Is the glans clitoris simply the distal end of the corpora cavernosa or does the corpus spongiosum of the vestibular bulbs extend the length of the clitoris and form the glans in the same manner as the glans penis is formed? I ask this because in the penis the corpus spongiosum functions to prevent the urethra from becoming blocked during erection and thus allowing for the delivery of semen. This is very different with the corpus spongiosum in the female which isn’t tubular surrounding the urethra not having this function. While the penis and clitoris are homologous it doesn’t necessarily follow that similar structures they are composed of are, and yet it is often stated that the glans penis and the glans clitoris are indeed homologous structures. The hard tip of the erect penis felt under the glans has been called the male clitoris infering that the glans of the clitoris is the distal end of the corpora cavernosa.
IANABiologist, but - sexual attributes have been evolving down different paths since the genders first eveolved, so there’s no guarantee of any direct 1-to-1 correspondence.
However, a clue might be seen in textbooks on genital development failures. (I saw one once in the university library,full colour. Yikes - unless your field of work includes that, you only want to see it once). You can see developments from slightly enlarged clitoris to one that look like miniature penises to full on hermaphrodite. Maybe that will give you a clue which pieces Mother Nature finds analogous.
Thanks for the response. Good advice, however I’ve already tried it without getting much useful information but maybe I should try again. I did notice something else though and that was the glans in many of these cases was often exposed ie the foreskin was missing. That brings up a good example where the parts don’t match ie they’re not homologous despite what is often written. The female prepuce (foreskin or clitoral hood) develops from the same part as the labia minor whereas the male foreskin developes from the phallus.
As I understand it, the penis is made of the same tissues as the vagina is created from.
I love Natalie Angier’s Woman: an Intimate Geography. I haven’t read it in a few years, but check it out—I believe it addresses this question pretty well.