Mons pubis
| Mons pubis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Superior view of a fully shaved mons pubis on a human female pelvis. | |
| Latin | mons pubis |
| Gray's | subject #270 1265 |
| Precursor | Genital tubercle |
In human anatomy, and in mammals in general, the mons pubis (Latin for "pubic mound"), also known simply as the mons, and known specifically in females as the mons Venus or mons veneris (Latin for "mound of Venus"), is a rounded mass of fatty tissue situated over the pubic bone.[1][2][3] Its location is specifically anterior to the pubic symphysis. The size of the mons pubis varies with the level of hormone and body fat, and it is more apparent in females. After puberty, it generally becomes covered with pubic hair and enlarged.
In human females, the mons pubis forms the anterior portion of the vulva. It divides into the labia majora (literally "larger lips") on either side of the furrow, known as the pudendal cleft, that surrounds the labia minora, clitoris, vaginal opening, and other structures of the vulval vestibule. The fatty tissue of the mons pubis is sensitive to estrogen, causing a distinct mound to form with the onset of puberty. This pushes the forward portion of the labia majora out and away from the pubic bone.
See also
References
Notes
- ↑ New Oxford American Dictionary. Oxford University Press. 2011.
- ↑ "mons pubis". Merriam–Webster. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
- ↑ "mons pubis". American Heritage Dictionary. 2011. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
Bibliography
- Sloane, Ethel. Biology of Women. Cengage Learning 2002, ISBN 978-0-7668-1142-3, p. 31
- Gray, Henry: Anatomy of the Human Body. Lea & Febiger, 1918
- "Mons pubis" in Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 2010.
External links
Media related to Mons pubis at Wikimedia Commons- 41:02-0102 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "The Female Perineum: The Vulva"
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