Development of female urethra

Development of female urethra

The development of male and female urethra is different .

The female urethra is short and its development is very simple but male urethra is long and its development is complicated

The development of male urethra is intimately related to the development of external genital organs

The epithelium of entire female urethra and most of the male urethra is derived from urogenital sinus

Uregenital sinus is developed from cloaca

What is cloaca ?

Cloaca : part of hindgut (derived from endoderm) caudal to attachment of allantois, which is common chamber for hindgut & urinary system

It is divided into two parts ventral and dorsal by urorectal septum
ventral part is called primitive urogenital sinus
dorsal part is called primitive rectum

What are the parts of primitive urogenital sinus ?

Vesico-urethral canal and definitive urogenital sinus

From above down ward different parts of primitive urogenital sinus

1.      Upper part of vesico-urethral canal

2.      Lower part of vesico-urethral canal

3.      Pelvic part of definitive urogenital sinus

4.      Phallic part of definitive urogenital sinus 

Development of female urethra 

Parts of primitive urogenital sinus	Female urethra
1.      Lower part of vesico-urethral canal	Most of the part of female urethra (upper part)
2.      Pelvic part of definitive urogenital sinus	Small part of female urethra (lower part)
3.      Phallic part of definitive urogenital sinus	Vestibule of female external genitalia into which the urethra is opened  (external opening )

SN: only the lining epithelium of the urethra is derived from endoderm of urogenital sinus