Skip to main content
PREVIEW MODE IS ENABLED
TRANSCRIPT

(2.31)

Now that we've followed the course of spermataozoa and seminal fluid from the testis to the ejaculatory duct, we'll move on to look at the penis. There's more to the penis than meets the eye. The part of the penis that's seen externally is only about half of its overall length. The rest of it is hidden within the root of the scrotum, and back here in the perineum.

Along most of its length, the penis, seen here in cross-section, consists of three somewhat cylindrical masses of highly expandable tissue. On each side are the corpora cavernosa, the singular of which is corpus cavernosum.

The corpora cavernosa are the main erectile bodies of the penis. They're contained within a strong layer of fibrous tissue, the tunica albuginea. Within this there's a continuous space, intersected by an open network of fibromuscular tissue. The space is filled with blood: a little when the penis is flaccid, much more when it's erect.

The two corpora cavernosa are separated by an incomplete septum. Running along the underside of the penis is the corpus spongiosum which is continuous proximally with the bulb of the penis, and distally with the glans, as we'll see.

The urethra is contained within the corpus spongiosum. Like the corpora cavernosa, the corpus spongiosum consists mainly of expandable vascular tissue, but it remains soft during erection, while the corpora cavernosa become hard.

In the intact penis, the glans is covered by a retractable fold of skin, the prepuce or foreskin, which is often surgically removed in infancy. Here, the prepuce has been divided. The skin that lines the prepuce is continuous with the skin of the glans here, in the coronal sulcus. We can see the glans more clearly in this penis that's been circumcised. This is the glans.

To ...

[Read More]

(2.31)

Now that we've followed the course of spermataozoa and seminal fluid from the testis to the ejaculatory duct, we'll move on to look at the penis. There's more to the penis than meets the eye. The part of the penis that's seen externally is only about half of its overall length. The rest of it is hidden within the root of the scrotum, and back here in the perineum.

Along most of its length, the penis, seen here in cross-section, consists of three somewhat cylindrical masses of highly expandable tissue. On each side are the corpora cavernosa, the singular of which is corpus cavernosum.

The corpora cavernosa are the main erectile bodies of the penis. They're contained within a strong layer of fibrous tissue, the tunica albuginea. Within this there's a continuous space, intersected by an open network of fibromuscular tissue. The space is filled with blood: a little when the penis is flaccid, much more when it's erect.

The two corpora cavernosa are separated by an incomplete septum. Running along the underside of the penis is the corpus spongiosum which is continuous proximally with the bulb of the penis, and distally with the glans, as we'll see.

The urethra is contained within the corpus spongiosum. Like the corpora cavernosa, the corpus spongiosum consists mainly of expandable vascular tissue, but it remains soft during erection, while the corpora cavernosa become hard.

In the intact penis, the glans is covered by a retractable fold of skin, the prepuce or foreskin, which is often surgically removed in infancy. Here, the prepuce has been divided. The skin that lines the prepuce is continuous with the skin of the glans here, in the coronal sulcus. We can see the glans more clearly in this penis that's been circumcised. This is the glans.

To see its continuity with the corpus spongiosum we'll remove the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Here's the right corpus cavernosum. Here's the corpus spongiosum. The corpus spongiosum becomes continuous with the glans here. The two corpora cavernosa end bluntly, just behind the glans.

[Read Less]
×
Enter an Access Code
×
Please take a moment to tell us about your experience with AclandAnatomy!
(1000 characters left)
Ease of use 1 = Not easy to use; 5 = Very easy to use
Video navigation 1 = Not easy to navigate; 5 = Very easy to navigate
Search results 1 = Not relevant; 5 = Very relevant
Value to your understanding of the subject 1 = Not valuable; 5 = Very valuable
Do you currently use another format of the Acland product (DVDs, streaming/institutional version, etc.)?
Tell us who you are.



May we contact you about your feedback?
reCAPTCHA verification required. Please check the box below and resubmit the form.
Captcha Validation Error. Please try again.
Your feedback has been successfully submitted.
We are unable to receive your feedback at this time. Please try again another time.
Please sign in to submit feedback.
×