---
title: "External Urinary Sphincter | Anatomy I"
description: "External urinary sphincter is the voluntary skeletal muscle that closes the urethra and helps control urination in Anatomy and Physiology I."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/anatomy-physiology/key-terms/external-urinary-sphincter"
type: "key-term"
subject: "Anatomy and Physiology I"
unit: "Unit 25"
---

# External Urinary Sphincter | Anatomy I

## Definition

The external urinary sphincter is a ring of skeletal muscle around the urethra that you control voluntarily. In Anatomy and Physiology I, it is the muscle that helps you hold urine until you decide to void.

## What It Is

The external urinary sphincter is the voluntary skeletal muscle that encircles part of the urethra and keeps urine from leaving the bladder until you relax it. In Anatomy and Physiology I, it is usually described as the body’s conscious backup control for urination, working with the bladder and the internal sphincter to manage continence.

Unlike the smooth muscle of the bladder wall, this sphincter is made of skeletal muscle, so it is under somatic control. That means you can tighten it when you need to delay urination, like during class or while driving, and relax it when you choose to void. It is often called the external urethral sphincter in textbooks, and both names point to the same structure.

Its location matters. The muscle sits in the pelvic floor region around the urethra, so it acts as part of the muscular support system that helps stabilize the outlet of the bladder. When the bladder fills, stretch receptors in the bladder wall send signals that increase the urge to urinate, but the external urinary sphincter can still stay contracted until the timing is right.

This is where the term fits into the micturition process. The detrusor muscle in the bladder wall contracts to push urine out, while the external urinary sphincter must relax to let urine pass through the urethra. If the sphincter stays closed, urine is held in the bladder even if the urge is strong.

A useful way to think about it is as a gate you can consciously open or close. The internal urinary sphincter is more automatic, while the external urinary sphincter is the one you actively control. That difference is a big reason this structure shows up in lessons on continence, pelvic anatomy, and the neural control of voiding.

## Why It Matters

This term matters because it connects anatomy with the nervous system and with a real body function you can feel every day. If you know the external urinary sphincter is voluntary skeletal muscle, you can explain why urination is not just a bladder reflex, but also a conscious action that depends on muscle control.

It also helps you separate structures that look similar on paper but behave differently. The bladder’s detrusor muscle contracts involuntarily, the internal urinary sphincter is mostly automatic, and the external urinary sphincter gives you conscious control over continence. That division shows up in questions about the micturition reflex, pelvic floor anatomy, and what happens when control is lost.

In lab or lecture, this term often appears when you trace urine transport from the kidneys to the urethra. The whole pathway makes more sense when you can identify where urine is stored, where pressure builds, and which structure has to relax for voiding to occur. It also connects to clinical situations like urinary incontinence, nerve injury, or pelvic muscle weakness, where the body can no longer hold urine as effectively.

If you can explain this one muscle clearly, you are also explaining how the body balances reflexes and conscious control. That is a big theme in Anatomy and Physiology I.

## Connections

### Micturition

Micturition is the act of voiding urine, and the external urinary sphincter has to relax for it to happen. When you describe urination, you should think about both the bladder squeezing and the sphincter opening. The term shows up when you trace the sequence from bladder filling to urine leaving the body.

### [Internal Urinary Sphincter](/anatomy-physiology/key-terms/internal-urinary-sphincter)

The internal urinary sphincter is the automatic partner to the external urinary sphincter. It is made of smooth muscle and is controlled involuntarily, so it helps hold urine without conscious effort. Comparing the two is a common way to test whether you can tell voluntary skeletal muscle from involuntary smooth muscle.

### [Detrusor Muscle](/anatomy-physiology/key-terms/detrusor-muscle)

The detrusor muscle is the bladder wall muscle that contracts during urination. The external urinary sphincter works against it during continence, then relaxes when the detrusor contracts so urine can pass. If you mix these up, the whole flow of the micturition process stops making sense.

### [Continence](/anatomy-physiology/key-terms/continence)

Continence is the ability to hold urine until it is appropriate to void. The external urinary sphincter is one of the main structures that makes continence possible because it can stay contracted under voluntary control. In case-based questions, this is often the structure that explains why a person can delay urination.

## On the AP Exam

A quiz question may ask you to label the external urinary sphincter on a diagram, match it with voluntary control, or explain what has to happen for urination to occur. In a short-answer item, you might trace the order of events: bladder fills, the urge increases, the detrusor contracts, and the external urinary sphincter relaxes. If the question gives a clinical scenario, look for signs of impaired continence or pelvic floor weakness and connect them to failure of this muscle to stay closed. It also shows up in comparison questions, where you have to distinguish the external urinary sphincter from the internal urinary sphincter by muscle type and nervous control.

## external urinary sphincter vs Internal Urinary Sphincter

These are easy to mix up because both help keep urine in the bladder. The external urinary sphincter is skeletal muscle and voluntary, while the internal urinary sphincter is smooth muscle and involuntary. If a question asks which one you can consciously control, the answer is the external urinary sphincter.

## Key Takeaways

- The external urinary sphincter is a voluntary skeletal muscle that closes the urethra and helps you hold urine.
- It works with the bladder and other sphincters during the process of micturition, but it is the part you consciously control.
- When this muscle stays contracted, urine stays in the bladder and continence is maintained.
- When it relaxes, urine can pass through the urethra as the bladder empties.
- It is different from the internal urinary sphincter, which is involuntary and made of smooth muscle.

## FAQs

### What is the external urinary sphincter in Anatomy and Physiology I?

It is the ring of skeletal muscle around the urethra that you control voluntarily to hold or release urine. In Anatomy and Physiology I, it is part of the urinary system's control over continence and micturition. It matters because it shows where conscious control fits into an otherwise mostly automatic process.

### Is the external urinary sphincter voluntary or involuntary?

It is voluntary. That is the big difference between it and the internal urinary sphincter, which is mostly involuntary. Because it is skeletal muscle, you can tighten it to delay urination and relax it when you are ready to void.

### How does the external urinary sphincter work with the detrusor muscle?

The detrusor muscle contracts to push urine out of the bladder, but urine still cannot leave unless the external urinary sphincter relaxes. Think of the detrusor as the force that empties the bladder and the sphincter as the gate that opens or closes the exit. Both have to coordinate for normal urination.

### What is the difference between the external urinary sphincter and the internal urinary sphincter?

The external urinary sphincter is skeletal muscle and under voluntary control, while the internal urinary sphincter is smooth muscle and not consciously controlled. They both help maintain continence, but they are controlled in different ways. That difference is a common test point in urinary system anatomy.

## Related Study Guides

- [25.2 Gross Anatomy of Urine Transport ](/anatomy-physiology/unit-25/2-gross-anatomy-urine-transport/study-guide/YFKBmItDqCHASdLY)

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