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The Clitoris
The tip or
glans of the clitoris (gr. kleitoris: little elevation)
is located below the Mons Veneris at the point where the minor
lips meet, forming a foreskin or prepuce. Externally visible
under this foreskin is the glans of the clitoris. The body or
shaft of the clitoris is a short cylindrical organ composed
mainly of erectile tissue, i.e., of two spongy bodies (lat.
corpora cavernosa) which can quickly fill with blood
and thus cause the entire organ to stiffen and increase in
size. Following it further inside, the clitoral shaft divides
into two legs, each of which lies next to a bulb on either
side of the vagina, and all of these structures swell under
sexual stimulation. This is also true of spongy tissue
surrounding the urethra. |
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The glans
The glans of
the clitoris is partly covered by the clitoral hood or
foreskin. It is possible for genital secretions (smegma) to
accumulate under this foreskin, thus causing irritation and
other problems. The glans is extremely sensitive to the touch
as it is studded with innumerable nerve endings. Unlike the
penis, however, the excited head of clitoris does not protrude
but retracts under its hood. The clitoris is easily excitable
by mechanical stimulation, and it plays an essential role in a
woman's sexual excitement.
A pleasure organ
The average
length of a clitoral shaft in its unexcited state is less than
an inch and most of it is hidden from view. However, in the
state of excitement it may swell to twice its usual diameter,
and the rest of the tissue swells accordingly. This entire
system of erectile tissue might correctly be called clitoral
system or clitoris for short. This would also make the
parallels to the penis much more obvious, even with regard to
size. Furthermore, the clitoris is obviously the principal
female pleasure organ, and it has no reproductive
function.
An internal organ
All in all,
the clitoris is more an internal than an external sex organ.
It is listed here among the external organs only according to
a now obsolete textbook
tradition. |
