Penis

The penis or male member, like the scrotum, is one of the external sexual organs of the male. Anatomically, the male member (phallus in Latin) is similar to the typical penis of many mammals. However, unlike most mammals and primates, the human penis does not have a penile bone. On average, a member is between 12.9 and 15 cm long and has a diameter of three to five centimetres. According to research, there is no correlation between a man's height and the size of his genitals. The penis is the male reproductive organ and is also used to excrete urine. Just like a woman's clitoris, a man's penis grows from the so-called genital humps during the development of the sexual organs. The area of origin, called the base of the penis, is connected to the pelvis by muscles and ligaments. The adjacent penis shaft merges into the glans at the front end. The so-called horn tips are often found on the glans. Whether these are actually present, however, varies from man to man. In any case, their presence is not a cause for concern because the horny tips are neither a disease nor are they abnormal in any way. The glans itself is also surrounded by a protective penile foreskin. On the underside of the member, this small fold of skin is fused to the foreskin frenulum on the penis. From there to the scrotum runs the so-called penile suture.

There are three erectile tissues inside the shaft of the penis. The two erectile tissues on the upper side are called the penile erectile tissues. The third erectile tissue, located on the underside of the member, belongs to the urethra. During sexual arousal, the erectile tissues are filled with blood, causing the penis to enlarge and harden. This hardening is called an erection (from the Latin erectio). An erect penis can have different degrees of curvature, occasionally even in combination (S-shaped). However, as long as such a bend does not interfere with sexual intercourse, it is completely normal. The penis is anchored to the male pelvis by two main muscles. These squeeze the outflow veins and the erectile tissue. On the one hand, this strengthens the erection and on the other hand, through rhythmic contraction, ultimately also ensures ejaculation. As you can clearly see on the surface of the penis, it also has several smaller and larger vessels that supply it with arterial blood. The sensitivity of the glans is also easily explained: three particularly sensitive nerve tracts run around the penis and end in its tip. Blood vessels and erectile tissue — and thus also the erection — are controlled by the autonomic nervous system.