Glans

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The glans (Latin for "acorn", because the glans of an uncircumcised penis often looks like an acorn popping out of its cap) is a structure internally composed of corpus spongiosum in males or of corpus cavernosa and vestibular tissue in females that is located at the tip of homologous genital structures involved in sexual arousal.

[edit] Structure

The exterior structure of the glans consists of mucous membrane, which is usually covered by foreskin or clitoral hood in naturally developed genitalia. This covering, called the prepuce, is normally retractable in adulthood.

The glans naturally joins with the inner labia, and the frenulum of the penis or clitoris. In non-technical or sexual discussions, often the word "clitoris" refers to the external glans alone, excluding the prepuce, frenulum, and internal body of the clitoris.

[edit] Gender differences

In males the glans is known as the glans penis, while in females the glans is known as the glans clitoris.

In females, the clitoris is above the urethra. This organ was once thought to serve no function other than sexual arousal, but research is beginning to prove otherwise. The glans of the clitoris is the most highly innervated part.

[edit] Female genital cutting

Female genital cutting involves the removal of the prepuce (covering the glans) or even more drastic, the whole clitoris and labia minora. There have also been cases in which the outer labia have been removed (these cases are mainly found in tribal regions which still practice female circumcision, usually at puberty.*) Female genital cutting is now widely discouraged and in some regions of the world it is illegal, but the removal of the prepuce is still practised in some rural areas because it is thought to inhibit sexual arousal thus keeping women "more pure" according to them.