What is the largest accessory gland?

What is the largest accessory gland?

• A. Seminal vesicle
• B. Prostate gland
• C. Bulbourethral gland
• D. Epididymis

Answer: (B)

The largest single accessory gland is the prostate. It is a single, compact gland situated just below the bladder and encircling the prostatic urethra. Its tissue mass is larger than any individual accessory gland, and it contributes a milky prostatic fluid to semen that contains enzymes, citrate, and other components important for sperm function. The seminal vesicles, while large and responsible for most of the semen volume, are two glands; together they add volume but are not a single gland. The bulbourethral glands are small, and the epididymis is a ductal storage/tertilization structure, not a gland. So, by size as a single gland, the prostate is the largest.

The largest single accessory gland is the prostate. It is a single, compact gland situated just below the bladder and encircling the prostatic urethra. Its tissue mass is larger than any individual accessory gland, and it contributes a milky prostatic fluid to semen that contains enzymes, citrate, and other components important for sperm function. The seminal vesicles, while large and responsible for most of the semen volume, are two glands; together they add volume but are not a single gland. The bulbourethral glands are small, and the epididymis is a ductal storage/tertilization structure, not a gland. So, by size as a single gland, the prostate is the largest.