(1.56)

Lastly in our view from below we'll take a further look at the clitoris. To see it we'll look at a dissection in which the structures that surround it have been removed.

Here's the clitoris. The clitoris consists of two crura, which unite to form the body. The crura and body of the clitoris are formed of erectile tissue. The crura, like the crura of the penis, are attached along the undersides of the ischiopoubic rami.

The body of the clitoris is curved, and points downwards. It ends at the glans, just in front of the point where the labia minora come together. The glans of the clitoris is richly endowed with sensory nerve endings.

Looking from below, we've already seen the opening of the vagina. To see more of the vagina we'll look at an isolated specimen that's been divided close to the midline. The adjoining bladder, which we've removed, was here.

Here's the vaginal vestibule, here's the urethra, opening at the external urethral meatus. The lining of the vagina is marked by numerous small transverse folds called rugae.

The upper end of the vagina is closed off by the cervix of the uterus, which projects down into it. Here's the same specimen with the vagina intact, and with the bladder in place. This is the urethra, surrounded by the external urethral sphincter muscle.

This fringe of muscle that's attached around the urethra and the vaginal vestibule is the cut edge of the pelvic diaphragm. Here's the pelvic diaphragm again, in a more complete dissection. The muscle sling that forms the pelvic diaphragm is more fully described in Volume 3 of this atlas.