Genital tubercle
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| Genital tubercle | ||
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| Stages in the development of the external sexual organs in the male and female. | ||
| Gray's | subject #252 1213 | |
| Gives rise to | genital swelling, mons pubis, clitoris, penis | |
| Dorlands/Elsevier | t_21/12827779 | |
A genital tubercle is a body of tissue which forms in the ventral, caudal region of mammalian embryos of both sexes, and eventually develops into a phallus. In the human fetus the genital tubercle develops around week 4 of gestation, and by week 9 becomes recognizably either a clitoris or penis.
The genital tubercle is sensitive to dihydrotestosterone and rich in 5-alpha-reductase, so that the amount of fetal testosterone present after the second month is a major determinant of phallus size at birth.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Swiss embryology (from UL, UB, and UF) ugenital/genitexterne01
- Overview at mcgill.ca
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