Different parts of the penis
The penis is the external male sexual
and urination organ. It is made up of three columns of erectile
tissue and it relies solely on engorgement with blood to
reach its erect state during sex.
The erectile tissues are called “corpus spongiosum” and
“corpus cavernosum”. The “corpus spongiosum” lies on the
underside of the penis, while the two “corpora cavernosa”
columns lie next to each other on the upper side. The end
of the corpus spongiosum is enlarged and cone-shaped and
forms the glans penis. The glans supports the foreskin (or
prepuce), which is a loose fold of skin that in adults can
retract to expose the glans. The area on the underside of
the penis, where the foreskin is attached, is called the
frenum.
The urethra, which is the last part of the urinary tract,
traverses the “corpus spongiosum” and its opening, known
as the “meatus”, lies on the tip of the glans penis. It
is both a passage for urine and for the ejaculation of semen.
Sperm is produced in the testes and stored in the attached
epididymis.
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During ejaculation, sperm is propelled up the
vas deferens, two ducts that pass over and behind the bladder.
Fluids are added by the seminal vesicles and the vas deferens
turns into the ejaculatory ducts, which join the urethra inside
the prostate gland. The prostate and the bulbourethral glands
add further secretions, and the resulting semen is expelled
through the penis
The final feature of the penis is the raphe, which is the
visible ridge between the lateral halves of the penis, found
on the underside of the penis, running from the meatus (opening
of the urethra) across the scrotum to the perineum (area between
scrotum and anus). |
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