Female urethra

Urethra
The urethra transports urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. This image shows (a) a female urethra and (b) a male urethra.
Details
Precursor	Urogenital sinus
Artery	Inferior vesical artery Middle rectal artery Internal pudendal artery
Vein	Inferior vesical vein Middle rectal vein Internal pudendal vein
Nerve	Pudendal nerve Pelvic splanchnic nerves Inferior hypogastric plexus
Lymph	Internal iliac lymph nodes Deep inguinal lymph nodes
Identifiers
Latin	urethra vagina; feminina (female); urethra masculina (male)
Greek	οὐρήθρα
MeSH	A05.360.444.492.726
Dorlands /Elsevier	Urethra
TA	A08.4.01.001F A08.5.01.001M
FMA	19667
Anatomical terminology []

In anatomy, the urethra (from Greek οὐρήθρα – ourḗthrā) is a tube in placental mammals that connects the urinary bladder to the urinary meatus for the removal of fluids from the body. In males the urethra travels through the penis, and carries semen as well as urine. In females, the urethra is shorter and emerges at the urinary meatus above the vaginal opening.

Females use their urethra only for urinating, but males use their urethra for both urination and ejaculation. The external urethral sphincter is a striated muscle that allows voluntary control over urination. Only in the male is there an additional internal urethral sphincter muscle.

In the human female, the urethra is about 1.9 inches (4.8 cm) to 2 inches (5.1 cm) long and exits the body between the clitoris and the vagina, extending from the internal to the external urethral orifice. The meatus is located below the clitoris. It is placed behind the symphysis pubis, embedded in the anterior wall of the vagina, and its direction is obliquely downward and forward; it is slightly curved with the concavity directed forward. The proximal 2/3rds is lined by transitional epithelium cells while distal 1/3rd is lined by stratified squamous epithelium cells.

The urethra consists of three coats: muscular, erectile, and mucous, the muscular layer being a continuation of that of the bladder. Between the superior and inferior fascia of the urogenital diaphragm, the female urethra is surrounded by the urethral sphincter. Somatic (conscious) innervation of the external urethral sphincter is supplied by the pudendal nerve.