gland is located at the base of the bladder. It secretes fluid when it contracts or relaxes.
It is found just under the skin of your scrotum and behind your testicles. It is considered one of the most sensitive organs in men because it contains nerves that are similar to those in a woman’s clitoris. When stimulated, these nerves cause sexual pleasure in both sexes.
What Is Bulbous Glands?
A bulbar is a small pouch filled with blood vessels, which lies between two other pouches. These pouches are called the arterioles and venules. A bulbar is a type of blood vessel that extends from the heart into the lungs and then out through veins to all parts of the body. The term “bulb” comes from its shape.
When a person urinates, the urine passes through the ureters. These are tubes that lead from the kidneys to the bladder.
Urine enters the bladder through a tube called a catheter. The urine leaves the bladder through another catheter called a urinary tract. The urine leaves your body via a tube called an ureteric tree.
How Does Bulbous Glands Work?
The bulbourethral glands are mostly responsible for keeping the penile urethra moisturized during sexual activity. These glands secrete a mucous substance during these times. And although not proven, this fluid may help in the lubrication of the female’s genitals also.
There are two types of mucus that are normally present in these glands. One is a thick, clear and acidic liquid that has a foul smell.
This helps to prevent bacteria from forming within them.
Sources & references used in this article:
A neglected gland: a review of Cowper’s gland by B Chughtai, A Sawas, RL O’MALLEY… – … journal of andrology, 2005 – Wiley Online Library
Bulbourethral (Cowper’s) gland abnormalities in inbred laboratory mice by M Kiupel, KS Brown, JP Sundberg – Journal of Experimental Animal …, 2000 – Elsevier
Crystal content investigation in dried human bulbourethral gland (Cowper’s) secretion by J Berthou, FG Chretien – Andrologia, 1995 – Wiley Online Library
Mucous gland metaplasia of the prostate. by T Shiraishi, I Kusano, M Watanabe… – The American journal of …, 1993 – europepmc.org
The bulbourethral gland of the rat. Fine structure and histochemistry. by EH Nielsen – Anatomischer Anzeiger, 1976 – europepmc.org
Diseases of the bulbourethral gland (Cowper) in men by JG Moormann – Der Urologe A, 1998 – Springer
Transforming growth factor‐beta 2 heterozygous mutant mice exhibit Cowper’s gland hyperplasia and cystic dilations of the gland ducts (Cowper’s syringoceles) by N Dünker, G Aumüller – Journal of anatomy, 2002 – Wiley Online Library
Gross, Histological and Ultrastructural Features of the Bulbourethral Gland in the Greater Cane Rat (Thryonomys swinderianus) by AO Adebayo, AK Akinloye, SG Olukole… – Anatomia, histologia …, 2015 – Wiley Online Library
