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|
Male Sex Organs, internal
cut away side view |
 |
1 Glans
|
9 Ejaculatory
duct |
2 Cavernous
body |
10 Sphincters
|
3 Spongy
body |
11 Cowper's
glands |
4 Urethra
|
12 Root of
penis |
5 Vas
deferens |
13 Epididymis
|
| 6 Bladder |
14 Testicle |
| 7 Prostate |
15 Scrotum |
8 Seminal
vesicles |
16 Foreskin
|
|
Front view Male sex
organs, external Under
side of penis |
 |
1 Urinary
opening |
 |
| 2 Glans |
| 3 Corona |
4 Shaft of
penis |
| 5 Scrotum |
| 6 Frenulum |
Description and function of the male sex organs:
The Penis: The penis is composed of three chambers; the two cavernous bodies (or corpora cavernosa) which lie side by side on top of the penis, and the spongy body (or corpus spongiosum) which is centered below the other two. The spongy body surrounds the urethra, and extends out the end of the
shaft to form the
glans. All three chambers contain small hollow areas that can fill with blood to produce an erection. Surrounding all three bodies is a semi-elastic membrane called the tunica albuginea. The arteries that feed blood to the penis are surrounded by smooth muscle fibers that normally limit blood flow to the penis. When a man is aroused by thought, sight, or physical stimulation, the muscle fiber relaxes and blood flow into the penis increases. The spongy tissue of the penis fills with blood, causing the penis to swell. The size of the erect penis is governed by the semi-elastic membrane, just as a bicycle tire limits the expansion of the inner tube inside it. As with a bike tire, once the limit of the membrane is reached, further pressure results in firmness rather than expansion. The veins that drain the penis, which lie close to the surface, are compressed by the erection, thus slowing flow of blood from the penis.
The part of the penis that is visible is only about half of the whole organ. The root of the penis is the portion of the penis that is inside the body. The root is attached to bone at it's base, and this serves to anchor the penis and allows it to stand away from the body during erection.
Some men worry about the size of their penis. Since only the first 2 to 3 inches of the vagina has nerve endings, length has little to do with pleasing a wife during intercourse. Statistically, 90% of erect penises are 6 inches or shorter. Non-erect size is not an accurate determiner of erect size.
The shaft: The
shaft of the
penis contains
neither bone nor any significant amount of muscle. The shaft is wider
than it is high, and one side usually bulges out more than the other. The
erect penis is very tough, it can be squeezed quite firmly without causing
pain or damage. The most common complaint men have about the way their
wife handles their penis is "she's too gentle."
The root of the
penis: Only about half the
penis shows externally,
the rest is inside the body.The internal part of the penis also
becomes erect. The
cavernous
bodies attach to the pelvic bone, while the
spongy body continues
back almost to the anus; during erection this part of the penis can be felt
behind the scrotum.
Theglans:
Also called the head of the
penis, the glans contains
a large number of nerve endings, making it the most sensitive part of the
penis. The
frenulum is the most sensitive
area, the
corona the
second most sensitive area. In most men, the glans is hypersensitive
right after orgasm.
The foreskin:
At birth the
glans is covered by a
retractable skin called the foreskin, which is frequently removed by
circumcision. Aside from religious reasons, circumcision has been normally
performed for supposed hygienic reasons. Recent data suggest that daily
washing is as effective as circumcision in maintaining cleanliness, and that
the foreskin serves several purposes. Circumcision is a routine operation
in America, but virtually nonexistent (other than for religious reasons)
in Europe.
The scrotum:
The scrotum is composed of skin and muscle, and is designed to pull
the
testicles closer
to the body for warmth, and to hang away from the body for cooling. The
scrotum also pulls the testicles towards the body during sexual excitement,
and at climax they are held tightly against the body. One side of the
scrotum, usually the left, hangs slightly lower to keep the testicles from
knocking together when a man walks or runs.
The testicles:
Also called the testes. Both sperm and male sex hormones are
produce by the testicles. Sperm production requires a temperature slightly
below normal body temperature, and new research suggests that temperature
also effects hormone production.The testicles are very sensitive to
pressure; even a slight bump can be painful. While many men like to
have theirtesticles stimulated, the wife should use great care.
The
epididymis: Once produced in the
testicles, sperm move
into the epididymis to "ripen". At this point the sperm are inactive,
being moved by the body, not by swimming.
The vas
deferens: The vas deferens are thin tubes that transport sperm
from the
epididymis up
into the body.
The seminal
vesicles: The
vas deferens end near
the seminal vesicles, which produce part of the fluid
ejaculated with the sperm. See
Physiology of the Male Sex Drive for more
information.
The prostate:
This gland produces a part of the seminal fluid, begins the
ejaculation process, and keeps semen and urine
from mixing. The prostate produces small amounts of fluid continually,
but accelerates greatly during sexual arousal. Since a man's enjoyment
of orgasm is effected by the quantity of his
ejaculation, the extra fluid produced during prolonged arousal can lead to
a stronger climax. Prostatitis, or congested prostate is a painful
condition caused by repeated arousal without ejaculation, or by a
"feast-or-famine" sex life (such as that of a traveling salesman). Mild
cases can be easily remedied by climaxing. More serious cases require
prescription medication and massaging of the prostate by a physician. As
a man ages his prostate swells, often interfering with normal urination.
