





|
 |
Home » Resource Guide »
Facts About Male Sex Organ » Penis Anatomy
Facts About Male Sex Organ
Anatomy of the Penis
The Structure of Penis
 |
The outer foreskin layer is a continuation of
the skin of the shaft of the penis. |
 |
The inner foreskin layer is not just "skin,"
but mucocutaneous tissue of a unique type found nowhere else on the
body. |
 |
The ridged band is the interface (join)
between the outer and inner foreskin layers. When the penis is not
erect, it tightens to narrow the foreskin opening. During erection,
the ridged band forms ridges that go all the way around, about
halfway down the shaft. |
 |
The glans or glans penis (head of the penis)
is reddish, smooth, shiny, moist and extremely sensitive. |
 |
The frenulum, or frenum, is a connecting
membrane on the underside of the penis, similar to that beneath the
tongue. |
Frontal View of
Penis
The penis is made up of three
separate cylinders (see the picture below). The two paired cylinders
called the corpora cavernosa make up the majority of the bulk and the
erectile functioning of the penis. Both these cylinders actually
communicate with each other for approximately three-quarters of their
length through small holes between the cylinders. (This is why penile
injections are applied into only one shaft or cylinder of the penis.) As
the penis approaches the body, these two cylinders split and are
anchored to the pelvic bone by a tough membrane. Each of these cylinders
is encased in a very tough thick sheath called the tunica albuginea. A
tough thick membrane surrounds the penis so that when it is filled with
blood under pressure it creates a firm structure that allows
penetration.
The third cylinder of the penis is called the corpus spongiosum, and it
contains the urethra. The tissue around this erectile body is much
thinner, and the cylinder actually sits in a groove created by the other
two cylinders. As this structure approaches the end of the penis, it
becomes swollen and is known as the glans, or the head of the penis. As
this layer gets closer to the body, it expands to form the bulb.
Covering all three of these cylinders is a thick tough membrane called
Buck's fascia. Finally, a final layer covers this area called Colles
fascia, or the superficial layer. This is actually continuous with the
abdominal wall and makes this whole supporting structure of the penis
very tough, allowing it to take quite a bit of force and trauma.
 |
Facts About Male Sex Organ
|
 |
|
 |