Gynecology Sexual anatomy

clitoris Wikipedia

Image:Fem isa 2.gif|thumb|350px|demo|A woman's clitoris extends from the visible portion to a point below the pubic bone.

The clitoris is a sex organ|sexual organ in the body of female mammals. The visible doorknob|knob-like portion is located near the anterior junction of the labia minora, above the opening of the vagina. Unlike its male counterpart, the penis,the clitoris has no urethra, is not involved in urination, and its sole function is to induce sexual pleasure.

The word: clitoris can be pronounced KLIHT uh rihs (IPA|'klɪtəɹəs in International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA notation noprint|(media:Clitoris pronunciation 1.ogg|listen)) or klih TOHR ihs (IPA|klɪ'tɔɹəs noprint|(media:Clitoris pronunciation 2.ogg|listen)). The Oxford English Dictionary|OED suggests that KLY tor ihs (IPA|'klaɪtɒɹɪs) is also used in the United Kingdom|UK.

Image:Clitoris_inner_anatomy.gif|thumb|220px|The internal anatomy of the vulva, with the clitoral hood and labia minora indicated as lines.
Image:Vulvabigopen2(english).jpg|thumb|220px|Photograph of the human vulva showing the glans clitoris. In many cases the clitoral hood completely covers the glans, as seen in the photo below.
Image:HumanVulva-NewText-PhiloViv.jpg|thumb|220px|demo|A photograph of the vulva, with the clitoris obscured by the clitoral hood and folds of the labia minora.<!-- This image has been the subject of much controversy. Change or remove it at your own risk. (As of 9th Sept 2005, updated to an image with the same photo but new text)-->
The female clitoris corresponds to homologous parts of the male penis, i.e., embryology|embryologically it comes from the same tissue that forms the penis. The trigger for forming a penis instead of a clitoris is the action of testosterone in utero.

The organ is formed out of corpus cavernosum, a rich collection of capillary tissue with a substantial presence of nerve tissue. It is particularly well-suited for sexual stimulation.

The outside portion of the clitoris, the clitoral glans, is entirely or partially covered by the clitoral hood or prepuce, tissue that is homologous to the foreskin in males and beneath which smegma is formed and may collect. In humans, the clitoral body then extends several centimetre|centimeters upwards and to the back, before splitting into two arms, the clitoral crura. Shaped like an inverted "V", these crura extend around and to the interior of the labia majora. Including external and internal components, it is thought the clitoris is similar in size to the penis.

Most of the clitoris is hidden, and external stimulation of the entire clitoris can result in a more profound sexual response. There is considerable variation among women with regard to how much of the clitoris protrudes from the hood and how much is covered by it, ranging from complete, covered invisibility to full, protruding visibility. One explanation advanced for the vaginal orgasm is that it results from stimulation of the internal parts of the clitoris during vaginal penetration. Nevertheless, some women experience both clitoral and vaginal orgasms and distinguish between them in terms of both the physical and general sensations associated with each.

During sexual arousal, the clitoris enlarges as its erectile tissue fills with blood. Shortly before orgasm, this erection often increases further, drawing the clitoris upwards, so that viewed from the outside it actually appears to shrink.

:Category:Medical journals|Medical literature first recognised the existence of the clitoris in the 16th century. This is the subject of some dispute: Realdo Colombo (also known as Matteo Renaldo Colombo) was a lecturer in surgery at the University of Padua, Italy, and in 1559 he published a book called De re anatomica in which he described the "seat of woman's delight". Colombo concluded, "Since no one has discerned these projections and their workings, if it is permissible to give names to things discovered by me, it should be called the love or sweetness of Venus (mythology)|Venus."

Colombo's claim was disputed by his successor at Padua, Gabriele Falloppio (who discovered the fallopian tube), who claimed that he was the first to discover the clitoris. Caspar Bartholin the Younger|Caspar Bartholin, a 17th century Danish anatomy|anatomist, dismissed both claims, arguing that the clitoris had been widely known to medicine|medical science since the 2nd century.http://www.doctorweevil.org/archives/000470.html

Noted researchers Masters and Johnson, Boston, Massachusetts|Boston based researcher John Garabedian, and Dr. Matt Jaeger at the University of Kentucky all conducted extensive studies of the clitoris.

In the 1970s, the word clitoris was considered offensive in the spoken English language and is still seen as a taboo word by many people. The first use of clitoris on television in the United States is believed to have been by Dr. Rich O'Brien, a Harvard colleague of Garabedian's, on the Dr. Ruth Westheimer show.

Main article: genital modification and mutilation

The external part of the clitoris may be partially or totally removed during female circumcision (also known as a clitorectomy) in voluntary or involuntary procedures. The topic is highly controversial with many countries condemning the traditions that give rise to involuntary procedures with some countries outlawing even voluntary procedures. Amnesty International estimates that over 2 million involuntary female circumcisions are being performed every year, mainly in African Africa#Countries|countries.

In various cultures, the clitoris is sometimes body piercing|pierced. Piercings of the clitoris include a piercing of the clitoral hood, and the Isabella piercing, among many others. Some cultures at various times in history have practiced stretching, which can enlarge the clitoris, or can make it more visible.

• In a Seinfeld episode, Jerry Seinfeld does not remember his date's name - he only remembers that it rhymes with a female body part. His first guess of "Mulva" is off the mark. It finally comes to him: "Dolores".

• Wiktionary:WikiSaurus:clitoris|WikiSaurus:clitoris &mdash; the Wiktionary|WikiSaurus list of synonyms and slang words for the clitoris in many languages

• http://www.the-clitoris.com/ The-Clitoris.com &ndash; a very thorough website about everything related to the clitoris Warning - site contains explicit photos

Last Modified:   2005-12-19