The clitoris and the penis refer to the female and male external genitalia, respectively. External genitalia is important to humans for the proper function of fertility and reproduction, urinary continence, and renal function. Exploring and understanding the development stages of the clitoris and the penis is important to get a gist of how they function and stimulate. The external genitalia of males and females play a huge role when it comes to puberty as well.
Clitoris vs. Penis – Fetal development stage
The clitoris and the penis begin to grow in the embryo and the fetus. The development of the sexual organs and the reproductive system starts soon after fertilization. Females are the base gender that the fetus begins to develop with. For the development of a male reproductive system, a single gene in the male “Y” chromosome is needed. This is known as SRY or the Sex-determining region of the Y chromosome. Without the SRY, it is not possible to grow a male reproductive system, so the fetus becomes female in the absence of the “Y” chromosome.
This means that the male and the female reproductive system develops from the same tissue. This tissue is known as gonads or primary reproductive organs. If the SRY is present, then in the seventh week of pregnancy, the developing male releases testosterone. Testosterone is a male sex hormone, and the presence of this hormone causes the gonads, or primitive sexual organs, to develop into male sexual organs. If the testosterone hormone is not present in utero, then the female sexual organs begin to develop from the gonads.
The clitoris ad the penis develops from the same tissue, meaning that the tissue that causes females to grow the clitoris is the same tissue that causes the males to grow the penis. In the same manner, the tissue that becomes the labia in females is the same tissue that forms the scrotum in males. So these tissues are called bipotential since they can either lead to male genitalia growth or female genitalia growth in the embryo. This ultimately means that both the clitoris and the penis arise from the same embryonic structures.
Clitoris vs. Penis – Anatomy
Believe it or not, the anatomical structures of the clitoris and the penis are actually quite similar.
- The clitoris has a hood that is similar to the foreskin of the penis.
- The labia in the female genitals are similar to that of the scrotum in the male genitals.
- There is a female cavernosal that is similar to the male corpora cavernosa.
- Both the clitoris and the penis have glans that get hard when aroused.
The clitoris is a lot similar to the penis, and they both provide pleasure for the respective genders when they are sexually aroused.
Clitoris vs. Penis – Puberty
Puberty refers to the time or the stage where your body begins to grow and develop. Puberty brings a lot of changes in both males and females. These differences are unique to each gender and are specific. Puberty begins at different ages in both males and females. Usually, females are a little earlier when they hit puberty than males. Females usually hit puberty between the ages of 7 -13, while males hit puberty between the ages of 9-15.
Almost everything in your body changes during puberty, which also includes the sexual organs. These changes are rapid, and by the time puberty comes to an end, a person can be distinguished as a male or a female at a glance. These changes are a unique experience for everyone; however, almost everyone goes through similar changes in their body during puberty.
During the course of puberty, your sexual organs begin to grow and change rapidly. If you are a male, your testes and the penis begins to grow in size. The penis grows longer, and the scrotum begins to form wrinkles. Around this time, the testes begin to grow semen, and you may experience ejaculations. Ejaculation happens when an erect penis shoots out semen. You may also experience erections, where the penis gets hard due to sexual arousal.
If you are a female, you will begin to notice that your clitoris is growing in size as well. The clitoris will also get erections during sexual arousal. This will cause the clitoris to get hard and feel pleasurable. However, the clitoris is smaller compared to a penis, so it is easy not to notice when a clitoris is erect.
Clitoris vs. Penis – Stimulation
Sexual stimulation is something that people start to face during and after the course of puberty. The clitoris and the penis are both sensitive to touch or stimulation. They play a huge role in the sexual arousal of females and males.
When stimulated, a penis begins to erect. This means that the increased amount of blood flow to the penis makes it appear larger and harder than its usual self. Since the penis is large in size, an erection in males is easier to notice.
Females also face erections when they are stimulated. This happens in the clitoris as an increased amount of blood begins to flow during sexual activity. This causes the clitoris to get hard and appears quite large in size.
Both the clitoris and the penis are essential to reach an orgasm in both genders. While females have many types of orgasms, males can only have an orgasm through penis stimulation. Most women get an orgasm from clitoris stimulation as well.
The clitoris and the penis are essential parts of an adult’s reproductive system. These organs not only produce pleasure during sexual activity but also aids in human reproduction. These sex organs begin from the same embryonic structures and have many similarities to each other when compared. Both the clitoris and the penis play a huge role when it comes to puberty and differentiating between male and female sexuality. Both are subjected to external stimulation as well as hormonal influence in the body. Ultimately, both the clitoris and the penis are pleasure centers in each gender.
