Labia minora

Labia minora
Labia minora (inner labia) - vertical folds of skin in the very middle of the photo of shaved vulva (external female genitals) between rounded thicker labia majora (the outer labia).
Details
Precursor	Urogenital folds
Identifiers
Latin	labium minus pudendi
Dorlands /Elsevier	Labia minora pudendi
TA	A09.2.01.007
FMA	20374
Anatomical terminology []

The labia minora (the Latin for smaller lips, singular: labium minus "smaller lip"), also known as the inner labia, inner lips, vaginal lips or nymphae, are two flaps of skin on either side of the human vaginal opening in the vulva, situated between the labia majora (the Latin for larger lips; also called outer labia, or outer lips). Inner lips vary widely in size, color, and shape from individual to individual.

The inner lips extend from the clitoris obliquely downward, laterally, and backward on either side of the vulval vestibule, ending between the bottom of the vulval vestibule and the outer lips. The posterior ends (bottom) of the inner lips are usually joined across the middle line by a fold of skin, named the frenulum of labia minora or fourchette.

On the front, each lip forks dividing into two portions surrounding the clitoris. The upper part of each lip passes above the clitoris to meet the upper part of the other lip—which will often be a little larger or smaller—forming a fold which overhangs the glans clitoridis (clitoral tip or head); this fold is named the clitoral hood. The lower part passes beneath the glans clitoridis and becomes united to its under surface, forming, with the inner lip of the opposite side, the frenulum clitoridis.

The clitoral hood, analogously to the foreskin of the penis in men and also termed, like the latter, by the Latin word , serves to cover most of the time the shaft and sometimes the glans (which is very sensitive to the touch) to protect the clitoris from mechanical irritation and from dryness. Yet the hood is movable and can slide during clitoral erection or be pulled upwards a little for greater exposure of the clitoris to sexual stimulation.

The frenulum (Latin for little bridle) is an elastic band of tissue attached by its one end to the clitoral shaft and glans and by its other end to the prepuce. It allows two-way shifting of the clitoral hood: firstly, it can extend to let the hood be moved upwards to expose the glans for stimulation or hygienic cleansing, and, secondly. it contracts to pull the hood back to protect it.