Logan Steele
The penis is not a muscle, but it does contain some muscle fibres and relies on muscles internally and externally to function. The ischiocavernosus muscles, bulbospongiosus muscle, and the smooth muscle tissue within the penis all work together to make an erection hard and steady its erect direction for sexual penetration.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Is the penis a muscle? | No, but it does contain some muscle fibres and rely on muscles internally and externally to function. |
| What is the penis made of? | Glands, specialised tissues, and muscle fibres. |
| What are the muscles that the penis relies on? | Ischiocavernosus muscles, bulbospongiosus muscle, and the smooth muscle tissue within the penis. |
| What do these muscles do? | They work together to make an erection hard and steady its erect direction for sexual penetration. |
| What happens when you contract your pelvic muscles? | Your penis will briefly become harder and larger, but it will return to its baseline size when you relax those muscles. |
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What You'll Learn
- The penis is not a muscle
- The penis does have muscles nearby that make movement possible
- Smooth muscles are not under voluntary control
- Stretching and exercising muscles within the penis can support erections
- The ischiocavernosus muscles, bulbospongiosus muscle and the smooth muscle tissue within the penis work together to make an erection hard
The penis is not a muscle
The penis is not made up of one large muscle like a bicep, but it does have a series of smooth muscles (that are not under voluntary control) to develop an erection properly. Smooth muscles are frequently found throughout the body and function primarily through contraction and expansion. During an erection, arteries (which contain smooth muscle in their walls) relax to help move blood into the penis, while the smooth muscles located in the veins relax to collect more blood within the penis.
While the penis is not a muscle, there are muscles nearby that make movement possible. These muscles help to make penetration and urination possible. For example, contracting your pelvic muscles will very briefly make the penis harder and larger, but as soon as you relax those muscles, the penis goes back to its baseline size.
Popular nicknames like "boner" and the less common "love muscle" are actually pretty inaccurate. The erect penis contains neither bones nor major muscles. Instead, the penis is a complex assortment of glands, specialised tissues, and some muscle fibres that help with erectile function.
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The penis does have muscles nearby that make movement possible
The penis isn't a muscle, but it does have muscles nearby that make movement possible. It also has some muscle fibres that help with erectile function. The ischiocavernosus muscles, bulbospongiosus muscle and the smooth muscle tissue within the penis all work together to make an erection hard and steady its erect direction for sexual penetration.
Smooth muscles are frequently found throughout the body and function primarily through contraction and expansion. During an erection, arteries (which contain smooth muscle in their walls) relax to help move blood into the penis, while the smooth muscles located in the veins relax to collect more blood within the penis.
The penis is mostly made of spongy tissue that fills with blood when a person gets an erection. Stretching and exercising the muscles within a penis can support erections. This is thought to be why men develop erections every night when they go through the lighter stages of sleep referred to as REM sleep.
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Smooth muscles are not under voluntary control
The penis is not a muscle, but it does rely on muscles internally and externally to function. The ischiocavernosus muscles, bulbospongiosus muscle and the smooth muscle tissue within the penis all work together to make an erection hard and steady its erect direction for sexual penetration.
The penis is a complex assortment of glands, specialised tissues, and some muscle fibres that help with erectile function. While the penis is not a muscle, contracting your pelvic muscles will very briefly make the penis harder and larger. This is most noticeable when you have an erection, and the increased hardness is sometimes referred to as 'thrusting pressure'. This increase in pressure and size only lasts for seconds. Stretching and exercising the muscles within a penis can support erections.
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Stretching and exercising muscles within the penis can support erections
The penis is not a muscle, but it does have muscles nearby that make movement possible. These include the ischiocavernosus muscles, bulbospongiosus muscle and the smooth muscle tissue within the penis itself. These muscles work together to make an erection hard and steady its erect direction for sexual penetration.
Smooth muscles are frequently found throughout the body and function primarily through contraction and expansion. During an erection, arteries (which contain smooth muscle in their walls) relax to help move blood into the penis, while the smooth muscles located in the veins relax to collect more blood within the penis.
Stretching and exercising the muscles within the penis can support erections. This is thought to be why men develop erections every night during REM sleep. If you contract your pelvic muscles, you will very briefly make the penis harder and larger, but as soon as you relax those muscles, the penis goes back to its baseline size.
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The ischiocavernosus muscles, bulbospongiosus muscle and the smooth muscle tissue within the penis work together to make an erection hard
The penis is not a muscle, but it does have muscles that help it function. The ischiocavernosus muscles, bulbospongiosus muscle and the smooth muscle tissue within the penis work together to make an erection hard and steady its erect direction for sexual penetration.
The penis is mostly made of spongy tissue that fills with blood when a person gets an erection. Smooth muscles are frequently found throughout the body and function primarily through contraction and expansion. During an erection, arteries (which contain smooth muscle in their walls) relax to help move blood into the penis, while the smooth muscles located in the veins relax to collect more blood within the penis. This is not under voluntary control.
The penis also has some skeletal muscles outside of the corpora cavernosa, but these do not produce an erection.
Stretching and exercising the muscles within a penis can support erections. This is thought to be why men develop erections every night during REM sleep.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the penis is not a muscle, though it does rely on muscles internally and externally to function.
The ischiocavernosus muscles, bulbospongiosus muscle, and the smooth muscle tissue within the penis all work together to make an erection hard and steady its erect direction for sexual penetration.
No, because the penis isn't a muscle, there isn't an exercise that will result in a larger or stronger penis. However, contracting your pelvic muscles will very briefly make the penis harder and larger.
The penis is mostly made of spongy tissue that fills with blood when a person gets an erection. It is a complex assortment of glands, specialised tissues, and some muscle fibres that help with erectile function.
