Penis Anatomy

We don’t know which sounds better, penis or phallus.

The word penis comes from Latin which means tail, although one would hardly think of it as a tail. A dowel, perhaps, but not a tail.

If you were taking an exam on the anatomy or structure of the penis, you may want to bone up on your Latin spelling because the human penis is certainly cloaked in Latin terminology.

Did you know, for example, that a penis, ironically, has no baculum? That means no erectile bone. Again, it seems like a contradiction of sorts, especially when the penis is composed of three – yes three - columns of erectile tissue. How do all these columns of tissue stay erect when there are no bones – baculum – to support it?

Speaking of erection – an erect penis is the opposite of a flaccid penis. When a penis is in a flaccid state, it points south – or to use an easier term – it points downward. When it is erect, many penises turn upwards or north – but some variably point vertically, or a little between north and east or between north and west. Much of the direction of a penis when erect depends on the suspensory ligament that holds it in position. A penis’ erection occurs as a result of sexual arousal or stimulation, and achieves erection when the arteries that supply blood to the penis begin to dilate.

Returning to the anatomy of a penis, we said earlier that it has three columns of erectile tissue:

• Two corposa cavernosa, and
• One corpus spongiosum

And no, they’re not your typical Latin prayers that you learned in grade school. The corpus spongiosum lies on the underside or ventral area, while the two corposa cavernosa lie on the upper side – or dorsal side.

Pausing here for a few seconds, you may be surprised to know that a flaccid penis is not an indicator of its size at erection. This is a bit difficult to digest, but it’s true. Flaccid size versus erect size varies from one individual to the next, so we can’t really measure flaccid penis size to determine what its erect size would be, give or take a few inches (no pun intended). The average human penis size when erect is five inches.

Going back to penis anatomy, at the end of the spongiosum is what is called the glans penis which is a large, cone-shaped part. It is the glans penis that supports the foreskin or prepuce – a loose fold of skin that retracts to expose the glans.

The area found on the underside where the foreskin is attached is called the frenum. The word almost rhymes with “freiner” (French word meaning to break or to stop), and in fact refers to the small fold of tissue that prevents any organ of the body from moving too far.

If we look for the last part of the urinary tract, we come across the urethra; it crosses the corpus spongiosum. The meatus, on the other hand, lies on the tip of the glans penis. It serves two functions: as a pathway for urine and for semen ejaculation.

Ah, let’s not forget the sperm. Sperm is manufactured in the testes. When a man ejaculates, the sperm propel towards the vas deferens. These are the two ducts that pass behind the bladder. While the sperm is moving, fluids get added by the seminal vesicles. The vas deferens then turn into the ejaculatory ducts which join the urethra, located inside the prostate gland. When the prostate and bulbourethral glands add further secretions, the semen gets expelled through the penis.

If you’ve ever wondered what the clear fluids are before ejaculation occurs, they’re called Cowper fluids or pre-ejaculate fluids and they emanate from the bulbourethral glands.

Of course your partner does not have to know all these terms and definitions while you’re intimate with her. Too much anatomy talk can spoil the occasion. The idea is well…to keep the penis vigorously healthy to achieve a sexually satisfying life.

What was that thing people were saying about how sex – in regular doses - contributes to longevity?