00:00An animal covered in fur or one with a beak?
00:05Sometimes nature can't quite make its mind up,
00:08which is how the platypus came about.
00:12And as the human body evolved,
00:15it needed a drainage system to flush toxins out
00:20and a reproductive organ.
00:22So why not combine the two?
00:25Nature again got creative and invented a special organ for men,
00:29the prostate.
00:31It's about the size of a ping pong ball.
00:36It has three entry points and one exit.
00:40Directly above it is the bladder,
00:42which collects the urine produced by the kidneys.
00:45The prostate acts like a switch operator.
00:49During sexual arousal, it swells
00:52and together with the sphincter,
00:54blocks the flow of urine through the urethra.
00:57With urine no longer passing into the uterus,
01:01it's full speed ahead for the semen.
01:04The testicles produce sperm cells and about 5% of the ejaculate,
01:09with the seminal vesicles providing over half.
01:15The prostate contributes about 20% through a fluid
01:19that protects sperm cells from the acidic environment of the uterus.
01:23It also contains nutrients for the journey and zinc,
01:28which kills bacteria in the urinary tract.
01:31The prostate itself is an astonishingly sensitive organ
01:35with many nerve endings.
01:37Unfortunately, it's also highly susceptible to aggressive tumours.
01:43And prostate cancer is the second most common cancer
01:47among men worldwide after lung cancer.
01:50But the earlier it's detected,
01:53the better the chances of recovery.
01:56In middle age, starting around 50,
01:59the prostate sometimes experiences another growth spurt.
02:03This is caused by hormonal changes
02:06and can sometimes lead to problems with urination.
02:10Why?
02:11Because the enlarged prostate presses on the bladder
02:14and the sphincter muscle.
02:17Nature also created a similar organ for women.
02:21Although their urethra and vaginal canal run separately,
02:24they possess what are known as pariurethral glands.
02:27These are significantly smaller than the prostate,
02:31but they also produce an antibacterial secretion.
02:35Because whatever the issue might be,
02:38nature can be trusted to conjure up an innovative solution.
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