Male sexual anatomy
Male reproductive anatomy includes the penis!
The male reproductive system is made up of the organs that allow a man to:
- have and enjoy sexual intercourse
- produce sperm (male sex cells)
- fertilize ova (eggs) with sperm
The sexual organs of the male are partly visible and partly hidden within the body.
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Internal male sex organs
Testes
- Oval-shaped glands that are about 4cm in length and 3cm in width
- The testes make millions of sperm every day and also secrete the male sex hormones
- The testes are sensitive to touch
Epididymis
- Highly coiled tube that lies around the back of the testicle
- Sperm are passed to the epididymis from the testes where they are made
- Sperm is stored in the epididymis for about 20 days until they are mature
- Once mature the sperm move to the vas deferens
- The testes and epididymis form each testicle
Vas deferens
- About 45cm (18 inches) long and runs from the epididymis to the urethra
- It carries the sperm from the testes to the urethra and stores it prior to ejaculation
- The sperm become mixed with secretions along the way and form semen
Urethra
- Tube that links the vas deferens to the outside
- Also runs from the bladder, serving both the urinary and reproductive systems
Seminal vesicles
- Lie behind the bladder and produce the secretion which makes up 60% of the semen
- These secretions contain fructose which acts as a fuel for the sperm
Prostate gland
- Is just below the bladder and is about the size of a chestnut
- Makes secretions which make up about 30% of the semen
- These secretions make the vagina less acidic so that sperm can survive better
External male sexual organs
Penis
- Consists of the shaft and the head (called the glans)
- The glans, the corona (the rim of the glans) and the frenulum (tissue that links the underside of the glans and the shaft) are very sensitive and play a big role in sexual pleasure
- Some men are circumcised which means that the foreskin (skin covering the head of the penis) has been cut away; on an uncircumcised penis the loose foreskin is still covering the head of the penis but can be slid back
- Inside the penis is the urethra, carrying sperm and urine to the outside of the body
- During sexual arousal, the penis becomes filled with blood and becomes erect
- The average flaccid penis is 8-10cm long and the average erect penis is 15cm long
- There is considerable variation in the size of a flaccid penis but not very much variation in the size of an erect penis
- During ejaculation, between 300 and 500 million sperm are released
Scrotum
- The two testes are contained in the scrotum outside the body, in order to maintain the right temperature