Penis | |
---|---|
Details | |
Precursor | Genital tubercle (amniotes) |
System | Reproductive system, sometimes with the genitourinary system |
Identifiers | |
Latin | penis |
Anatomical terminology |
A penis (/ˈpiːnɪs/; pl.: penises or penes) is a male sex organ that is used to inseminate female or hermaphrodite animals during copulation.[1][2] Such organs occur in both vertebrates and invertebrates, but not in all male animals.
The term penis applies to many intromittent organs, but not to all. As an example, the intromittent organ of most Cephalopoda is the hectocotylus, a specialized arm, and male spiders use their pedipalps. Even within the Vertebrata, there are morphological variants with specific terminology, such as hemipenes.