Although many of you men are relatively familiar with your penis and its nonsense, your appendix has more to offer than meets the eye in this regard, the top 10 of the 10 unusual things to know about your penis.
No matter what you call it, the penis is a strange assemblage, but beyond laughter and giggling, it is, of course, vital to the survival of our species.
When you think of the penis as an evolutionary adaptation, it’s worked remarkably well.
We can all say without too much doubt that our father’s penis worked, just like our grandfather’s and his father’s, and so on, through successive generations until we reached far beyond the birth of humankind.
In case you’re wondering, the oldest known penis is 425 million years old, and its fossilised remains belong to an arthropod nicknamedColymbosathon ecplecticos, which means « incredible swimmer with a big penis » in Greek.
It’s worth thinking about its role in the survival of our species the next time you’re surprised at how easily your penis is activated.
As author Mokokoma Mokhonoana once wrote: « Even the greatest actor in the world can’t fake an erection ». Which brings us to the first penis fact of the day.
Your first erection
The penises are born ready. It is common for babies to come out of the womb with an erection. Even before the time of birth, ultrasounds sometimes show a fetus with a fully formed erection.
According to a 1991 study, fetal erections occur most frequently during REM sleep, and they can occur several times an hour, and no one really knows why, but it may well be the way our bodies test things out and maintain them properly.
Your penis is twice as long as you think
Many men might take comfort in the fact that our penises are longer than they look, in fact, about half of their entire length is housed inside your body.
Now you might be thinking, well, it’s not good for me up there, but it needs to stay connected to the rest of your anatomy, so it’s probably best if it stays in place.
As you can see in the diagram here, the mass of pink erectile tissue that includes the so grandiose corpus cavernosum and corpus spongiosum extends well into the pelvic region, forming a sort of boomerang shape.
3. The Myth of Height
According to a study published in the journalBJU International and its subsidiaries, there is no correlation between penis size and length.
Although an earlier study published in 1993 found that the length of the penis was related to both the height and the length of the foot, this was a weak relationship, and the authors concluded that the size and the size of the foot would not be a practical estimator of the length of the penis.
In addition, theInternational Journal of Impotence Research has published a published an Iranian study looking at other correlations. They concluded that penis size is significantly correlated with age, height, and index finger length, but not foot size.
4. The Famous Morning Erection
Most men have three to five erections every night, mostly during REM sleep, as in boys in utero, and morning erections aren’t as poetic as they seem.
Also known as nocturnal penile tumescence, it is still unclear why this occurs. However, one theory is that it may help prevent menorrhagia. An erection prevents urination.
A full bladder is known to stimulate nerves in a region similar to those involved in erections, but because women experience something similar nocturnal clitoral tumescence prevention of nocturnal enuresis is probably not the complete answer.
Another possible explanation is that REM sleep is related to the deactivation of the cells that produce norepinephrine in the locus coeruleus, which is located in the brain stem. These cells inhibit the tone of the penis. Thus, by reducing inhibition, the penis becomes erect.
Regardless of the reason for nocturnal erections, they can be useful as a diagnostic tool.If a man has difficulty getting an erection when he is awake but becomes erect when he sleeps, it is an indication that there is a psychological rather than a physical problem.
However, if he does not get erections during sleep, the problem may be physical.
A final erection
So we’ve established that we can have erections in the womb and during sleep, but perhaps even more surprisingly, the erection of death, also called angel desire or terminal erection, occurs in the moments after death.
It most commonly occurs in men who have died by hanging.Scientists believe that this may be due to the pressure exerted by the knot running over the cerebellum.However, it has also been reported as a result of death by gunshot to the head, damage to major blood vessels, and poisoning.
You can break your penis
As you probably know, there is no dos in your penis, which is quite unusual for mammals. However, it is still possible to break your penis. It most commonly occurs during vigorous sex, although it has been documented in men who have fallen out of bed with an erection.
The fracture of the penisAs we know, it’s actually the rupture of the fibrous lining of the corpus cavernosum, which is the tissue that becomes erect when it’s saturated with blood.
The moment of fracture is accompanied by a clicking or cracking sound, intense pain, swelling and, not surprisingly, flaccidity.
Fortunately, this doesn’t happen very often, and if it’s treated quickly, full function can be restored. As a warning, if this happens to you, don’t let the embarrassment get the best of you.
In a study of 42 cases of penile fracture, the most dangerous position was defined as the woman on top.
It’s not a problem.
Most men have very little control over exactly when they ejaculate. This is partly because it doesn’t involve the brain. The ejaculation signal comes from the spinal ejaculation generator. This region of the spinal cord coordinates the necessary functions.
Of course, the upper brain has some influence on these issues. Thinking about something else is a well-known way to delay the event, for example. But the nuts and bolts of the whole operation are handled in your spine.
8. Angle of the balancer
A man’s erection can point in almost any direction, straight, left or right, up or down, there’s no right or wrong, there’s no single angle.
The following data are fromA studywhich measured the erections of 1,565 men.
In the figures below, if the penis was pointed straight up, it was measured at 0 degrees, and if it was oriented forward (horizontally), it would be 90 degrees:
- 0 to 30 degrees 4.9 per cent of men
- 30 to 60 degrees 29.6% of men
- 60 85 degrees 30.9 per cent of men
- 85 95 degrees 9.9 per cent of men
- 95-120 degrees 19.8 per cent of men
- 120-180 degrees 4.9 per cent of men
So if you’ve ever been worried that your guy’s a little tilted, don’t worry you’re normal. While we’re on the topic of normality , very few penises are straight. They can bend in any direction. A curve of up to 30 degrees is still considered normal.
9. Producer or show-er
A study of 274 men showed that there is no correlation between the length of a flaccid penis and its size when erect.Some start small and end large (a cultivator), while some are large when flaccid and only grow slightly when erect (a rainbow).
Some are even small no matter what state they’re in, and some are big when they’re flabby and get much bigger. It’s a mixed bag.
It doesn’t have much relevance outside the locker room, but I guess it’s good to know anyway.
10. Cornflakes prevent masturbation from occurring
They don’t, really. However, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg — the brains behind breakfast cereal — hoped they would. He invented these and other products because he thought simple foods would take Americans away from the sin of masturbation.
Fortunately, nowadays food manufacturers are spending less time trying to convince young people to stop masturbating, and just in case there’s any doubt, that doesn’t make you blind either.
If this little list has tickled your fancy, your next step might be to plan a trip to Iceland and visit the Icelandic Phallological Museum. It’s dedicated to everything related to the penis. It was started by Sigurður Hjartarson after receiving a bull penis as a child.
According to Hjartarson, picking up penises is like picking up anything. You can never stop. You can never catch up. And you can always get a new, better one.
Or, if you want to go further, you can visit therestaurant in Guolizhuangin Beijing, China, specializing in penis and testicle dishes.
