Overview of the anatomical features of the male urogenital organs
**Understanding Our Own Structure**
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**Anatomical features of the male urogenital organs**
The Western Bible states that God created man, first creating man and then woman from man's rib. From this, we might think there are huge anatomical differences between men and women, but that's not the case. From the perspective of modern anatomy, the main difference between men and women lies in their urogenital systems. Genetically, humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes (their genetic material, which is composed of genes), one pair of which consists of sex chromosomes. Men have XY sex chromosomes, while women have XX. It is this difference in chromosomes that creates the unique anatomy of men.
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As is well known, the organs of the urogenital system consist of the two kidneys, two ureters, bladder, prostate, urethra, penis, two testes, epididymis, vas deferens, and spermatic cord.
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The male urinary organs, which are involved in urine formation and excretion, are only the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra; while the reproductive organs are the testes, epididymis, vas deferens, spermatic cord, and penis, and the urethra is the common passage for urination and ejaculation.
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It should be noted here that the terms "kidney deficiency" and "kidney weakness" that we usually refer to are terms from traditional Chinese medicine. In traditional Chinese medicine, the concept of the kidney includes sexuality and reproduction, and poor sexual function and infertility are all attributed to kidney dysfunction and yin-yang imbalance.
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In Western medicine, the urinary and reproductive systems are considered two different systems. Although they are related in some ways, they are quite different in terms of anatomy and physiology.
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**Anatomy of Male Sexual Organs**
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> **1.1//Male sexual organ------penis**
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The penis, known as the yang organ in Traditional Chinese Medicine, is composed of three columnar, spongy tissues. The dorsal side is the corpus cavernosum, which is covered by a tough tunica albuginea. The ventral side is the corpus spongiosum. The size of the penis is not directly proportional to height or body fat. The average size of a penis in the Chinese population is approximately 9-10 cm (in a non-erect state). The enlarged part at the tip of the penis is called the glans, in front of which is the urethral opening. It is the enlarged corpus spongiosum. The skin covering the glans is called the foreskin. Normally, the glans is exposed. If the glans is completely covered by the foreskin, it is called phimosis. If the glans cannot be manually retracted from the foreskin, it is called paraphimosis.
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> Jiang Yu, an endocrinologist, measured the length of the penis in the non-erect state of 470 male adolescents and 100 adult men, and the results are as follows.
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Table 1: Length of the penis in a non-erect state:
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Age (years) Length (cm)
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> 7-8 years old, 2.8-3.0cm
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> 9-12 years old, 3.0-4.0cm
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> 12-15 years old, 4.0-6.5cm
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> 15-17 years old, 6.0-7.0cm
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> >17 years old, 7.0-9.8cm
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Adult male: 9.05 ± 0.5 cm
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Table 2: Reference Values for Penile Stretch Length
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Age length (cm)
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> 5-10 years old: 6.25±1.0cm
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> 12 years old, 7.0±1.6cm
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> 14 years old, 9.40±2.5cm
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> 16 years old, 12.2±2.3cm
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> 18 years old, 13.0±1.6cm
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The average erect penis length of Chinese men is 13cm, ranging from 10.9 to 15.3cm. When evaluating whether the size of the penis is normal, the stretched length of the penis is generally used. An adult penis with a stretched length of less than 5.5cm can be considered micropenis.
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> **1.2/1 The site of sperm production---the testes**
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The testes, one on each side, are located in the scrotum below the base of the penis. Attached to the dorsal side of the testes is a sac-like organ resembling a silkworm, called the epididymis, which we can usually feel clearly. Sometimes, when people feel the epididymis, they mistakenly think it is a foreign object and seek medical attention. In fact, it is the organ that stores semen, while the testes are the sex organs that produce sperm. The sperm produced by the testes are first transported to the epididymis.
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The epididymis can sometimes become inflamed, a condition known as epididymitis. Epididymitis most commonly affects middle-aged people and is one of the causes of reproductive system pain in middle-aged people. However, in recent years, epididymitis has also been occurring in children.
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The testes are composed of numerous small tubular structures called seminiferous tubules and straight seminiferous tubules. They are arranged in an orderly manner within the testes, with a total length of about 6 meters. Sperm are produced within these tubules.