Urinary meatus
Encyclopedia
The urinary meatus is an orifice
of the urethra
. It is the point at which urine and, in males, semen exits the urethra. The meatus features varying degrees of sensitivity to the touch among males and females.
In most males the meatus meets at the junction of the glans and the frenular delta
, and continues in a longitudal pattern along the ventral aspect of the glans
, which facilitates flow of urine during normal urination (micturition).
In females the meatus is located between the clitoris and the vagina
in the vulvular vestibule of the female genitalia.
More specifically, it can refer to:
Body orifice
-External orifices:In a typical mammalian body such as the human body, the external body orifices are:* The nostrils, for breathing and the associated sense of smell.* The eyes, for the sense of sight and crying....
of the urethra
Urethra
In anatomy, the urethra is a tube that connects the urinary bladder to the genitals for the removal of fluids out of the body. In males, the urethra travels through the penis, and carries semen as well as urine...
. It is the point at which urine and, in males, semen exits the urethra. The meatus features varying degrees of sensitivity to the touch among males and females.
In most males the meatus meets at the junction of the glans and the frenular delta
Frenular delta
The frenular delta in human anatomy is the area underneath the penile glans along the penile ventral body, and is composed of a mucosa. The frenulum attaches at the top of the triangle and outlines its sides, which connect with the ridged bands. The delta is highly innervated, and is considered a...
, and continues in a longitudal pattern along the ventral aspect of the glans
Glans
The glans is a vascular structure located at the tip of the penis in men or a homologous genital structure of the clitoris in women.-Structure:...
, which facilitates flow of urine during normal urination (micturition).
In females the meatus is located between the clitoris and the vagina
Vagina
The vagina is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. Female insects and other invertebrates also have a vagina, which is the terminal part of the...
in the vulvular vestibule of the female genitalia.
More specifically, it can refer to:
- Internal urethral orificeInternal urethral orificeThe internal urethral orifice is the opening of the urinary bladder into the urethra. It is placed at the apex of the trigonum vesicae, in the most dependent part of the bladder, and is usually somewhat crescent-shaped; the mucous membrane immediately behind it presents a slight elevation in males,...
- External urethral orifice (male)External urethral orifice (male)The external urethral orifice is the external opening or meatus of the urethra, normally placed at the tip of glans penis; it presents as a vertical slit, possibly bounded on either side by two small labia-like projections, In some cases the slit may be more rounded. This occurs naturally in some...
- External urethral orifice (female)External urethral orifice (female)The external urethral orifice is the external opening of the urethra, from which urine is ejected during urination. It is placed about 2.5 cm behind the glans clitoridis and immediately in front of that of the vagina; it usually assumes the form of a short, sagittal cleft with slightly raised...