Human penis

Human penis
A flaccid penis
Details
Precursor	Genital tubercle, Urogenital folds
Artery	Dorsal artery of the penis, deep artery of the penis, artery of the urethral bulb
Vein	Dorsal veins of the penis
Nerve	Dorsal nerve of the penis
Lymph	Superficial inguinal lymph nodes
Identifiers
Latin	'penis, penes'
MeSH	A05.360.444.492
TA	A09.4.01.00222
FMA	9707
Anatomical terminology []

The human penis is an external male intromittent organ that additionally serves as the urinal duct. The main parts are the root (radix); the body (corpus); and the epithelium of the penis including the shaft skin and the foreskin covering the glans penis. The body of the penis is made up of three columns of tissue: two corpora cavernosa on the dorsal side and corpus spongiosum between them on the ventral side. The human male urethra passes through the prostate gland, where it is joined by the ejaculatory duct, and then through the penis. The urethra traverses the corpus spongiosum, and its opening, the meatus (/miːˈeɪtəs/), lies on the tip of the glans penis. It is a passage both for urination and ejaculation of semen.

Most of the penis develops from the same tissue in the embryo as does the clitoris in females; the skin around the penis and the urethra come from the same embryonic tissue from which develops the labia minora in females. An erection is the stiffening and rising of the penis, which occurs during sexual arousal, though it can also happen in non-sexual situations. The most common form of genital alteration is circumcision, removal of part or all of the foreskin for various cultural, religious and, more rarely, medical reasons. There is controversy surrounding circumcision.