Urethral groove
Precursor	urogenital folds
Gives rise to	urethra

The urethral groove is a temporary linear indentation on the underside (ventral side) of the male penis during embryonic development.

In humans, it typically appears around 8 weeks of gestation and becomes closed into a normal male urethra by the 12th week.

[edit] Pathology

Failure of complete closure results in a hypospadias.

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v • d • e Prenatal development/mammalian embryogenesis - Development of the urinary and reproductive organs (GA 11.1204) Common Urinary/Reproductive system Cloacal membrane - Cloaca - Urethral groove - Urogenital sinus - Urachus - Urogenital folds Kidney development Nephrogenic cord - Nephrotome - Pronephros - Mesonephros (Mesonephric tubules) Ureteric bud - Metanephric blastema Fetal genital development Primarily internal Gonadal ridge - Sex cord (Cortical cords, Testis cords) Pronephric duct/Wolffian duct/mesonephric duct - Müllerian duct/paramesonephric ducts (Vaginal plate) Primarily external Genital tubercle - Phallus - Labioscrotal folds Gubernaculum - Processus vaginalis Homologues List of homologues of the human reproductive system urinary system navs: anat/physio/dev, noncongen/acid+base/congen/neoplasia, symptoms+signs/eponymous, proc reproductive system navs: anat female,male/physio/dev, noncongen/congen/neoplasia, symptoms+signs/eponymous, proc