Sure, you know what a clitoris is. After all, you've got one! It's that bean-sized thing right at the top of the opening between your legs. Well, er, the thing is, your clitoris is NOT the size of a bean. Try the width and length of your finger!
Surprised? Don't be. Despite the pleasure it brings, most women are unaware about the size, shape, and even the full function of the clitoris. Let's take a quick non-medical look at the little critter and see what it's really all about!
Your clitoris is the dark pink area shown in the drawing below. Yes, it's HUGE!
The part of the clitoris you can see and touch is the glans, which pokes out near the top under the clitoral hood. The vast, vast majority of the clitoris is tucked deep inside your body.
The glans is the most sensitive part of the clitoris, containing some 8,000 (count 'em, eight thousand!) nerve receptors. By comparison, each of your fingertips have just a hundred or so nerve receptors.
Behind the glans is the clitoral body, the part labeled corpus cavernosum in the picture. This large V-shaped thing fills with blood when you are sexually excited. The blood makes you hard, and increases sensitivity.
Basically it's an erection, but instead of a penis, yours is a pulsating button roughly the size of an M&M. That's just on the outside. On the inside, the entire invisible structure of the clitoris gets filled up with blood, increasing sensation in and around your nether region.
Supporting the "little man in the boat" is a fantastic superstructure that spreads well into your body. This superstructure is commonly ignored in all but the most scientific anatomy books, partly because not long ago many researchers had no concept what all the extra thingies did, or what they were for.
Unlike the penis, which has functions apart from sexual reproduction, the clitoris only exists to give the female pleasure. So why write about it in the anatomy books, right?
The vestibular bulbs spread out like butterfly wings to either side of your vagina. The drawing shows the location of your urethra (pee hole) and vagina in relation to your clitoris and its supporting structures.
The vestibular bulbs consist of erectile tissue that likewise respond when you get excited. As the bulbs fill with blood they constrict the opening of the vagina. This cuffs the vagina for a tighter fit for a penis - or dildo, whatever you prefer at the time. Though the bulbs lack significant nerve endings, their engorgement during arousal is one reason it feels good to insert something into your kitty while rubbing your clit.
A note about the vestibular bulbs: The blood that gets pumped into them is released by the contractions of your orgasm. If you don't come, it can take several hours for the blood to drain.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though for other reasons it's a good idea to eventually reach climax once you've gone past a certain state of arousal. The gradual hours-long drain of blood is why women can maintain their ready-set-go! state longer than men.
Illustration credits Creative Commons - 1:Civrak, 2:Ed-Sim, 3:Tsaitgaist.
This article and all other articles on this site are not meant as medical or personal advice. They are presented for their entertainment value only. Please consult a qualified health practitioner.