Functions of the seminal vesicle.

The seminal vesicle is a gland which appeared late in the evolution of placental mammals. Vesiculectomy leads to very serious subfertility demonstrating the important role of this gland. Secretions of the seminal vesicle act during coitus and the maturation of the spermatozoon, on its mobility, its freezing capacity and the condensation of chromatin. These secretions also act on the female genital tract because they possess immunodepressive capacity. Due to their high concentration of prostaglandins, they can modify the contraction of smooth muscle. As shown by the animal model, they have an antibacterial role in the male genital tract. This explains the relatively low frequency of purely vesicular infections in human pathology.