Penis anatomy, explained plainly
A short, sourced reference to the parts of the penis and what each one does — the glans, shaft, foreskin, frenulum, and the rest. No jargon, no agenda, just labeled diagrams and citations.
The parts, at a glance
Six structures make up the external anatomy most people never got a labeled diagram for. Tap any one for the full writeup.
Glans
The rounded tip. Densely nerve-rich, and the part most people picture when they hear "head."
Shaft
The main body, running from the base to the coronal ridge. Skin-covered, with erectile tissue underneath.
Foreskin (prepuce)
A double-layered sleeve covering the glans. Present at birth; removed by circumcision when it happens.
Frenulum
A small tethering fold on the underside, anchoring tissue to the glans. Densely innervated.
Urethral opening
The meatus, at the tip — where urine and semen exit.
Scrotum & testicles
Technically separate organs, included here since they're part of the same neighborhood.
Did you know?
The foreskin isn't a single flap of skin — it's two different tissue types folded together: ordinary skin on the outside, mucous membrane on the inside. That's what lets it glide rather than stretch. See it animated →