This animation starts with an anterior view of prostate development. The diagram shows the primitive urogenital sinus and its division into the pelvic and genital areas in an embryo at the beginning of the 7th week. The pelvic area divides into the urinary bladder and the primitive urethra, while the definitive urogenital sinus forms from the genital area. The orifices of the ureters and mesonephric ducts as well as the trigone between them are visible in the urinary bladder. The paramesonephric tubercle is shown caudally from the trigone. In a 12-week-old fetus, the budding of the epithelium of the primitive urethra and the definitive urogenital sinus are animated. At the same time, the orifices of mesonephric ducts, now orifices of the ejaculatory ducts, approach the prostatic utricle, which develops from the paramesonephric tubercle. The mesonephric ducts transform into the ductus deferentes, from which the seminal vesicles start to bud. The derivatives of the prostatic part of the urethra are shown. In a 16-week-old fetus, successive branching of the endodermal sprouts forms the mucosal, submucosal and main tubuloalveolar prostatic glands. The prostatic capsule also develops.

The next sequence animates the development of the prostate as viewed in profile. The sequence begins with a frontal view of the urinary bladder of an approximately 11-week-old embryo. Then, a section is cut slightly above the internal orifice of the urethra. The future prostatic part of the urethra and the future penile urethra are rotated 90 degrees to form a complete urethral tube. In the next sequence, this tube is cut on the mediosagittal plane and moved to the centre of the screen. In a 12-week-old fetus, the first epithelial sprouts appear. In addition, the diagram shows the ejaculatory duct with its orifice, outlets of the future prostatic glands, prostatic utricle, wall of the prostatic urethra, ductus deferens and seminal vesicle. Over the course of the next 4 weeks, the prostatic glands sprout. The final diagram details the structure of the prostate and shows the prostatic utricle, ductus deferens and seminal vesicle.

The following malformations of the prostate are depicted: total aplasia, partial aplasia, prostatic hypoplasia, accessory prostatae and prostatic cysts. Only the last three are animated.

(This animation is essential for students of medicine and departments of anatomy, histology, and embryology; it is also recommended for students of stomatology, veterinary medicine, and biology as well as for departments or clinics of urology and andrology.)