Anatomy of your penis (image)

The penis and scrotum are the external sexual organs of men.

• Glans
  The glans is the head of the penis. The glans in uncircumcised men is usually covered by the prepuce. The glans is highly sensitive, as is the corona, the ridge of flesh that connects the glans to the shaft of the penis.
• Corona
  The 'crown,' a ridge of flesh demarcating where the head of the penis and the shaft join.
• Frenulum, frenum
  A thin strip of flesh on the underside of the penis that connects the shaft to the head.
• Foreskin, prepuce
  A roll of skin which covers the head of the penis in uncircumsized men.
• Urethra, meatus
  The opening at the tip of the penis to allow the passage of both urine and semen.
• Scrotum
  The scrotum is a sac that hangs behind and below the penis, and containts the testes, the male sexual glands. The scrotum's primary function is to maintain the testes at approximately 34 C, the temperature at which the testes most effectively produce sperm.
• Testes, Testicles
  The male sexual glands, the two testes within the scrotum produce sperm and testosterone. Within each testis is a kilometer of ducts called the seminiferous tubules, the organs which generate sperm. Each testicle produces nearly 150 million sperm every 24 hours.
• Epididymis
  The epididymis is a 'holding pen' where sperm produced by the seminiferous tubules mature. The sperm wait here until ejaculation or nocturnal emission.
• Vas deferens
  The ducts leading from the epididymis to the seminal vesicles. These are the ducts that are cut during the procedure known as vasectomy.
• Seminal vesicles
  The seminal vesicles produce semen, a fluid that activates and protects the sperm after it has left the penis during ejaculation
• The Prostate gland
  Also produces a fluid that makes up the semen. The prostate gland also squeezes shut the urethral duct to the bladder, thus preventing urine from mixing with the semen and disturbing the pH balance required by sperm.
• Corpa cavernosa
  The corpora cavernosa are the two spongy bodies of erectile tissue on either side of the penis which become engorged with blood from arteries in the penis, thus causing erection.
• Ejaculatory Ducts
  The path through the seminal glands which semen travels during ejaculation.
• Cowper's Glands
  The Cowper's glands secrete a small amount of pre-ejaculate fluid prior to orgasm. This fluid neutralizes the acidity within the urethra itself.

Other pages in this section
A few myths about your penis | A piercing experience | Anatomy of your penis (image) | Are my testicles normal? | Can I change the colour of my penis? | Can I get my penis enlarged? | Can I reduce the size of my testicles? | Can I straighten my bent penis? | Circumcision: for and against | Does a long tongue mean a short penis? | Does masturbation cause a bent penis? | How big should my penis be? | How can I get circumcised? | How can I stop having erections all the time? | How do I perform a testicular self examination? | How should I clean my penis? | Is it normal to have a downward sloping penis? | My glans become bright red when my penis is erect | The big issue of penis size | The shape of things to come | What are the bumps on my penis? | What can I eat to enlarge my penis? | What colour is my penis meant to be? | What colour is your penis? | What is a foreskin? | What size does your penis have to be to have sex? | Will a curved penis affect my ability to have sex? | Will my penis change size if I masturbate?