THE MALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS. 



i mm., and is composed of closely interwoven longitudinal bundles 

 of white fibrous tissuCj intermingled with well-developed elastic fibres. 

 Within this common in- 

 vestment each body is FIG- 261. 

 surrounded by an indi- 

 vidual sheath of circu- 

 larly-disposed bundles, 

 which, in the mid-line, 

 takes part in forming 

 the pectinate septum ; in 

 other places the sheaths 

 contribute the trabeculae 

 belonging to the enclosed 

 erectile tissue. 



The trabeculae spring 

 from all parts of the in- 

 vesting fibrous tunics, 

 including the septum, 

 and pass inward, join- 

 ing with their fellows on 

 all sides to form a frame- 

 work, the basis of the 

 cavernous tissue, which 

 occupies the entire cav- 

 ernous body. While the trabeculae are stouter and larger near the 

 periphery than in the centre, the included spaces, on the contrary z are 

 larger near the middle and 

 smaller at the circumference 

 of the cavernous bodies ; to- , 



Section of penis of child near end : a, corpora cavernosa ; 

 b, fibrous envelope of same ; c, imperfect septum ; d, corpus 

 spongiosum ; e, urethra ; f, sebaceous glands ; g, epithelium 

 of skin ; i, that lining the sac of prepuce ; A, section of latter ; 

 k, blood-vessels. 



FIG. 262. 



wards the anterior end of the 

 penis the spaces become gen- 

 erally larger. In addition to 

 the white fibrous tissue com- 

 posing their principal part, the 

 trabeculae contain elastic fibres 

 and unstriped muscles, to- 

 gether with the blood-vessels 

 which the larger bands sup- 

 port. The interspaces of this 

 spongy structure are cavern- 

 ous venous channels, which 



form an intercommunicating system of canals throughout the cav- 

 ernous body. These spaces, lined with endothelium, and communi- 

 cating on the one hand with the arteries and on the other with 



i". 



Section of erectile tissue of human penis : v, blood- 

 spaces lined with endothelium ; /, fibrous trabeculae 

 containing bundles of non-striped muscle (m) cut in 

 various directions ; i, blood-vessels. 