Prostate cancer is very common in older men, although it is treatable
if found early by routine screening.
The
sphincters: Small valves, the sphincters
control the flow of urine and semen in the prostate. The upper sphincter
prevents semen from moving into the bladder
during ejaculation; it also makes it more and
more difficult for a man to urinate as he becomes increasingly erect. The
lower sphincter helps pressurize the semen just before ejaculation.
The ejaculatory
duct: An area of the
urethra
in the
prostate between the
sphincters. The sperm and various fluids mix
in this area as ejaculation begins, the closed
sphincters and muscle contractions creating a pressurized system. Once
this happens, climax
can not be stopped.
The cowper's
glands: These two pea sized glands produce a slippery
alkaline fluid when the man is aroused. This fluid prepares the
urethra for ejaculation.
During prolonged arousal, the fluid may form drops at the tip of the
penis. Sperm are
often present in this fluid.
Erection: When a man is sexually stimulated by sight, thought,
or touch, the brain sends signals that relax the smooth muscles around
the arteries that supply blood to the
spongy
and cavernous bodies. The veins draining
the bodies can't keep up, resulting in swelling. As the swelling reaches
the limit of the penile skin, the
penis becomes firm.
The pressure of the spongy and cavernous bodies against the skin partially
closes the veins, helping to maintain the erection. Erection continues
until the signals from the brain stop, but erections are not consistent;
waking and waning are normal, even during intercourse. Erection can
occur throughout life, happening before birth and into the 90's in healthy
men. Nocturnal erections occur during
all male dreams (regardless
of what the dream is about), unless the man has physical problems (this is
the easiest way to determine if impotence is physical or emotional in nature).
The so called "morning erection" is the result of being wakened during,
or just after a dream; and it can be a very persistent erection. While
a morning erection is not a sign of arousal, it's presents and the pleasurable
sensations it can create may result in arousal.Men have only
very limited control over their erections. During puberty the young
man is often embarrassed by erection in public settings, but he gradually
becomes able to suppress erections when the stimulation is mild. Likewise,
it is impossible to "will" an erection, although sexual thoughts can cause
erection. During prolonged foreplay a man's erection may go away; this
is normal, and is not a sign of lessening interest. General health
and physical exhaustion can affect erection; when very tired, a man may be
able to have only a partial erection, but still be able to climax.
Erection is lost in two stages; the initial stage is very quick, but
usually leaves the penis firm enough to continue intercourse. The second
stage is somewhat slower and is effected by a variety of things including
age (which tends to speed it), and arousal level before climax, with higher
(or longer) pre-climax arousal generally resulting in slower lose of erection
Semen: A mixture of sperm cells (less than 1%) and fluids from
the
prostate (30%) and
seminal vesicles (70%).
A typical ejaculation is about a teaspoon of fluid, and can contain
up to 600 million sperm.
Orgasm: This is the pleasurable feeling of sexual climax. In
men orgasm lasts from four to eight seconds, and is more powerful if arousal
is prolonged, or it's been a long time since his last climax. Boys
who begin masturbating before puberty experience "dry climaxes"; orgasm without
ejaculation. Although rare, it is possible
for a grown man to orgasm without ejaculating. Following orgasm the
glans becomes hypersensitive. In a few men the
sensitivity is so extreme that they are unable to continue intercourse following
orgasm.
Ejaculation: The expulsion of semen
from the
penis.
Ejaculation normally happens along with
orgasm, although it can be caused separately,
such as the "electro-ejaculation" used to obtain semen from bulls.
Ejaculation happens in two distinct parts. The first, the emission
phase, causes sperm and fluid to mix in the
ejaculatory
duct, while the
sphincters close and muscles contract.
During this time the man feels what is called "ejaculatory inevitability"
(or the point of no return). The second, or expulsion phase, occurs
when the lower sphincter opens, forcing the semen out into the penis.
Contractions in the base of the penis help propel
semen out of the body. Most of the fluid
is ejected in the first few contractions, but the penis may continue to contract
sporadically for 15 to 20 seconds, particularly after prolonged arousal.
During adolescence, the ejaculation is quite forceful, but it diminishes
rapidly in the twenties. This is a normal change that does not effect
fertility. The amount of semen in an ejaculation is normally about
a teaspoon full, but this varies from man to man. If aman has two
ejaculations in a short period of time the second will be very small.
Resolution: Following ejaculation
the
penis returns to it's non-erect state. There
is a rapid partial loss of erection, followed
by a much slower loss of the remaining erection. The second stage lose seems
to be slower after prolonged sex.Resolution refers to the period
of time after ejaculation during which a man can't have another erection.
While there is an obvious physical component to resolution (prepubescent
boys, who don't ejaculate, don't have a resolution phase after
orgasm), it seems to also be effected by the
mind; some men can continue to a second climax without losing erection entirely.
Over all, the length of the resolution phase is related to age, being
minutes in teens and possibly days in elderly men; but this varies greatly,
and seems to be effected by sexual frequency, with the least active men having
the longest resolution phases as they age.